I have
been recently working from the UK, where I was once there for my post-graduation.
Things haven’t changed in six years and everything remains the same. It is like
the time is stood still, but the only difference is that I now stay on the
other end of London, called Kent. It is lovely typical British town. People are
generally friendly and I use public transport to commute to work. It is one of
those instances where the colour of skin does really matter. IT was a typical
bus journey with people of all sorts travelling. Two buggies and one wheel
chair user were also in the bus. The first half of the bus were mostly elderly
people and the second half were mix of all age groups, including me.
A group of
three boys got onto the bus and two of them showed their passes (Oyster cards)
to the machine and walked in. One Caucasian and one of African origin and the
third one was also of African origin. It was obvious by their behaviour that
all the boys were teenagers and were all born and brought up in the UK. The driver
asked for the pass of the third boy to check on something and did not return
and ask the boy the leave the bus. The boy argued as to what was the problem.
The driver explained and asked him to leave, but he did not return the card.
There was a heated argument between the driver and the young African boy
delaying the journey. People in the bus were getting restless and at that
instance, one Caucasian woman, a mother of one of the babies in the buggy, screamed
abusively and asked the boy to leave the bus immediately. He said, ask the
driver to return his card as he would leave. The driver did not budge and the
argument grew between the boy and the lady. Out of the blue, the lady said, ‘you
niggers, why do you come and trouble us? Why don’t you go back to Nigeria and
live there’. The young boy was furious and became abusive saying, ‘don’t be
racist, I am a British and I have a British passport. I am born here’… the
argument continued for 15 minutes stalling the bus and calling all the undue
attention, and ultimately the boy had to give up and get out of the bus. There
were talks about all sorts. One of the elderly gentleman said, ‘I know the law,
the driver is right in doing what he did’.
It just
crossed my mind that this happened to the young boy today, it may happen to me
tomorrow. We are after all people of different colour and definitely ‘COLOUR
DOES MATTER’. It is sad to learn such things happen even now as it is more of
human nature and cannot be completely eradicated. Would I have behaved in a different
way than the mother in the bus, if I were to be her, was the question that was
going on in my mind? There were all talks about what happened and what each of
the person could have done till the end of the journey.
I guess, I
have gotten to used to the shouts and taunts you get on the streets, for your
appearance and for your way of talking and have learnt to be okay with it. I am
amazed at the strength of human mind to be okay
