(no subject)

[newlifeinstpaul]

Bigot of the Week

(Actually, this happened a few months ago--but a couple pics inspired me to post. You'll see)

During one of my first winter trips to the do-it-yourself car wash, I made a lil whoopsie while removing my WeatherTech mats. My car's exterior was clean, but had spilled a bit of salt/sand/mud inside the passenger footspace. So I drove 'round back to the vacuum area and--there's this guy near the car at the next stall.

Dressed in a brownish camo jacket, standing off to the side while his wife did the actual work. Pointing at me. Sneering. Making lil' remarks to his daughter. When reaching for my towel to dry my still-damp car, he snorted Ah Gats the SHAM-WOW in a voice loud enough for me to hear.

Didn't hurt my feelings. Couldn't. To be more precise? He wasn't qualified to do that.
You see, I 'gats the sham-wow' for a car that was maybe six months old and mostly the way I liked it.
Meanwhile....?







He was driving another car I loved. A Furd Taurus of the 96-99 model years.
No, honestly. Liked it so much, I bought one back when they were new.
And then? Another one after my divorce with leather and the big engine.

Except that was quite some time ago and now they're all old beaters AND and the car in the photo looked better than his. Cuz his was caked in dirt, then mud and a crisp outer layer of road salt. A less-than-delicate parfait of filth. Again...honestly. I can't embellish on this enough. That. thing. was. NASTY.

He kept sniping. No idea what he said. Even less of a clue why. Couldn't stop peeking at him now and then with a silly--but utterly befuddled--grin on my face. Why would he choose to poke at me? And me in particular? Why Why Why...? Wouldn't a bully with half a brain pick a POOR black person to berate?

But I kept to myself and kept making my much nicer car look nicer. Had my reasons.

You see, I used to own a couple of those cars. Long enough to know about their particular flaws. For instance, their ignition systems. And how models with a few hundred thousand miles on them (would that be all of them now? Yes) respond when they're started a few minutes after shutdown.

More correctly, when you TRY to start one.

And again.

Worse yet, again.

They piled in their beater, shut the doors--aFROOOfrooofrooo. AhhWHEEEZE-gag-choke.
Didn't look up. Kept drying my car.

Gurgle-gurgle-gurgle-gurgle-griinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd. Oh NOW they've done it.

I walked over while they sat in their flooded antique and gave them a look like

Whoops. MY turn with the jokes.

Comments

[fbhjr.livejournal.com]

"Why would he choose to poke at me?'
Or, anyone at all?

I've never understood it. I've witnessed it. More times that I can count.
But, I've never understood.

[newlifeinstpaul.livejournal.com]

I was born n' raised in the D. Seen plenty of bullies and bullying. But typically the idea is to pick on someone you can easily subdue, right? Wouldn't that rule out the guy at the car wash (the Material Possession Show) with a still-shiny ride 15 years newer than yours? Lemme guess, my trunk's fulla drugs.

Maybe he's a wannabe bully with valor. I dunno.

[msmidge.livejournal.com]

What is wrong with people. (No need to answer; we both already know.)

But the pic at the end is perfect.

[ragnarok-08.livejournal.com]

Ugh, what is wrong with people?!

[scarlet-begonia.livejournal.com]

Hey, I drive a Furd Taurus, a newer one, but a great car.

[cherrytattoo77.livejournal.com]

What in the world? He was jealous, or just stupid. Can't fix that!

[newlifeinstpaul.livejournal.com]

Oh CLEARLY jelly. Which I understand on some levels. Once upon a Babies-were-actually-babies, I was jealous of people who drove the sort of cars I drive to the gyms I go to now, then back home to a house like mine. Totally get it. Hell, as a 'Dub I'd knock on doors of freakin' CASTLES depending on where I'd been set to 'save souls.'

But I'd have the self-respect and decency to talk about them with other po' folk out of their earshot. Why give them the satisfaction of hearing me grind my teeth y'know?

Come to think of it, I probably weighed a good 40-60 pounds less than he did too. So CONFUSING tho. All I could think was Why would he do this? If I wanted to pick on HIM welllllllll never mind that. WHY????

[sakkebomb.livejournal.com]

I love how instant karma is sometimes

[newlifeinstpaul.livejournal.com]

If this was the Old South...? He'd be one of those dudes who'd complain to his friends, then bring them to my house at night in hoods and torches to take all my nice things a Negro Shouldn't Have.

BuuUUUuut it isn't so I guess Obama gave me all that stuff.

[sassysweetheart.livejournal.com]

See, but you nailed it right there...sounds like he didn't even HAVE half a brain. Beyond that, I would put money on the fact that at least some of the sniping was car envy. Not ALL of course - a lot of it was just that he was an asshole, but some of it had to be some envy.