Run Away
Today I have been compelled with an urge to leave
Glasgow for, um, utopia? While half doing housework and half doing
nothing earlier today, I heard Germaine Greer on Any Questions mention
the proposed smoking ban in the UK. Her point was that although the
population is aware of the dangers of smoking, and there are health
warnings on tobacco products, the people we're most likely to see
lighting up with glee are 13 year olds, and that that infantile
mentality often persists, despite adequate intelligence. We shouldn't
need legislation to prevent harming ourselves or others. I can't see a
way round it.
Anyway, what was bothering me today was a series of events that highlight that infantile mentality.
1: I went to the cinema (to see Bad Santa), and came out in a foul
mood. I couldn't even tell you if I enjoyed the movie as I was unable
to hear most of it for the inane and conastant chatter of a group of
teenage girls behind me. When I shushed them (just once) I was greeted
with a barrage of abuse. I should have got up, left, complained, but I
actually wanted to see the film.
2: Walking down the hill to the bus stop I saw two men, apparently
friends (I surmised this from the women who appeared to be with them)
screaming at each other and then one headbutted the other. This was at
about 5pm.
3: On the bus, a crowd of young adults swearing loudly with no regard
for the other passengers on the bus, smoking (which is allegedly banned
on public transport), became rather boisterous and started shouting
some football chant. When the bus driver, perfectly politely, asked
them to calm down he was greeted with a torrent of sectarian abuse.
On all three of these occasions, I heard passers by,
other cinema goers and those on the bus to say that the perpetrators
were stupid, didn't have two brain cells to rub together etc., but like
Ms Greer I don't believe that's necessarily the case. I don't pretend
to understand why people behave antisocially, rudely or violently. It
can't just be selfishness can it?
sisterphonetica
4 Comments
Reader Comments (4)
You know the rest.
I have despair filled days like that in Glasgow as well. Somedays I wonder if a nuclear accident at Faslane would be a good thing for the West of Scotland overall.
But other days it's not so bad. In fact, it can be rather enjoyable. Most people are pretty reasonable when they're on their own. It's when there's a big enough group of them that a you can get an antisocial critical mass. Unfortunately the denser the individual, the less of them required for an antisocial critical mass.
you can't move yet, im moving back to Glasgow armed with my London "don't push me" elbows...
comfort yourself with the fact that you don't live in London...
my mum has moved to Westport in Ireland and she has been telling me lots of stories about cars stopping in the street to let her cross the road, women in shops offering to carry her goods back to the house for her, and about a local telling of the crime in the area "well, a window was smashed recently by a tourist"...the place sounds like a "leave your doors unlocked" 1950's village....
heaven or hell? I can't decide...