Paranoid?

[spikegifted]

Am I being paranoid?

At Bank station, there are two conveyor belt-like devices that connect the Waterloo & City Line platforms with the station concourse level. In the London Underground, it is customary for people who prefer to stand or walk slowly up or down the elevators or those conveyor belt-like devices to occupy the right side of these things, so that faster moving people can move along. It is like a fast lane/slow lane arrangement for commuters.

This morning, as usual, I was walking up quickly up one of these conveyor belt-like devises after I arrived at Bank station. I like doing that - I want to get to work! About a quarter of the way up, there were two middle-aged men in their suits and raincoats walking abreast slowly and chatting to each other, basically blocking the way. I approached them and gently said, “Excuse me, please”, indicating that I’d like to get pass. The man on the left side of the conveyor belt turned round and gave me a look. It was a look of dismissiveness or even contempt and continued to walk abreast and chatting with his companion. It was only after the second asking that he moved out of the way and allowed me to move pass, with the comment, “If you really must.”

Here is my question: Would he do the same if I were white instead of being Chinese?

[DaBeeeenster]

Were you in a suit?

I know Bank very well. Used to work round there. Got a load of mates in the city (the ones that didn't lose their jobs last year!) You got a job then? Nice work. What sort of thing are you doing? Where abouts?

[Allen]

Originally posted by spikegifted
Here is my question: Would he do the same if I were white instead of being Chinese?

I think you're just being paranoid. A lot of people (not all, coz I also know a lot of people from London) are just jerks and wouldn't pi$$ on you if you were on fire. They simply don't have the time for anyone else...

Oh also, it might have been coz he was mid-conversation. I've known somebody to have a go at someone else who said something to them in passing as they were chatting to their friend. Totally over the top!

[spikegifted]

Well, I guess I can be a little paranoid at times. While I know 99% of people I meet or simply 'bump into' do not in any way have discriminary minds, it is the remaining 1% that really bothers me. I've actually met people who go out of their ways to give me a hard time because I'm not white.

I never 'play the race card'. I deal with people the way it is - straight - there's no hidden agenda. So it really bothers me if people do otherwise and even more so if people think they can take advantage of me just because I'm not white. It might be the case that I've spent too effort thinking about this and other encounters; but it is that look of contempt the guy gave me that really bothered me. If looks can kill, this one would be a slap on the cheek.

DaBeeeenster:

Thanks. I finally managed to get into the US investment bank that
I was interviewed for back in July last year. It's located on London Wall, just up the road from where I was working before. The nearest Tube station is actually St Paul's, Old Street or Moorgate... but I can't be bothered to change to another Tube line in the morning. I just have a nice healthy walk up from Bank to the office - takes about 7-10 minutes...

[DaBeeeenster]

Originally posted by spikegifted
Well, I guess I can be a little paranoid at times. While I know 99% of people I meet or simply 'bump into' do not in any way have discriminary minds, it is the remaining 1% that really bothers me. I've actually met people who go out of their ways to give me a hard time because I'm not white.

I never 'play the race card'. I deal with people the way it is - straight - there's no hidden agenda. So it really bothers me if people do otherwise and even more so if people think they can take advantage of me just because I'm not white. It might be the case that I've spent too effort thinking about this and other encounters; but it is that look of contempt the guy gave me that really bothered me. If looks can kill, this one would be a slap on the cheek.

How old were they? I have noticed a lot of people are disrespectful of me in the city because I am younger than them. It's impossible to say based on the description of events and not events themselves, but that would be my hunch. I decided after working in the city that a large proportion of the people that worked there were BS artists and hence very snooty in order to attempt to try and entrench their position. Anyway, you can always tell yourself that they probably worked in insurance

Originally posted by spikegifted

DaBeeeenster:

Thanks. I finally managed to get into the US investment bank that
I was interviewed for back in July last year. It's located on London Wall, just up the road from where I was working before. The nearest Tube station is actually St Paul's, Old Street or Moorgate... but I can't be bothered to change to another Tube line in the morning. I just have a nice healthy walk up from Bank to the office - takes about 7-10 minutes...

I quite liked walking around the city. Some nice buildings and interesting things going on all the time. I can recommend pavarotis sandwiches on the corner of old broad street and bank by the reuters statue. Very good coronation chicken. Mmm, coronation chicken

[Punky]

i think you were just being paranoid mate. some people can be very rude and ignorant to others. then again, i do get funny looks off people when they see me and my gf out and about together (she's chinese). if they were doing it because you were chinese, then ignore them and at be safe in the knowledge you are above them by not being racist or intolerant. peace.

[Allen]

Originally posted by Punky
ignore them and at be safe in the knowledge you are above them by not being racist or intolerant.

Truer words were never spoken.....

[spikegifted]

Thank, folks, for your comment. Now that I've had the time to sit down and think about it, I have to agree that it's more than likely that it was a 'stupid person thing', rather than a 'race thing'. I guess it was the dismissive attitude of the guy in front that really stirred my pot.

On the whole, I try very hard to ignor those 'race things' which I think are completely stupid and time wasting. Usually, I'd considered that I'm above such stupidity, but there was something about this morning that really drive me mad... Wrong time of the month, may be?

[Blub2k]

Just sounds like Londoners to me, like they say though even if the motivation were racial what can you do except sit back and be smug in the knowledge that it is not your problem and you are not so small-minded as to be affected by other peoples ignorance.

[Saracen]

Look at it this way ......

If it wasn't because you're Chinese, then he was an inconsiderate asshole.

If it WAS because you're Chinese, then he was a racist, inconsiderate asshole.

Either way, he's an inconsiderate asshole, and do you really care what an asshole thinks?

[Knoxville]

Just sounds like people in london and any other major town/city mate, 90% of them are just ignorant. Either way like punky said ignore them and at be safe in the knowledge you are above them by not being racist or intolerant.