It has taken me a while to make time for writing about this awful experience, but nonetheless I wanted to portray my shock horror at the sweep-under the carpet racism we know too good about.
Last Friday gone, I sat on the bus, on the phone talking to a friend about some quite sensitive issues. I was very upset and using the phone conversation as a venting mechanism. Now naturally as a loud and outgoing person, I haven't yet developed or rather mastered the art of talking quietly in public and being discreet about personal issues which might be gold dust to a stranger's ears'. So there I was rambling away, when I heard someone mumble something and suddenly I saw everyone on the bus staring at me. It became apparent to me straight away that the person who had spoke had said something inappropriate/harmful to me. I followed the glance of the people on the bus (the people implying that it was this the person who was talking about me) and it came to an elderly white woman, who started saying something under her breath. I asked her outright, did she say something about me, she responded by saying, "No, I was talking to someone else." I accepted and carried on with my conversation with my friend on the phone, not making much of the situation.
Upon the elderly woman's departure from the bus, she came over to where I was sat, and I saw her mouth moving and took one of my earphones out. "You're a monkey!!" she said. I remember feeling deeply upset and extremely shocked at her outright racist comment. "I'm a monkey?" I asked, feeling confused and unable to comprehend the woman's level of courage to come to up to me on a public transport vehicle and be so prejudiced and intolerant in her comments and attitude. She went on to tell me "I've recorded everything you've said. I know everything about you now, I know exactly who you are", she said waving her phone in my face. At first, my instincts told me she must of been an undie (under cover police officer), I mean why would a random member of the public record my phone conversation, but then why would someone working for the police be so outwardly racist? Surely they would be more discreet about it. I told her calmly to delete the recording, all the while I did not utter one word in anger, disgust or upset. I was charmed and proud at the way I handled myself. Because the old woman went as far to even say, "What you gonna do, hit an old woman?". To which I ignored her, the bus stopped and she got off.
Its only after she had got off the bus, that the rest of the woman on the bus started telling me how sorry they felt for me and that I shouldn't pay it no mind. How could I not? I have every right to be respected in a city like London, which is home to members of nearly every country on the globe. I was so heartbroken at such a vicious hate crime intended towards me. Not one member of the public stepped in and told the woman off or stood up for me. A Muslim woman wearing a hijab, not knowing I was Muslim myself went as far enough to say I was making everyone on the bus feel tense. At this I became very angry, bewildered that she was saying that. "Did you not feel tense when the woman was making those horrible comments to my face?". I felt even more hurt that people were solely concerned for themselves and their welfare, whatever happened to love thy neighbour and looking out for the greater good?
Last Friday gone, I sat on the bus, on the phone talking to a friend about some quite sensitive issues. I was very upset and using the phone conversation as a venting mechanism. Now naturally as a loud and outgoing person, I haven't yet developed or rather mastered the art of talking quietly in public and being discreet about personal issues which might be gold dust to a stranger's ears'. So there I was rambling away, when I heard someone mumble something and suddenly I saw everyone on the bus staring at me. It became apparent to me straight away that the person who had spoke had said something inappropriate/harmful to me. I followed the glance of the people on the bus (the people implying that it was this the person who was talking about me) and it came to an elderly white woman, who started saying something under her breath. I asked her outright, did she say something about me, she responded by saying, "No, I was talking to someone else." I accepted and carried on with my conversation with my friend on the phone, not making much of the situation.
Upon the elderly woman's departure from the bus, she came over to where I was sat, and I saw her mouth moving and took one of my earphones out. "You're a monkey!!" she said. I remember feeling deeply upset and extremely shocked at her outright racist comment. "I'm a monkey?" I asked, feeling confused and unable to comprehend the woman's level of courage to come to up to me on a public transport vehicle and be so prejudiced and intolerant in her comments and attitude. She went on to tell me "I've recorded everything you've said. I know everything about you now, I know exactly who you are", she said waving her phone in my face. At first, my instincts told me she must of been an undie (under cover police officer), I mean why would a random member of the public record my phone conversation, but then why would someone working for the police be so outwardly racist? Surely they would be more discreet about it. I told her calmly to delete the recording, all the while I did not utter one word in anger, disgust or upset. I was charmed and proud at the way I handled myself. Because the old woman went as far to even say, "What you gonna do, hit an old woman?". To which I ignored her, the bus stopped and she got off.
Its only after she had got off the bus, that the rest of the woman on the bus started telling me how sorry they felt for me and that I shouldn't pay it no mind. How could I not? I have every right to be respected in a city like London, which is home to members of nearly every country on the globe. I was so heartbroken at such a vicious hate crime intended towards me. Not one member of the public stepped in and told the woman off or stood up for me. A Muslim woman wearing a hijab, not knowing I was Muslim myself went as far enough to say I was making everyone on the bus feel tense. At this I became very angry, bewildered that she was saying that. "Did you not feel tense when the woman was making those horrible comments to my face?". I felt even more hurt that people were solely concerned for themselves and their welfare, whatever happened to love thy neighbour and looking out for the greater good?