Sorry , I'm not into it yet .... just leave me with my cushion .....
Friday, 6 June 2008
" Don't call me a stupid bitch "
My sister informed me yesterday that one of her acquaintances was delighted to have succesfully prosecuted a stranger who called her a stupid bitch when she caused him some minor irritation in passing . Floating as I was above LaLa land and thus not frenetically engaging in my day to day activities , I had time to revel in this little piece of justice and ponder on times past when I have had to deal in my own ( rather pathetic , but the only way I could think of at the time ) way with men( some men I should say ) and their profanities .
One hot summer's day last year , whilst attempting to cross the road within the confines of a busy car park in Hexham , I crossed one lane of traffic and waited in the centre of the road till the road was clear to cross the second lane of traffic , a fairly common practice .
Under the influuence of medication I may have been , deep in thought , yes possibly , I usually am , but fit to cross a road ? Yes , I have no problems in this respect yet thank you very much ...... !
Anyway I was then standing waiting to meet someone by the side of the road when a large four by four jeep screeched alongside me window down and a thick necked man proceeded to hurl abuse at me
" Can you tell me exactly what you think you were doing standing in the middle of the road you stupid effing cow?"
only of course he used the full word starting with the f which for some reason today I don't feel in the mood for typing . ( Some days I would ... ) .... and with that off he screamed, his tyres raising a cloud of dust and his jeep caning it off round the car park .
I stared after him , shaking my head in amazement , my guts churning first in shock and then bemusement and then ... Hmmm , this I have to deal with . ...
( Readers , Now I would consider the police option , but that at the time did not occur to me ... )
He had not in fact driven far .... I watched where he parked and it looked as if he like me was waiting to meet someone , so I walked slowly round to where he was sitting , and tapped on the passenger window .
I felt this gave me a slight advantage as he was forced to lean across to hear what I was saying and he couldn't reach to ( for example ) strike me should he wish to ( in the event of my completely infuriating him , which I thought was a possibility .)
I spoke very slowly , as though to give the impression I may have some kind of speech or other impediment unspecified , and and whilst he was rolling down his electric windows I had a good peer in at him , stretching my neck forwards . He looked somewhat unnerved ... perhaps thinking oops madwoman alert ....
" Hello , I think you were just screeching at me back there . Was there something you wanted ? "
He seemed a bit taken aback , caught on the hop as it were , " You were standing in the middle of the road ."
" Yes, I was waiting to cross, in the centre . It's a recognised method of crossing the road . You seemed to want to know something about me and why I was doing it that way ? I ve come over to tell you ...
I've actually had quite a difficult month of it one way or another and I wonder if you might like to hear something about some of that ......."
Here my voice is slowing even more and I'm talking even more like I'm about to go into my life history including details of a few psychiatric illnesses or perhaps .something involving the perimenopause ...... ( Now I think I loook quite sane but ..... ) .. one thing I'm picturing is that this is a man who is not open to listening about women droning on about themselves ......
His neck is starting to go bright red .
He shifts in his car seat and I wonder what his next move will be ?
" You seemed to be wanting to talk to me .... you were very angry and shouting . Well that's not helpful to me when I've actually just had a death to deal with and I've just had the news that ....
" Look , he says ....... lets just leave it shall we ? "
" Leave it ? " I say , feigning disappointment
"Are you sure ? "
He winds up his car window in a hurry and starts the engine .......
I know , I know . Not the most effective way to manage the situation , but how I smiled as he drove off . Notwithstanding the traumatic week or so I had had , hey .... why shouldn't I have a bit of a laugh .......
Interesting thought that we take it for granted that strangers can harras and alarm us and we have no recourse to justice when in fact that may not be the case .
Hence my sheer delight that my sister's friend was able to see the man who maligned her brought to justice in a court of law .
One hot summer's day last year , whilst attempting to cross the road within the confines of a busy car park in Hexham , I crossed one lane of traffic and waited in the centre of the road till the road was clear to cross the second lane of traffic , a fairly common practice .
Under the influuence of medication I may have been , deep in thought , yes possibly , I usually am , but fit to cross a road ? Yes , I have no problems in this respect yet thank you very much ...... !
Anyway I was then standing waiting to meet someone by the side of the road when a large four by four jeep screeched alongside me window down and a thick necked man proceeded to hurl abuse at me
" Can you tell me exactly what you think you were doing standing in the middle of the road you stupid effing cow?"
only of course he used the full word starting with the f which for some reason today I don't feel in the mood for typing . ( Some days I would ... ) .... and with that off he screamed, his tyres raising a cloud of dust and his jeep caning it off round the car park .
I stared after him , shaking my head in amazement , my guts churning first in shock and then bemusement and then ... Hmmm , this I have to deal with . ...
( Readers , Now I would consider the police option , but that at the time did not occur to me ... )
He had not in fact driven far .... I watched where he parked and it looked as if he like me was waiting to meet someone , so I walked slowly round to where he was sitting , and tapped on the passenger window .
I felt this gave me a slight advantage as he was forced to lean across to hear what I was saying and he couldn't reach to ( for example ) strike me should he wish to ( in the event of my completely infuriating him , which I thought was a possibility .)
I spoke very slowly , as though to give the impression I may have some kind of speech or other impediment unspecified , and and whilst he was rolling down his electric windows I had a good peer in at him , stretching my neck forwards . He looked somewhat unnerved ... perhaps thinking oops madwoman alert ....
" Hello , I think you were just screeching at me back there . Was there something you wanted ? "
He seemed a bit taken aback , caught on the hop as it were , " You were standing in the middle of the road ."
" Yes, I was waiting to cross, in the centre . It's a recognised method of crossing the road . You seemed to want to know something about me and why I was doing it that way ? I ve come over to tell you ...
I've actually had quite a difficult month of it one way or another and I wonder if you might like to hear something about some of that ......."
Here my voice is slowing even more and I'm talking even more like I'm about to go into my life history including details of a few psychiatric illnesses or perhaps .something involving the perimenopause ...... ( Now I think I loook quite sane but ..... ) .. one thing I'm picturing is that this is a man who is not open to listening about women droning on about themselves ......
His neck is starting to go bright red .
He shifts in his car seat and I wonder what his next move will be ?
" You seemed to be wanting to talk to me .... you were very angry and shouting . Well that's not helpful to me when I've actually just had a death to deal with and I've just had the news that ....
" Look , he says ....... lets just leave it shall we ? "
" Leave it ? " I say , feigning disappointment
"Are you sure ? "
He winds up his car window in a hurry and starts the engine .......
I know , I know . Not the most effective way to manage the situation , but how I smiled as he drove off . Notwithstanding the traumatic week or so I had had , hey .... why shouldn't I have a bit of a laugh .......
Interesting thought that we take it for granted that strangers can harras and alarm us and we have no recourse to justice when in fact that may not be the case .
Hence my sheer delight that my sister's friend was able to see the man who maligned her brought to justice in a court of law .
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