The Crazies

So one of the things about not having a car, and relying on walking and public transport is that you are accessible to the 'crazies'. It's a part of community life that driving around in a car shields you from.

I've had a few 'crazies' experiences in the past couple of weeks. I've had the strange guy on the bus, who I am pretty sure took photos of me, but I wasn't game to ask. I had a women talk to me for 20 minutes about how fortunate my children were that they could speak both Australian and English, and was I thinking about teaching the language of my forefathers? My forefathers obviously being Indigenous American Indian and wasn't it interesting that they left America to move to Australia...

Today I was waiting at the lights, for the crossing sign to appear, when Ms Crazy appears from side left asking 'English or French'? She was reasonable well dressed in an area with lots of homeless. Perhaps she needed directions.

"English." I replied.

"Well, love you better get out of town. The English speaking are in mortal danger."

Um...I was at a loss to reply. But she wasn't waiting for a reply. But I do what I always do. Don't make eye contact. Stay polite. Put myself between them and my children. Smile.

"I saw it on Animal Planet. The systematic, wholesale slaughter of all English people in Canada. The French in Quebec are invading. Murdering everyone. You can't find an English newspaper or magazine anyway - not since last September. There are 10,000 of them starting at UOttawa next week - I tell you. Pack your bags and get to the US tonight. There will be blood on the streets tomorrow."

If it wasn't for the traffic, I am pretty sure the silence would have been deafening.

Her piercing gaze was waiting for a reply.

"Maybe I'll be ok. I'm actually Australian'. I smile.

She looks at me in disgust. "Just as bad as the bloody French". She says.

And then, thankfully, the lights changed.