A brush with the law
I always enjoy the monthly visits of my window cleaner Phil. However like most most trades where I live his timekeeping is not the best. So I allocate a morning on the basis that he will be late.
True to form I received a text yesterday that he was running late due to an incident at Costas. It transpired that whilst he was cleaning the windows there a spaced-out person came into the cafe with his penis exposed.
The story reminded me of the rejoinder of Dr Johnson:
Aghast woman: Dr Johnson, your penis is sticking out
Dr Johnson: You flatter yourself Madam , my penis is hanging out.
Well, anyway, Phil being a decent public spirited sort of fellow engaged with the man.
As he said, it was not the type of incident covered in the Costa training manual.
He used his long brush for the upper windows to shield the privates and usher the man onto the street where he gave him a stern talking to.
The police were summoned and questioned Phil as to the manner in which he dealt with the miscreant and – being satisfied there was no undue violence – passed the problem to the ambulance service.
We Rusters often query the values of the world in which we live.
It seems to me that Phil deserved a civic citation not an interview with the police whose end result was to make him late and lose business. And is our touchy-feely society – to use a not inappropriate term – now extending to tolerance for lewd conduct?