Saturday, I was physically assaulted by an irate Asian Indian woman. In front of the library's reference desk and several witnesses! The altercation occurred because two groups, mine and hers, were seeking to acquire a first-come-first-served study room for two hours.
The woman poked and shoved me, and it's a wonder that I didn't topple backwards. I might have — except that she was at least a foot shorter than I.
The attack came out of nowhere. However, even before ever getting into the library, the woman had lied so that she could butt into the line outside. You see, a line always forms on Saturday mornings because of the sometimes-high demand for group study rooms on the weekends. All those wanting to use a first-come-first-served study room must be present for the room to be assigned.
Once inside the library, the members of my group were assembled at the reference desk. The irate woman mentioned above was alone and still awaiting the arrival of her teacher.
The best that I can recall now, I hadn't spoken a word to the Asian Indian woman. I was assessing the situation and was about to offer a compromise consisting of "Why don't we take the room for an hour? Your teacher isn't here yet. After that hour, you can have the room," when she started yelling.
"You're the teacher?" she screamed in a heavily accented voice. "Say something!" Poke. Shove.
Then I raised my voice. "What are you doing? What's wrong with you? You just assaulted me!"
The father of the two boys whom I tutor every Saturday shouted, "You don't touch people! You don't touch people!" Imagine a loud voice with a heavy Chinese accent.
The manager was summoned and the situation resolved in a way which displeased the irate woman. Her eyes were still ablaze with fury when my group and I walked away to go to the group study room.
The entire situation was surreal.
What a world!
Welcome to the un-United States of America
ReplyDeleteYep.
DeleteI felt sorry for the librarians. They were stunned at what that woman had done.
Does anyone imagine any of this getting better? Does anything ever get better?
ReplyDeleteOur shared culture is in tatters, shredded by progressive cat claws that snootily challenging anyone mentioning it to define just what is American culture anyway, you bigot?
btw, we have many Indians here, right in my neighborhood, and none of them are like the woman you describe. There are bad apples in every barrel, I guess...
SF,
DeleteI've never met an Asian Indian like that woman, either. We have Asian Indian neighbors, and they are delightful people.
I suppose it's possible that the irate woman who assaulted me isn't Asian Indian. Her accent seems to be of that type, however. I didn't ask her where she's from. She was at the library for ESL tutoring -- or, possibly, cramming for her citizenship exam.
It's unusual, for sure...but maybe she'd been in charge of securing a room and didn't know how she was going to explain to her teacher; pride, and all that.
DeleteWhat a story!
Z,
Deletemaybe she'd been in charge of securing a room and didn't know how she was going to explain to her teacher
Hey! That could well be.
She is probably one of those child like liberals acting out over the recent election results.
ReplyDeleteSeriously, I do think more and more people live in a constant state of anger. Most can not explain why they are so angry.
Jim,
DeletePeople are indeed on the edge of boiling over. I see it all the time -- but never before at the public library. Of all places!
Helena Hancarte said:
ReplyDeleteShe did it because you're such an obvious racist. I mean, don't you think it's time you stopped wearing that pointed dunce cap and covering yourself with a white sheet whenever you run errands? It's just asking for trouble, you know.
Helena,
DeleteLOL!
That's so far from the truth about me that it's funny.
I'm pretty sure Helena just wanted to add a note of levity to an otherwise aggravating, infuriating subject, AOW. I have a feeling she must know you pretty well, and thought a little leg pulling might be in order. ;-)
DeleteFT,
DeleteSomehow, I haven't found much humor in what happened. Some humor, but not much. That irate woman is at the library almost every Saturday -- as am I.
On the plus side, the library manager seems to understand the situation. She and I have exchanged several cordial emails.
@SF,
ReplyDelete"we have many Indians here, right in my neighborhood, and none of them are like the woman you describe."
I guess that "assimilation" [can] go bad!
There are individuals who always feel like the rules do not apply to them.
ReplyDeleteTry standing patiently in an express line designated for "fifteen items or less" with two other patrons with nearly empty carts whilst the dunce at the front unloads a good fifty items onto the counter. Then watch as she slowly fiddles with coupons to be scanned.
What did I do? In my mind, I cursed her up one side and down the other. But then, I paid for the groceries of the person behind me. That took the lead out of my own britches....
Sorry about the Komodo Dragon in your queue. The lady in my queue was probably just the average functional illiterate.
Tammy
Sounds like she was demented.
ReplyDeleteGet some pepper spray and use it if you need to and if its legal to carry in a library in Virginia.
Warren,
DeleteSounds like she was demented.
Off her meds?
The library manager told me, "She has a difficult English lesson today." I wonder if the irate woman was getting ready to take her citizenship test?
You know, if she wanted the room so badly, why didn't she get into line earlier?
Tammy, et al:
ReplyDeleteOne time "the dunce at the front unloads a good fifty items onto the counter" that happened to me. There was a sign that clearly said: " 15 Items Or less". I asked, " can you read"? She said with indignation, "I'm a teacher"! I said that I understood the problem and suggested that she seek-out a source that taught remedial reading. May I say that we didn't 'hook-up..........LOL!
Jon,
DeleteShe said with indignation, "I'm a teacher"!
The irate woman whom I encountered at the library was furious when she realized that I am a teacher -- I guess because I was there, but her teacher wasn't. I don't know what else to think. Clearly, she was angry that I had arrived, but my arrival made no difference as to which group got the room, anyway. Four of the five members of my group were there; by default we would get the room..