Fear and aliens
Nov. 12th, 2007 08:07 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
indigo_rose99Today at one of our favorite restaurants we were seated in the aliens-only section.
I have no idea why.
You will perhaps recognize these aliens; there were three aggressive ones among the five tables. They are loud, voices hitting a unique volume and pitch designed to make everyone in the area run for cover. They throw things. Food. Utensils. Sometimes they hit other patrons. They seem uncaring of anyone else's space or comfort. They are immune to winces, glares, and polite requests for more restrained public behavior. They are always guarded by two or more hulking and more quietly violently defensive bodyguards. I suspect some of the violence in the guards may come from sleep deprivation. Any protests by other customers (such as myself) about the disruption to our evening enjoyment may be initially met with sympathy, "What can I do?" looks, "He's the boss.".... But the sympathy has only about a 10 second life cycle. After that the bodyguards become increasingly aggressive, to the point of verbal and physical violence far beyond the alien's. I've actually seen one of the guards go into a 20 minute full-shout rant with bodily-harm threats after another patron cast an "Oh my, when will it ever stop?!" look at the guard's charge. Just a look. The guard was asked to leave, though waitstaff would never dare say such a thing to the alien.
And the poor waitstaff... If the alien leaves soon enough, we are treated to the sight of the waitperson rolling their eyes in resigned despair as they survey the wreckage that was once a table.
By and large, most of us are too afraid to suggest that the alien is behaving inappropriately, by look or word. We hunch in our chairs, stare at the table and wonder if they will leave before our ability to cope runs out.
Doesn't this count as living in fear? Unable to protest at our environment for fear of retribution?
I have no idea why.
You will perhaps recognize these aliens; there were three aggressive ones among the five tables. They are loud, voices hitting a unique volume and pitch designed to make everyone in the area run for cover. They throw things. Food. Utensils. Sometimes they hit other patrons. They seem uncaring of anyone else's space or comfort. They are immune to winces, glares, and polite requests for more restrained public behavior. They are always guarded by two or more hulking and more quietly violently defensive bodyguards. I suspect some of the violence in the guards may come from sleep deprivation. Any protests by other customers (such as myself) about the disruption to our evening enjoyment may be initially met with sympathy, "What can I do?" looks, "He's the boss.".... But the sympathy has only about a 10 second life cycle. After that the bodyguards become increasingly aggressive, to the point of verbal and physical violence far beyond the alien's. I've actually seen one of the guards go into a 20 minute full-shout rant with bodily-harm threats after another patron cast an "Oh my, when will it ever stop?!" look at the guard's charge. Just a look. The guard was asked to leave, though waitstaff would never dare say such a thing to the alien.
And the poor waitstaff... If the alien leaves soon enough, we are treated to the sight of the waitperson rolling their eyes in resigned despair as they survey the wreckage that was once a table.
By and large, most of us are too afraid to suggest that the alien is behaving inappropriately, by look or word. We hunch in our chairs, stare at the table and wonder if they will leave before our ability to cope runs out.
Doesn't this count as living in fear? Unable to protest at our environment for fear of retribution?
