To not have said something?

[HerrenaHarridan]

This happened about a week ago and I'm still cringing and chastising myself. I'm usually fairly gobby when required but words failed me

I was on fairly lengthy bus journey and got talking to an old lady (her words she was 71) we talked for ages about her dog that had died and were getting along very well.

A man got on a couple of stops before she got off and she starting making stage whisper comments along the lines of "likes of him shouldn't be allowed"
"they come over here and it's all paid for for them out of our money"
"They get given free cars" (this was on the bus!)

You get the picture, this poor guy (who I should add was wearing a very smart suit) was standing at the front of the packed bus so in full view of all the rows of seats and being as we were only a couple of rows back there's no way he couldn't hear.

I still cringe with shame for not calling her on it but I just sat there literally open mouthed in horror throughout the whole tirade and while she said bye and got off. She seemed oblivious to both my reaction and the auidible tuts (amplified by stunned silence)

I was fully aware that the battle of sexism still had many wars to win but confess I had no idea that people of colour living in a large multicultural city (Edinburgh) could still expect such blatant racism

I wish there was some way I could go back and untie my tongue

I have to put up with this at work, constantly, from my boss. I am about to resign because I just appointed the best candidate for a job we advertised, who happened to be black. I have arranged for her to be line managed by someone I know to be a fair-minded individual to keep her safe from his attitude). Now my boss's secretary (also a blatant racist who uses the n-word) is being awful and obstructive, and my name is mud with the boss. I am going to have to change jobs for doing the right thing.

It's absolutely awful that such behaviour is allowed in this day and age. I work for the NHS, by the way.

Unbelievable
How can anyone working in the nhs...

I know what you mean. I feel sullied just by exposure to this its awful'

I'm shocked at your example struggling

It's pathetic that some people still hold such ridiculous opinions.

Similar thing happened to me once, with a cab driver. "Bloody slant eyed people" kind of thing. We were having a lovely chat until then. I smiled and said "My husband is Thai." The look on his face was priceless.

BTW, my husband is caucasian.

I had the same from a boss once when I was temping. I am half Indian, but I have my fathers very English features along with my mothers colouring so I look Italian/Spanish/south American. No one ever guesses Indian.

The boss was moaning to me about 'Pakis' who worked in the store room stinking the place out with food. I was 19, so I said 'I think the people you are talking about are from India, not Pakistan' (not that it would make the word any better, but I hate the one term fits all offensive word for a group of countries), he replied 'who cares, a paki is a paki'.

I was so upset I left that afternoon and didn't go back for the following weeks work, I'd spent my entire childhood being called a paki and that brought it all back. Bastard.

71, I hope she's the last generation to hold dinosaur views like that. Agree it seems particularly surprising in Edinburgh which is one of if not THE most cosmopolitan cities in Scotland.

Oh I loathe these situations where you think you're having a nice chat and then all of a sudden you are being conversationally assaulted...really you want to get up and walk away but it's so hard to do...