I don't know exactly why but I sort of suspected that such a white, middle-class suburban environment as this might be hiding some pretty nasty racism. Last night at the bar I heard a Scottish accent announce, loudly and unashamedly to his neighbour (but so that everyone else could hear his opinion) that, 'I don't mind the Indians 'cos they work hard but I can't stand the Pakis.'
I tried to make my look in his direction as contemptuous as possible without tripping into threatening. I don't have the physique or the attitude to do threatening in any meaningful way so it would only ever lead to a beating.
The guys at the bar then, gleefully, chose to misunderstand (deliberately) the use of the word 'girlfriend' by the Russian woman who works at the pub. She was describing a friend who is female. They were enjoying the lesbian undertones. Pint of Sussex pulled I left the gathering. Must return alone soon.
I realise that I have spent insufficient time alone in the pub. It is almost impossible to make new relationships in a pub if you go in with company. I wonder how long it will take?
A pub I used to go to had the expression 'You're only a stranger here once' on the wall. Someone had removed the word 'once'.
3 comments:
I spent an hour alone in a pub this evening. Granted it was 10pm and not in the centre of the urban hub that is Cheltenham. But the only other people in the pub were a Christian youth group from Oxford talking embarassingly loudly.. Quite understandably I kept my head down in my pint (of Hoegaarden... sorry) and the paper.
i'm just being nosey now
but interesting post, what pub were you in
to behonest i have to agree with you
growing up mixed race in nailsea was not easy and although incedents of out right racist abuse were infrequents and non physically violent there were always pretty strong undertones to the whole town
which remindes me of the time i had been left at the cricket nets next to the grove sports centre by a bunch freinds , and their older brothers who were there proced to yell racist insults at me to get me to stop playing with them, before i could leave they let down my bike tires and then through stuff at me so i had to run away carry my bike.
so i get home upset and my mom obviousy wants to call the police, the police send round their community wardon (good ol mr watts) who it alwo happens is the dad of two of the lads who a=had attacked me, not only that but he comes round wearing a badge of a golly wog. the iceing on the top of the cake is that the main insult his sons and theirs freinds used was niger and golly wog.
man i so new there was a reason i couldn't wait to leave the town.
I don't want to stray into damaging the trade of a good pub which can't be held responsible for the nmanners of its customers. I'll tell you when we meet.
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