Bad Behaviour (part 2)

Had this excellent comment from Hugh, who writes the entertaining blog arthurpewtys.... on my previous post.

'I am strongly of the opinion that society is divided and that divide is getting wider. Without getting into sociological claptrap, I feel we have a population that is comprised of normal people (IE - you and I and our friends and peer group) and Scum. Nothing whatsoever to do with race, orientation, belief (or not) system - purely the fact that there is a significant chunk of the population who think that they are entitled to everything and need to pay back nothing.'

Aside from the fact I couldn't have put it better myself, I think this really sums up an unfortunate truth, most of us just want to get on with life, not causing offence or upset to others, but a few people really don't give a shit about the effect their actions have on those around them. Saw a brilliant example of this divide up on the Common this morning.

Chelsea, prone to premature retaliation!
Now I have to exercise Chelsea in a place where you can control her access to other dogs, as she is a little too keen to get her retaliation in first, so we go to a fenced in bit of Plumstead Common, next to the Tennis Courts. That way she can run around and not upset anyone else.

The Tennis Courts
The Tennis Courts are well used, especially on a Saturday morning, on the court nearest me were 3 black men, happily enjoying a bit of exercise. Also at that end of the Tennis Courts are the 2 gates, one on either side. People who are not playing Tennis often use these gates as a cut through, to save going round all 4 courts. Now first of all, I only cut through there if no one is playing because it is just plain rude to disturb someone's game just to save yourself a minute. Other people are less considerate. a swarthy looking white guy on a bike decides to cut through, disturbing the Black guys game, he leaves the gate open on his way in, the black guys say nothing, he holds up their game going through, the black guys say nothing, he leaves the gate open on the way out, one of the black guys, no doubt exasperated asks him very politely to close the gate (otherwise the balls fly out through the hedge and on to the old bowling green!) . The first response was a muffled grunt of 'why man'. Again the black guy politely asks him to close the gate, more incomprehensible grunts emanated from the swarthy white slob on the bike. At which point, and I don't blame him in the slightest, the black guy said
'oh fuck you'
and realising that there is no point in reasoning with the unreasonable, carried on with his game. the reply from swarthy white guy was,
'Fuck you, I'm Albanian'.
So apparently, being Albanian explains why you are an anti-social little shit!
I have to say I know who I would want to live next door to, and it ain't swarthy white guy.