Curses & Crime

There was a report about a week ago about a rape that occured in the NYC subway in full view of two subway employees who did nothing about it, other than call the police. You can blame this on any number of factors:

• Employer rules that spell out what employees are supposed to do.
• Employer rules that threaten termination for any employee who violates those rules.
• Employees who are so afraid of losing their job they follow those rules.
• An economy so bad that it makes people afraid of losing their job.
• The natural inclination of city dwellers to avoid any kind of craziness. There is so much crazy stuff going on in the city that you have to armor yourself against it or you will spend your entire life dealing with it.
• The infamous New York rule to ignore your fellow citizens, even if they are being murdered.

Several months ago there was a story about how big box stores prohibited employees from pursuing shop lifters. They even fired a couple of people for doing so. Blame our litigious society. Juries often seem to believe that poor people deserve compensation from the evil rich corporations.

So all this was in the back of my mind last Sunday when my daughter and I went for a bike ride. While we were riding down one street we heard someone inside a house cursing a blue streak at the top of their lungs. The windows were open so we could hear them quite clearly and, boy, they were pissed. It sounds like a man berating his wife, and there is some banging going on, and I am wondering if I should knock on the door, or call 911 or something. My daughter is opposed to interfering/getting involved. Fear of embarrassment is very high. There is a little boy outside in front of the garage and he apologizes, and tells us it's his brothers and they are putting holes in the wall. Well, it's not a man beating on a woman, it's boys and they are hitting the wall, not each other, so maybe we can let this go. It's not like I have never let out a string of curses. Usually I will only do it when no one is around.

Welding Overhead

I remember one specific incident. I was working in Houston as a mechanic. I had a utility trailer hoisted in the air and I was welding some reinforcing to the underside of the frame. I am working in a warehouse, and I was pretty sure there was nobody else there. I had on my protective gloves, mask and a heavy shirt. I also had a heavy folded tarp draped over my lap. But I am welding overhead using an electric welder and sparks are flying everywhere, and I am getting burnt. I can take a few, but the job goes on, the sparks keep coming, and pretty soon I am cursing loudly and steadily. Surprise! Two guys come over from the other half of the warehouse to see who's making all the fuss. I was chagrined. After they left, I went back to welding and cursing but I kept it under my breath.

Update July 2022 replaced missing picture.