But how come they always try and kill me?

Most of their contracts state that they only need to beat me up and teach me a lesson, not murder me! Why can't they just have a punch up and then leave me alone?

Also, why do none of the guards help me? I'm being assaulted in the middle of the street!

Argh!

Thugs would get paid no matter what they do if they get the job done.
Guards always help me.

Bad scripting and writing. Even when a dragon was attacking the village the thugs were intent on 'teaching me a lesson'.

A beggar sent hired thugs against me yesterday

Edda of Riften , cause i picked up a piece of cabbage by mistake that had made its way near the door that leads to the Riften fishery , turned out it belonged to her

I think to was just laziness on Bethesda's part TBH. Guards help me always too.

I've never once had a guard help me with thugs. They just attack me in the middle of town with no repercussions......well almost no repercussions. Last time they attacked and the guards didn't help I killed the thugs AND the guards for being worthless. Arrow to the knee was small potatoes in comparison to axe to the head

Guards ignores them attacking me, even if right in front of them, tend to get atacked outside Riften so the spiders was more helpful.

Hate the thugs, some of the hardest fights in the game, usually has to run forever to stop them from killing me.

It's random for me. Either the guards help or they don't.

because they want you to stand up for yourself. Just run into some water, and go to land and snipe, or catch your health and jump back in. Breaking them up helps