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Smile - you're on candid camera...
May. 19th, 2005 10:34 amAs I was walking into town last night, I encountered a group of lads lurking on Newport Road, caps on and hoods up. I passed the first three, hand instinctivley gripping my bag. One was leaning casually against the wall, apparently on the phone. The other two were alert - not talking, continually turning, their eyes checking out the empty streets.
There were another five or six waiting around the corner - all mooching - leaning against the wall and railings lining the sides of the pavement.
I was surrounded.
One of the boys behind me shouted "This one lads! Now! Now!" It was pretty much what I had expected.
But what happened next came completely out of the blue. The lads leapt over the barrier into the road, flipped up the engine cover panel on the back of a bus which had just stopped at the traffic lights, pressed the emergency stop button and pegged it off down the road!!!
I just stood there, taken completely by surprise. Of course, being a "responsible" citizen, I told the driver what they'd done. He used a couple of choice expletives to describe them and, once he'd driven away, I laughed my arse off.
Comedy genius.
Two things puzzled me about this event:
1. Why hasn't it ever occurred to me that you can stop a bus like that? You'd never miss one!
2. Even though I was surrounded by a gang of lads who I presumed were about to mug me, I wasn't scared at all. There was no adrenaline rush or anything. Yes, I've learned how to fight and could have thrown a few mean punches but there's no way that I could beat 8 or 9 blokes. Perhaps I should seek out a new career as a gorge-jumper or bullet-catcher?
On the other hand, I might be fearless, but I'm not stupid.
There were another five or six waiting around the corner - all mooching - leaning against the wall and railings lining the sides of the pavement.
I was surrounded.
One of the boys behind me shouted "This one lads! Now! Now!" It was pretty much what I had expected.
But what happened next came completely out of the blue. The lads leapt over the barrier into the road, flipped up the engine cover panel on the back of a bus which had just stopped at the traffic lights, pressed the emergency stop button and pegged it off down the road!!!
I just stood there, taken completely by surprise. Of course, being a "responsible" citizen, I told the driver what they'd done. He used a couple of choice expletives to describe them and, once he'd driven away, I laughed my arse off.
Comedy genius.
Two things puzzled me about this event:
1. Why hasn't it ever occurred to me that you can stop a bus like that? You'd never miss one!
2. Even though I was surrounded by a gang of lads who I presumed were about to mug me, I wasn't scared at all. There was no adrenaline rush or anything. Yes, I've learned how to fight and could have thrown a few mean punches but there's no way that I could beat 8 or 9 blokes. Perhaps I should seek out a new career as a gorge-jumper or bullet-catcher?
On the other hand, I might be fearless, but I'm not stupid.
