NEVER BULLY ANYONE.

…and if you feel drawn in. If you feel that desire to get ‘one over’ someone in a more vulnerable position to you, stop and walk away!

I was sat on the 20:45 bus home this evening. The warmth in the UK atm is wierd (weird but also worringly the new normal) and there is a wierd smell, the kind of smells that warmer countries are either used to or know how to prevent.

The heatwaves have traditionally produced our worst behaviours here in the UK.

Although I am 42, I am still the kind of person who makes no trouble, keeps themselves safe from harm. But if there is something that triggers pure rage in me it is being a witness to bullying.

A group of young, attractive and confident teenage males, were spread out at the back of the 95A bus out of Barnsley. When they started shouting ‘bender!’ again and again.

In front of me was a youngish looking man, who I am convinced has learning disabilities because he is normally with a personal assistant.

He always wears a face mask, probably has done since it was mandatory back in the Covid 19 pandemic. He was wearing an black vest that show off your arms.

I overheard somebody speak about ‘skinny, weedy arms’, and me being me, even at 42, I assume they are talking about me. I also look a little odd; I only ever wear shorts when the weather is frightenignly hot, and I already feel vulnerable.

But it turns out they weren’t on about me. They were clearly picking on this young man in a vest and with a face mask, as I saw him stressfully react as another ‘bender’ slur was aimed his way.

In between overheard accusations of him abusing a girl, I still knew that this man was vulnerable; a man with learning disabilities left exposed to the whims of lads showing off to the young women on the bus.

I couldn’t help it. Even in my silly prescription sunglasses, I kept looking back at behind me, trying to make them aware that I am aware what they are doing.

At one point I saw this young man hold is head in his hands in despair, and then aplogised to the person behind him for accidentally kicking their back. This was a deeply vulernable person.

I HATE BULLIES.

I hope I haven’t been a bully, but I probably have at least ALLOWED others to bully someone at my expense.

I have been bullied more than I recognise. There is nothing nice to say as I know that I still would be bullied if I put myself in those environments.

Yet seeing others being bullied makes me want blood; i’m sorry to speak like that, I just hate bullying so much.

Maybe the little pricks on the bus will grow up and be decent people, but I know so many people who have gone on that path, whilst their victims never recovered.

The best I could do, after trying to stare with disaproval, was to submit a complaints form to the Stagecoach company.