Jun 04
Some folks…
Some people hate chuggers, some hate migrants. I don’t mind either. Who I do mind are busy bodies.
Those people who actively go about their day trying to make everything perfect for themselves.
Take a train journey I had a few Sundays ago. I sat in the priority seating. To be honest, I didn’t notice it was that until I was sitting down, with all my stuff laid out. I shrugged, thinking that I did have a legit reason for being here. We set off and I plug in some headphones into my iPhone and start playing some of Hugh Laurie’s piano compositions. (Highly recommended)
About a quarter of the way through it, I feel a tap on my shoulder. I pull out my headphones, and turn around. There’s this middle aged woman looking concerned. As a reflex, I look down at myself, wondering if I’m pale or I’m bleeding. I know my music wasn’t too loud, so she can’t be here to complain. Can she?
“Sorry, do you know what that seat is?” she asks.
I look around. “Priority, non-reserved” I say, not getting her.
“Yeah, that’s a priority seat” she says, in a voice that suggests I’m 3 years old and can’t grasp the English language.
“I know that” I reply, not giving way to her officiousness.
“Well” she said. Swear she’s a school teacher. Only they can manage such condescending tones. “Do you know what that means?”
I laugh. This is a joke right? Her face doesn’t change. “Yeah, I do” I say.
“Well, you’re not priority”
“Excuse me?” I say, and I produce the cane, which had been resting in my hand, hidden from view in my hand. I’m not sure whether my hand was surreptitiously hiding it from her or it was genuinely resting there.
“Is that yours?”
Resisting the urge to say something sarcastic, I answer. “Yes, I need it”
“Why?” she barks. Definitely a teacher
I sigh. I wish I could be left alone from people who insist on reenacting parts of Monty Python’s Spanish Inquisition. “I got Cerebral Palsy, OK?”
This is the trump card. This is the electric shock the dogs should get if they go too close to the fence. This is the crack of the whip circus elephants learn to fear. She backs away slowly.
“Oh, alright so”
Why can’t people just mind their own fucking business?
I despair and am disheartened and desponded because such people exist and are allowed to live among normal people
June 4th, 2009 at 1:33 pm
Its a real pity when people are rude Tommy, but good on you for putting her right in a polite way. I’d say she was mortified that she was in the wrong, she wont make that mistake again, thats for sure.
June 4th, 2009 at 3:31 pm
You let her off lightly. Next time, make them squirm. Refuse to tell them anything, and wait till they get some train staff, then be like “I’m here with my cerebral palsy and this woman won’t leave me alone!”
June 4th, 2009 at 3:32 pm
Check and mate!
June 4th, 2009 at 3:34 pm
Fair play to you for letting her off lightly. In your position I probably would have said something acerbically sarcastic and watched her squirm.
Just a question – how full was the train? Were there other empty seats around?
June 4th, 2009 at 3:38 pm
maybe you should the cane on the side where it is visible, or,
put a sign saying “I got Cerebral Palsy, OK?” on your forehead, maybe that would work, but it sure would draw a lot of attention
June 4th, 2009 at 4:19 pm
@Aislinn Train was maybe 1/4 full. Not even, I’d say
@Christian both of your suggestions would diminish the happy feeling you get when you know you just owned someone in an argument. Having an argument and winning is better than not having an argument!
June 4th, 2009 at 4:57 pm
That’s ridiculous, so. Not only were you perfectly entitled to sit in the priority seats, it’s not like there wasn’t anywhere else to sit.
like you said, some folks…!
June 4th, 2009 at 5:46 pm
Fair play for acting so calm. I’d have been tempted to hit her with the cane.
June 4th, 2009 at 6:45 pm
@Tommy That is so like you !!!!!!!!!!! ;P you always have to bring debating into this !!!!!!! haha
June 4th, 2009 at 6:46 pm
is that your Dad in the picture?????
June 5th, 2009 at 12:05 am
God no!
June 7th, 2009 at 12:54 am
Wow.
You’re too nice. Had it been me (and I’m one of those guys who sits in priority because the seats seem spongier) I would have told her to forcibly insert her opinion somewhere dark. Where does she get off even talking to you like that? She’s not a parent/guardian, she’s no authority to, I doubt you were inconveniencing anyone else.. Maybe she just wanted the priority seating to herself? She knew it was spongy..
June 7th, 2009 at 2:10 pm
Mmmmm spongy…
July 27th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
[...] 27, 2009 Telling… Posted by Niamh under Uncategorized Leave a Comment I was reading a few posts on Tommy’s site recently where he was talking about his cane and the posts resonated [...]