Wednesday, September 02, 2009

A Difference Of Opinion

I had an altercation on the bus home from Crisp-e’s today.
Some idiot started abusing a black woman and a Muslim woman who got on the stop after me.
I had my ipod on and didn’t realise what was happening at first, until I noticed everyone shifting in their seats.

I turned the music off just in time to hear,
“….’king wog and a suicide bomber.”
Total silence on the bus apart from the rustling of clothes.
He continued.
“Fuckin’ niggers and pakis taking over this fuckin’ country - I bet you two live in council houses, don’t yer? Don’t yer?”
I’d heard enough.
“What? Like you do, you shiftless cunt?!
(Don't know where 'shiftless' came from! Channeling the Grandfather I think)
Funnily enough, everybody managed to turn round and look at him then.
“Wha, Wha, What?” he said.
So I told him.
“I don’t want to hear your racist shit! No one wants to hear it.”
His clever comeback was,
“Oh, you some kind of nigger lover are yer?”
“Yeah I am. Problem?”
He started to tell me it was people like me who were ruining the country…..
That’s when I blew.
“ME? People like ME? It’s people like YOU who are ruining this country - You fucking white trash wanker scum.”
Then I really lost it and shouted at the rest of the bus…
“… and people like you fucking lot! Who sit there trying to pretend all this isn’t fucking happening and doesn’t involve you. Do you want to hear his shit?”
Then they turned on him and fuck me did they turn!
Women were on their feet shouting at him and 2 blokes went to the driver and demanded he be chucked off.
Which he was at the next stop.
I let them get on with it and went back to my tunes.

If I hadn’t been more than a little stoned, I might have been slightly more eloquent but the point was made.
Perhaps if the black lady hadn’t been wearing her nursing uniform and immediately put me in mind of a good friends Mum, I wouldn’t have lost it like I did.
My non-existent impulse control helped me make a bit of a stand today, but perhaps it’s time we all got in touch with our inner Howard Beale.
Time to get mad as hell.
It’s got to be better than sitting round discussing how everything is going to the fucking dogs.

9 comments:

Sassygril said...

Indeed. The good thing was the fact that you challenged the rest of them to get involved and do something. Nice one. Very, very nice.

And I am always amazed that blokes such as them never have any reflexivity - they're never the ones who are letting the side down. Oh no. They deserve their council house and benefits just because they were born here. Do they fuck. Oh dear, I can feel a touch of mentalness coming one...

Sleepy said...

Crisp-e.. Not having it mate!

Sassy.. Got that quote in my head about evil happening because good people stay silent or something like that.
Yeah! He was probably only on the bus because he hadn't pissed his Giro against the wall yet!

Schneewittchen said...

Sorry for the misquote, but same diff. Ish.

Sleepy said...

Schnee.. Thanks!
The Grandfather would have told me off for the swearing claiming it was because I lacked an 'adequate vocabulary'!

Grey Area said...

I Love You!

(verification word - 'franny' - even Google approves!)

Sleepy said...

Richard... Hahahahaha!
Thank you. x

The Gripes of Wrath said...

I am always appalled at how apathetic most folk are, so good on yer for standing up to the bilge spouting limp streak of piss.

- I had a similar altercation with a group of "street drinkers": when they came out with the classic "stealing our jobs" line, I couldn't help but laugh...

Some Chilean Woman said...

I am glad you stood up to him and also held the other ones responsible too. I hope that if I am ever in that situation I can be brave like you.

Artemesia said...

I hope you're O.K. and am looking forward to more pearls of wisdom from you. Miss your "Stuff."

I've also intervened, usually when mothers have or are bashing their child. People just watch! Unfortunately, twice to prove me wrong and assert their right to beat/smack their children, they smacked the child again after I intervened as if to say..So?

But another time, a child beater actually thanked me..and I heard that he stopped abusing his kids.

You did a great public service on that bus! Maybe you started a ripple for the future..
A