TributetoNostalgia
Member
This Is a strange topic to bring up.
I hope I can explain all this as clearly as I can. I am trying to write at some speed before I lose my thoughts and it all becomes disingenuous.
Basically, I'd just finished another crappy 12 hour shift at my job, and was getting the last tram home. I was dirty, very tired and fed up. Then some guy gets on and starts kicking off, I at first assumed he was on drugs, this is common on the last tram from the city center, but he was ranting about how everything's messed up in society (put simply). The whole tram could hear him. He was kind of aggressive but at the same time, civil, and only with words.
Then he started shouting "f**** you all!, you all only care bout yourselves!" all that stuff, you all know the narrative. So a few people jump in and start saying some stuff, I don't remember exactly but they're just trying to shut him down, one woman in particular calling him a "pleb" (slang for idiot almost) but he kept going for about 10 minutes straight saying "f*** the lot of ya!", he was getting louder and louder and more and more aggressive. Hes even pointing to where I'm sat shouting it.
After listening to it for ages I got up and walked over to him, nervous but angry, and quite determined, my words as I recall were "You cant say f*** you to me, I'm the same as you bro, I was born in (so and so location), I come from a very working class background and I bust my arse in a Kitchen... (my hand was on his shoulder) Your not better then anyone else..."
The guy doesn't really look at me but kind of looks past me, he tones his voice down yet still continues to rant, then my stop comes and I get off.
I am not embellishing this story, nor am I boasting. I was trembling like hell, more than any normal person I think, and I don't consider myself to be "cool" or by any means "macho" (not to give out too much personal info but I see myself as a kid.)
The point of all of this is this: I don't really feel pride In "standing up" to this guy, yes I was angry but I kind of did it just to prove to myself, or at least any observers that I wasn't a coward. I was angry, but at the same time I wasn't angry at him. I couldn't make up my mind whether he was right or wrong.
Today's social climate is definitely a mess, and working in the city Iv'e seen some bad situations and no-one has stood up for each other. One way I look at it is that when someone does starts kicking off everyone tries shutting them down. If this is the case then i have foolishly just fulfilled this role.
People don't like it when someone does kick off because they suddenly feel insecure about themselves, or that they resent someone taking the spotlight, or the order is upset. It is snitch-like behavior.
From this paradox in principles I often choose to not get involved In certain situations, but I can also see this as being counter-productive to a "good" society, of course a society must consist of the moral and the strong, and such indecisiveness and passivity is a weakness.
I can't really say much more, but If you can relate, or debate, unload it here, or share your own experiences.
Either way it feels good to get it off my chest.
Thank you!
I hope I can explain all this as clearly as I can. I am trying to write at some speed before I lose my thoughts and it all becomes disingenuous.
Basically, I'd just finished another crappy 12 hour shift at my job, and was getting the last tram home. I was dirty, very tired and fed up. Then some guy gets on and starts kicking off, I at first assumed he was on drugs, this is common on the last tram from the city center, but he was ranting about how everything's messed up in society (put simply). The whole tram could hear him. He was kind of aggressive but at the same time, civil, and only with words.
Then he started shouting "f**** you all!, you all only care bout yourselves!" all that stuff, you all know the narrative. So a few people jump in and start saying some stuff, I don't remember exactly but they're just trying to shut him down, one woman in particular calling him a "pleb" (slang for idiot almost) but he kept going for about 10 minutes straight saying "f*** the lot of ya!", he was getting louder and louder and more and more aggressive. Hes even pointing to where I'm sat shouting it.
After listening to it for ages I got up and walked over to him, nervous but angry, and quite determined, my words as I recall were "You cant say f*** you to me, I'm the same as you bro, I was born in (so and so location), I come from a very working class background and I bust my arse in a Kitchen... (my hand was on his shoulder) Your not better then anyone else..."
The guy doesn't really look at me but kind of looks past me, he tones his voice down yet still continues to rant, then my stop comes and I get off.
I am not embellishing this story, nor am I boasting. I was trembling like hell, more than any normal person I think, and I don't consider myself to be "cool" or by any means "macho" (not to give out too much personal info but I see myself as a kid.)
The point of all of this is this: I don't really feel pride In "standing up" to this guy, yes I was angry but I kind of did it just to prove to myself, or at least any observers that I wasn't a coward. I was angry, but at the same time I wasn't angry at him. I couldn't make up my mind whether he was right or wrong.
Today's social climate is definitely a mess, and working in the city Iv'e seen some bad situations and no-one has stood up for each other. One way I look at it is that when someone does starts kicking off everyone tries shutting them down. If this is the case then i have foolishly just fulfilled this role.
People don't like it when someone does kick off because they suddenly feel insecure about themselves, or that they resent someone taking the spotlight, or the order is upset. It is snitch-like behavior.
From this paradox in principles I often choose to not get involved In certain situations, but I can also see this as being counter-productive to a "good" society, of course a society must consist of the moral and the strong, and such indecisiveness and passivity is a weakness.
I can't really say much more, but If you can relate, or debate, unload it here, or share your own experiences.
Either way it feels good to get it off my chest.
Thank you!