A few weeks ago, whilst reading a magazine and waiting for my train in WH Smith, like you do, a smartly dressed man in his early to mid 30's approached me and tried to catch my attention. Mean while, I'm deep in the midst of why Katie Price is feuding with Pete over their kids and singing along to 'Got a long way to go' (mentally I might add here. I'm not one of those, I think I'm singing in the shower, but forgot I'm actually in public, kind of singers). After a breif and polite conversation, I throw caution to the wind and let him take my number, before running off to catch my train.
A few further short telephone conversations later, and Niger O, as we shall call him, has offered to take me out to the museum the follwing Saturday. He then calls me one night after 9 pm on a Tuesday to confirm our date for Saturday. Now, at that moment, I was in the middle of completing an assignment, and told him so, but Niger O didn't get the hint that I was busy. Instead, he proceeded to sound surprised that I was in education. I explained that I was merely in the process of gaining a technical qualification to become certified in the profession that I had already been doing for the past 6 years, when me made his second 'noise' of surprise. I say noise, as I'm not sure what it was. Just some shocked whimper or drawing of breath. A little annoying at the least, but little did I know, that wasn't the last time I was going to hear it. The sound materialised again when he realised what I actually did for a living, to which he added, 'I'd have never guessed that you did that.' 'No?' I say. 'No. It wouldn't even have been in the top three things I would of thought you'd do?' he responded. 'Oh, so what did you think I did? Or what where the top three you thought of?' I say. Now comes the back tracking, 'Well, I, I, I,I ............I'm not sure I should say. I'll save it for Saturday (our date).' What does that mean? Well, to me it was obvious that he didn't think that I was well educated. In fact, I'd almost lay money on the fact that he thought I was either in some form of casual retail or hair and beauty. No offence to anyone in those genres, but I'm a grown ass woman. Shop assistantl!! As a full time career position? I'd better be running Top Shop alongside Mr Green!
Yet the ignorance didn't stop there. He then went on to comment on how 'well spoken I was', before asking where my parents were from. On the mere mention of Jamaica, he came out with the stereotypical assumption that all Jamaicans are 'aggressive' and topped it off with, 'Did you know you all come from Nigeria! That is where your aggression comes from'. Errr...mate, are you taking the piss? First you insult me by thinking that I'm uneducated, then you generalise me and my people as uncooth and agreesive and now your giving me a history lesson!!! I had to bite my metathorical tongue so hard it hurt, but not hard enough to prevent me from correcting all his ignorant genaralisations. Only, less than a minute into it, the phone goes dead. Did Niger O just cut me off!!! Pissed. Who the fuck do you think you are? Not interested in actual facts regarding Jamacian culture and history, no? I guess not, as you've already cast your sterotype and are quite happy to live out your days believing it. How dare a young Jamacia girl try and correct you! Niger O, don't let my erudite Jamaican wrath rebuke you! Good riddens to bad rubbish I thought. I've got an assignment to complete.
You would have thought that that would have been the last time I heard from him, but noooooo. Three days later, Niger O has the ordacity to call and text 2/3 times for the day and leave a voicemail to check that we're still on for Saturday. Needless to say, I didn't return his calls to which then sent me a text to offer to send me some Credit!!!! I then got caught out answering it the following day (Berry playing up and not storing all my contacts). I simply made my excuses and terminated the call. However, Niger O has not been discouraged, as he still calls me to this day to get that date! It was almost a month ago. Take a hint Niger O, your thick skin and cultural ignorance won't win you any points with me, or any other woman for the matter. I think its about time you educated yourself.
