Friend racially abused on the bus :(

kitschkitty

ilw wrote: »

not his job. He is paid to drive the thing.

wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong!

dktreesea

balletshoes wrote: »

Because of my child's family background, name and cultural mix, its entirely possible she could, at some point, be racially abused on a bus by a drunken idiot. And the advice I have already given her regarding bus journeys is exactly what I said to the OP in my first post on this thread.

My children are in the same situation as yours. I expect them to dress according to the norms in this country, and not to do so in a way that calls unwanted attention to themselves.

balletshoes wrote: »

sorry but I disagree with that - I don't think anyone should have to expect that because they wear a headscarf, they will be verbally abused or attacked. A person really does have to be a complete moron, in my opinion, to abuse or attack anyone because of the way they dress.

All true, but Britain is a place where people are under pressure and some of them drink heavily. I'm not defending the morons, but at the same time, we should not be going out of our way to put ourselves in their sights either.

gettingbackontrack

dktreesea wrote: »

My children are in the same situation as yours. I expect them to dress according to the norms in this country, and not to do so in a way that calls unwanted attention to themselves.



All true, but Britain is a place where people are under pressure and some of them drink heavily. I'm not defending the morons, but at the same time, we should not be going out of our way to put ourselves in their sights either.

I think you're trying to make excuses now. "Putting themselves in their sights" - for pity's sake, saying people are under pressure (whatever that means) is offering an excuse for criminal behaviour.

Thankfully, this is a country in which people can follow their religion and that is what the OP's friend was doing. Anyone who blames the victim instead of the perpetrator of crime need to look to themselves and their mores...

mumps

dktreesea wrote: »

It's possible - worst case scenario - that the people on the bus agreed with the abuser. Sad to say, but possible.

But even if they didn't, they may have been influenced by the fact that the girl being abused and the OP did nothing about the situation. Neither of them approached the bus driver and asked him to call the police. If girls of that age aren't prepared to do the right thing - which is either to report it to the driver, and if he does nothing, call the police, should the rest of the public take it upon themselves to intervene?

Yes they should.

balletshoes

dktreesea wrote: »

My children are in the same situation as yours. I expect them to dress according to the norms in this country, and not to do so in a way that calls unwanted attention to themselves.



All true, but Britain is a place where people are under pressure and some of them drink heavily.
I'm not defending the morons, but at the same time, we should not be going out of our way to put ourselves in their sights either.

Every country in the world has people who are under pressure with some who drink heavily. That absolutely doesn't excuse racist outbursts at children, or anyone else, come to that.

You are defending the morons dktreesea, by making excuses for them.

What about goths, what about punks, what about bikers, what about hippies? What about - oh I don't know, any person in this country or any other who doesn't apparently conform to what a British moron drunk thinks is the "right" way to look?

gettingbackontrack

balletshoes wrote: »

Every country in the world has people who are under pressure with some who drink heavily. That absolutely doesn't excuse racist outbursts at children, or anyone else, come to that.

You are defending the morons dktreesea.

What about goths, what about punks, what about bikers, what about hippies? What about - oh I don't know, any person in this country or any other who doesn't apparently conform to what a British moron drunk thinks is the "right" way to look?

I couldn't agree more. Blaming the victim is the coward's way.

dktreesea

kitschkitty wrote: »

Ah voicing the good old "asking for it" opinion.

I'm not going to waste my breath on that one.

I would call it more the law of unintended (on the part of the person dressing a certain way) consequences, rather than asking for it.

One thing for sure. If I were of a mind to dress differently the normal way people dress here, not to mention wanting to be in a public place at the time or place drunks are likely to be on the prowl, I'd make sure I took some self defence courses first.

dktreesea

mumps wrote: »

Yes they should.

Easy to say, but if that's your regular bus, and the guy/woman on it who takes that bus is also a local, think about what could happen if you got involved. You're reporting it. Therefore you are prepared to be a witness. The bus has CCTV. It is possible the local police already know who the offender is. They arrest him. He goes to court. You are called as a witness. Do you really want to take the risk of making your family a target for him and his mates? I wouldn't.

Maybe it says a sad thing about today's Britain, but most people won't get involved in a situation involving public abuse.

gettingbackontrack

dktreesea wrote: »

I would call it more the law of unintended (on the part of the person dressing a certain way) consequences, rather than asking for it.

One thing for sure. If I were of a mind to dress differently the normal way people dress here, not to mention wanting to be in a public place at the time or place drunks are likely to be on the prowl, I'd make sure I took some self defence courses first.

Normal people? Good grief.

I would say the OP's friend was more "normal" than someone who blames a victim. Or a drunken bigot.

Shameful.

gettingbackontrack

dktreesea wrote: »

Easy to say, but if that's your regular bus, and the guy/woman on it who takes that bus is also a local, think about what could happen if you got involved. You're reporting it. Therefore you are prepared to be a witness. The bus has CCTV. It is possible the local police already know who the offender is. They arrest him. He goes to court. You are called as a witness. Do you really want to take the risk of making your family a target for him and his mates? I wouldn't.

Maybe it says a sad thing about today's Britain, but most people won't get involved in a situation involving public abuse.

I think your version of today's Britain is one I don't recognise but then again I don't associate with cowardly bigots.