Lucky Tiger vs the bogans

This week has been a little rough, we’ve been short one person and the other one had this last weekend off so I was all by myself. That’s fine, it’s just that there’s no one else that can pinch hit for me so no lunch or tea breaks for me those days. We were also fairly busy so I didn’t want to sneak out when it got quiet in case it flared up in those split seconds I was gone.
As it happened, they were great days with exception of one customer on each of those days.

So I was a bit stressed, a bit starved, a bit sleepless and dealing with the public at large. Naturally, I have come down with a cold. My workplace has a strict cold/flu policy, which I think is great. It also means I couldn’t work today. So I moseyed down to the quacks for some tissues and other supplies.

It’s a lovely day today, and because of the hours I work, I don’t get to see the sunlight as much as I’d like so I figured, why not walk? It’s only going to be a ten minute walk at most and let’s face it, the fresh air will probably do me some good.

So I mind my own business in the waiting room, even though feral people are coughing and sneezing into their hands then picking up communal magazines/papers/pens/anything and everything in sight. Luckily, I bring my own sketch books, puzzle magazines and reading material so the time passes quickly. I’m in and out efficiently, pick up my supplies and head on home.

It was kinda surreal to think that all my life, I’ve never seen this side of my town without being in a car. I enjoyed it. The wind was nice, the sun was warm, no one disturbed me and with the exception of a stupid little poofy tail mutt I was home free.... or was I?

Of course not! Some shining example of an Aussie bloke sticks his head out of his bubble car as he drives by and yells ‘Slut!’ which I presume to be aimed at me as there was no one else around apart from the two elderly ladies in the park I passed like five minutes ago.

What did I do to deserve that? Sure, I was standing on a corner, but that was while I was making sure no one was going to run me over as I crossed the road. My clothes are extremely modest, a fairly long sleeved t-shirt and ¾ length cargo pants complete with a belt I borrowed from my partner and for once I had left my clown whore make-up and thigh highs at home. Maybe this bloke is from out of town, where women aren’t allowed out of the house unless they’re sex workers, and all sex workers in his area regularly turn tricks while laden down with shopping bags on a busy residential street. At lunch time. Fully dressed.

I couldn’t help thinking as I walked back home that stuff like this is probably why people don’t get out and walk more often, and also why I hate people. I did regret leaving my car at home, but then I was like.. no, that’s probably what this guy wants. To intimidate me, or the next female he sees.

 I couldn’t imagine yelling at someone I don’t know, that without me extracting myself from my car window to abuse them would have no possible interaction with them, entirely unprovoked. I mean, really, what was the point?

Do they hate their own lives and are just trying to get a rise out of someone? Do they hate women? Do they have something against people walking? Do they think they’re funny? Do they have literally nothing else to do that they have to try to bring someone else down? Would they yell at me if they were walking on the same footpath, or are they cowards? Are they indiscriminate? Would they yell at perceived male prostitutes too? Or perhaps a grandpa out walking with his grand-daughter? How about his mother? Was I standing on his corner, and he was just getting territorial?

I’m going to go with all of the above. I mean, what’s wrong with just turning on the radio when you’re driving? Stop spreading the hate and giving all bogans a bad name.

A while ago a friend of mine posted on Facebook that they did a similar thing. Driving along, came across a girl at the crossing and yelled at her to put some pants on, that it was Winter, etc. Another friend called her out on it, saying that she’s probably just scared a ten year old girl. It isn’t like my friend to abuse anyone like that, and the fact that they thought it was funny tells me that they don’t realise that they were scaring her, they thought they were standing up for morals.

But you can’t lynch someone else for not dressing how you expect them to. We’ve grown up in one era, but now all these younger kids have been fed a diet of skanky reality tv shows, bikini filled music videos and constant sex tape scandals.. they probably think it’s completely normal. Besides, look at what’s out there for kids clothing wise. If hotpants are being advertised to them and all their friends are wearing them, all their pop culture icons  are seen wearing them – it’s all they know. It’s the norm. The kid that doesn’t wear them and lives in baggy jeans is probably going to get teased.

Also why most kids aspire to be a Kardisham, be popular and get paid heaps for no particular reason. Other options are study really hard and work for peanuts in a job that you hate and no one respects you in. Yay!

So today made me sad for society, but also defiant. You’re not gonna stop me walking in my own neighbourhood, you loser. You need to grow up and stop being so childish and petty. Deal with your issues instead of launching them out of windows at a stranger. Get a hobby. Surround yourself with decent people and friends who will call you out when you start sinking into bogan-douche levels instead of cheering you on into being an asshole.

It wouldn’t matter if I was the skankiest skank of a whore slut in the bitchin’ skank universe, you don’t get to yell at me. You don’t know a thing about me, or my sex life, and you never will. I could guess a thing or two about yours though, if you’re that insecure to pester others with your abuse.

If everyone could just, I dunno, slap someone who does this sort of thing, I think we’d stamp out sexism, racism etc and just be left with a lot of nice people, and a whole bunch of cry babies in the corner with red cheeks.