----- Original Message -----
From: "Robin Hamilton" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: 25 April 2002 00:26
Subject: Re: showing the flag
| I grew up with the cliché that USAmericans Are Rude.
some of them are; but then so are some of us
| But the ones who bump you off the pavement on London Streets are
Londoners.
some of them - but the one who forced me off the pavement in Park Lane last
month was certainly American - to my delight he even called me buddy: heh,
you don't own the whole pavement, buddy, he said as he and his mates took
the whole pavement
they had assumed their right to the whole pavement and I had assumed my
right to have them allow me through we were going in opposite directions -
they were very expensively dressed and much larger than I am... and casually
violent
i recommend a pilot's bag full of books; but I was in a hands in pockets
situation
| (US)America is almost un-nervingly polite, either here or there.
I nearly said that of over there myself - tho I'll talk to you again *after
you've been mugged in NY - but they're not all unnervingly polite.... more
of them are polite, yes
I was reflecting on this only last night. Can't remember how the
conversation started... but I was recalling the black man in Buffalo who
seemed astonished that he was addressed and was wonderfully helpful - AND
regretful that there was no direct route to where i was going... and then I
recalled the white man who responded to my polite later request for
information with "how the fuck would I know" - fortunately there was another
black american there to help me without me even asking
& some of the politeness belied its content - crucifixion? take a cross and
join the queue
| You can (rightly?) knock America for lots of things, but damn, they sure
is
| politer than we.
well, yes, often. I said it was an incorrect association
night night
L
|