ADBIG Running Day

[Peter Martin Baggett]

I walked out.

I've never, ever done that before. Today I went to the Aldershot &
District Bus Interest Group Farnborough Bus Running Day. It wasn't
overly busy, there were a couple of people there I knew. I'd chatted
briefly to them, bought a programme, had a look at what was there and
had settled down to eat the lunch I'd brought with me. I'd finished
eating and was quietly looking at the Guardian on my iPad before
deciding which trip to go on. Then a small group sat down at the table.
Now, I'd spotted Ray Stenning, the well known designer of Best
Impressions, the company that designs a lot of the liveries used by bus
companies. He is rather well known for his rather eccentric dress
sense, but he is well regarded in the industry. So when their
conversation suddenly turned to people they'd seen and I heard one say
"that woofter who does the liveries" followed by derogatory references
to Ray Stennings' partner and another two guys they'd encountered later
complete with offensive gestures, I froze. I felt humiliated and
threatened. I quickly gathered everything together and left the table
as quickly as I could. As I did so, they stopped and I noticed I was
being stared at. I saw the bus back to the car park and walked over to
it and boarded it. I had to wait a few minutes for it to depart, but
mercifully, the tables were out of my field of vision. I got back to
the car park, got in the car and drove straight back home, stopping
only of petrol, my day out having been ruined.

[Claudio Calvelli]

Unfortunately there are always people who feel that they must make other
people miserable. One must wonder at what (obviously tiny) thougth
process goes behind this sort of behaviour.

Sorry to hear that your day has been ruined by them.

C