Oct 30 2005
Verbal Assault
So last night Jul and I, & Bruno and Patti drove down to meet Steve & Alicia at The Melting Pot for dinner. A good time was had by all, but that’s not what this story is about.
After B and I dropped off our wives in front of the restaurant, we drove around back to park. The Melting Pot is in a large shopping center called Legacy Village, a new, upscale “outdoor mall” of the type that is cropping up all over the place these days. The clientele there tends to be different than you’d find down the street at Richmond Towne Square.
Anyway, we were cruising slowly down the row. Two people were backing out of their spots, so we sat and waited for maybe ten seconds, at which point I started rolling forward. I noticed another pair of backing lights come on, so I put my hand on the horn. I was about one car behind this person, so it didn’t make any sense to stop - there was no room for them to pull out. The car began to back up. I didn’t wail on the horn, which would have said something like “HEY ASSHOLE, DON’T HIT ME,” I gave her the customary short toot on the horn: “hey, I’m back here, let’s not dent each other’s cars.”As I crawled past and started to turn into one of the recently vacated spots, I glanced at the car that was waiting. It was apparent the woman waiting was really pissed off either because I hadn’t waited for her, or because I honked at her. Well, whatever.
B and I got out of the car and walked to the back of it, heading towards the entrance. The woman driving had her window halfway down, glared at me and screamed “FUCK YOU” as she accelerated past. I yelled back “AND NOW I KNOW YOUR INTELLIGENCE LEVEL, TOO.” She seemed to take offense, as she let loose with a string of profanities (all the while continuing to drive away), ending with “WHITE BITCH.” Oh yeah, she was black. Apparently that was her ultimate insult.
Anyway, I’ve been trying very hard lately to be more laid back and I have to say I’m glad I didn’t let loose with my own string of profanities. Now I have to work on not saying anything at all.
Oh the irony.
melting pot
NOUN: 1. A container in which a substance is melted. 2. A place where immigrants of different cultures or races form an integrated society: “Canadians . . . liked to think of their country as a mosaic rather than a melting pot” (Kenneth McNaught).