"goth" couple now allowed to ride bus in UK

[Edward Strange]

If we could all just calm down...

...A friend of mine from university has a similar tale to tell.
Set the scene, a wet and rainy day in Wales. And Master Mike the Metalhead is patiently waiting at the bus stop, trying to get to the hospital.

Mike's a good fellow, he's from Surrey (or Suffolk, hell I don't know) and he's a bit of a metalhead like I say. Back then he had a mohawk he always kept down and always wears his biker jacket when out and about.
Anyway, he wasn't sure if the bus went too the hospital so when one did come along he asked the driver if it did and the driver said no, before driving off with an un-nerving grin.

So, with some time to kill he investigated the timetable and found up the hospital was the other way, so he waited for the bus to do it's loop and come back again.

Eventually, after an hour or so it comes back and Mike flags it down. However, the bus driver won't let him on.
"What?" He asks, slightly perplexed.
It turns out the bus driver can refuse service to any customer. So what sin has Mike done to render him so undesirable?
"Because you look like a c*nt." Says our delightful driver.

Now, Mike is a good man, but he grew up in a rough place. So, after looking around for any nuns or small children that might be watching and happily seeing there weren't any...

...He punched the bus driver in the face and went on his merry way.

[Darklight689]

Edward: i like that guy mike already.

I would have probably ended up making that bus driver cry like a little bitch. People need to be a little more aggressive, people comment on my dress but never have i been assaulted because of it and may the gods have mercy on whoever tries.

[DepthsofSpace]

Originally Posted by Edward Strange

Eventually, after an hour or so it comes back and Mike flags it down. However, the bus driver won't let him on.
"What?" He asks, slightly perplexed.
It turns out the bus driver can refuse service to any customer. So what sin has Mike done to render him so undesirable?
"Because you look like a c*nt." Says our delightful driver.

Now, Mike is a good man, but he grew up in a rough place. So, after looking around for any nuns or small children that might be watching and happily seeing there weren't any...

...He punched the bus driver in the face and went on his merry way.

I want to know Mike. =| He sounds awesome. xD

Ah, the fun that could be done with this situation in sue happy America.

"Oh, no service? Okay, well (*takes out cell*) let me just check with my attorney and see-- Oh, service now? Ah, good man."

[Edward Strange]

Aggression breeds aggression?

I feel a somewhat more fitting punishment would be to complain and make the bugger lose his job.

[Darklight689]

No. Complaining will get you nowhere, laughed at maybe. Doing something like that the guy was challanging him to do something and in my opinion he should have gotten it. In mikes case he did get what was comming. Unfortunately the world doesnt work by pacifism. Personally i wouldnt ride in a bus where the bus driver was a prejudice jackass.

[Edward Strange]

Ghandi did alright with his non-violent protests...
And look at Martin Luther King Jr. and his bus boycott!

Non-violence for the win.

[Godslayer Jillian]

And Thich Quang Duc and the Freedom Riders!

[Haex]

...and the protesters in Tiananmen Square!

[Edward Strange]

Yes, but that wasn't about buses.
At least I hope not.

[dickpickle]

Originally Posted by weepingblood

Thanks you for trying to be understanding dickpickle (hee hee cute name). You are right about it being how I address the pain. I am trying to stop cutting but it's hard when the world is so horrible and everyone wants to bring you down all the time, I know this happens to everyone but in my experience it happens more to gothics because we are different and people always pick on those who are different.

You're welcome. I wish you'd come back tho. "SOB!" they really gave you a lot of shit here about a number of things including the cutting. I have had friends who cut and used ot do it myself long ago although I was not really sure why. Yeah. People do suck. For me, too. Every day is a struggle it seems. But fuck 'em. Or even *butt* fuck 'em! W/ my piclkle!

[ForgetThisLostLenore]

You know, protest only works really well when you have a large amount of people on your side, but not quite big enough for them to get either the riot squad or the army in there to break it up.

It's a very fine line to walk along that protest works. Not that I'm saying that non-violence is bad, it's just the fact that the majority of people might be just as much of asses as the busdriver and finding a group to protest would be hard.

[KontanKarite]

Mike sounds great.

I don't have much left to offer. I think Mike was in the right.

[Your Darkest Secret]

I saw that article about the goth couple in my morning paper just now... My first thought was that the weather here in good old UK-land is absolutely freezing this last couple of weeks - that girl must have some major frostbite. Anal retentive bus drivers are going to be the least of her problems...

[TopHaggardDoll]

LOL! I love Mike...

[DeathToLems]

Yup I just saw the story in The Sun. Oo
The whole dog leash is silly. pfft.
But as for the driver being a dick. What the hell!??

But as someone mentioned, The bus driver has the right to deny access to anyone, so why don't they stop chavs and asshole loud mouthed kids get on?

a Goth gets on a bus, sits down, reads his book or sits there quietly. But what goes on around him is shouts from other passengers and s******'s and whispering.
Pathetic.
Shouldn't the driver be telling these other passengers to shut up or get off?

*shakes head* This makes me want to delibratly dress in something more outrageously goth to see if the same happens again.
We should all do this and then we will have our protest!
Who's with me!!
<_<
>_>

[Lapin]

Originally Posted by DepthsofSpace

I want to know Mike. =| He sounds awesome. xD

Ah, the fun that could be done with this situation in sue happy America.

"Oh, no service? Okay, well (*takes out cell*) let me just check with my attorney and see-- Oh, service now? Ah, good man."

Yeah funny, not my issue here.

You're not serious with that Ron Paul thing in your signature are you?

[Darklight689]

The thing is if you do read US laws, NO one can be denied service from a business based on sex, religion, race, whatever floats your boat kind of thing. If you sell a good or service to 1 person you must to everyone else. Its why in america a transvestite can walk into a drug store and buy tampons if you he pleases and the store clerk cant tell him no. Of course this is doesnt cover age to buy alchohol or cigs but you get the point. A US bus driver cannot tell a black person he cant ride because he is black, he cant tell that to a jew. Someone who dresses strangely is included in this right. Unless he was exposing himself or dare i say not allowed due to lack of garments is in fact legally allowed that service. Im glad i got something out of high school economics.

[DepthsofSpace]

Originally Posted by Lapin

Yeah funny, not my issue here.

You're not serious with that Ron Paul thing in your signature are you?

Okay, you lost me there. Not your issue? Not mine either. I was just commenting on the fun way to use lawyers (for what little they are worth) in the United States. People panic if they think you might sue, especially with public services.

And yes, I am. Do you have a problem with me exercising my freedom to support the candidate of my choice? And further, is that relevant?

[DepthsofSpace]

Originally Posted by Darklight689

The thing is if you do read US laws, NO one can be denied service from a business based on sex, religion, race, whatever floats your boat kind of thing. If you sell a good or service to 1 person you must to everyone else. Its why in america a transvestite can walk into a drug store and buy tampons if you he pleases and the store clerk cant tell him no. Of course this is doesnt cover age to buy alchohol or cigs but you get the point. A US bus driver cannot tell a black person he cant ride because he is black, he cant tell that to a jew. Someone who dresses strangely is included in this right. Unless he was exposing himself or dare i say not allowed due to lack of garments is in fact legally allowed that service. Im glad i got something out of high school economics.

Well, almost. The mall here in Knoxville has a statement that they reserve the right to remove anyone who wears disruptive, threatening or gang related clothing. They are private institutions, though, and can do that. Public services, like government buildings and public transport can't.

[XxZanexX]

I saw this on another non-goth forum I post on and came to post the story to see it'd already been posted.

I have an interest in lifestyle D/s relationships and actually know people who like to be led around on leashes but these people know when to indulge in their lifestyle and when to cater to vanilla situations.

Regardless of anything about the couple, the bus driver is VERY out of line.

Wish the article didn't equate goth and D/s like it's the same thing.

[honeythorn]

Wouldn't be the AFI forum perchance? It's on there .

[XxZanexX]

Nah, but I'm ashamed of what forum it is so I'm not telling. ;P

[Darklight689]

Originally Posted by DepthsofSpace

Well, almost. The mall here in Knoxville has a statement that they reserve the right to remove anyone who wears disruptive, threatening or gang related clothing. They are private institutions, though, and can do that. Public services, like government buildings and public transport can't.

thats a load of crap but arguable if people care to take it to court

[Madarame]

I don't think he refused to let them on because they were goth, he was just jealous that he doesn't have a nineteen year old goth girl on a leash.

In all seriousness though, he should have let them on but as I think has already been mentioned he had the right not to. To be honest I'm really not surprised about this, there is always some arsehole who feels that treating someone like this is the best way to liven up an otherwise boring day.

[DepthsofSpace]

Originally Posted by Madarame

I don't think he refused to let them on because they were goth, he was just jealous that he doesn't have a nineteen year old goth girl on a leash.

Feeling like a freak on a leash (you wanna see the light);
Feeling like I have no release (so do I).


Yeah, I quoted Korn. You may shoot me now...