Today 25/10/2013 is a day to remember.Our Fiachra Geraghty from Duderry married Leane Darcy from Cortown.A Union made in Heaven, about which more anon.I was at the solemnisation in Cortown and afterwards dropped a number of family members off at the Castle Hotel for the reception and proceeded to the Vodaphone Shop opposite Coogan's Butcher's shop in Trim where I had some business to transact.
On entering the shop I observed that there was one woman behind the counter serving a male customer and there was another male customer next in line,a well known local sports journalist who I know well.All very serene.
Just as the man being attended to by the Vodaphone lady,Ciara I believe her name is,had finished his business and before the sports journalist or indeed myself could begin our business two physically imposing males burst into the shop,brushed us aside and aggressively and with menace tore into the unfortunate and visibly distressed Ciara shouting her down and demanding a refund of e50.00.
Never have I seen such aggressive,ignorant ,threatening ,menacing and indeed frightening behaviour in public ,nor indeeed private before.
The sports journalist objected to the behavior but was totally ignored and these two boys proceeded too bully and intimidate Ciara,
I had enough and as civilly as possible in the circumstances pointed out to them that there was a queue,that they were third in it and their manners towards us and especially towards the lady was totally unacceptable.I worked my way to the counter to position myself between them and Ciara and have my business attended to .I was brushed aside and glared at with menace.All the time these heroes kept their heartening and nakedly aggressive row with Ciara,who was visibly distressed ,shaking with fear,trying to get clear instructions over the phone and hold herself together.
I don't take intimidation too readily and even though disabled,relying on a walking stick for mobility and having one useless arm ,permanently in my pocket ,continued to face up to theses bullies,pointing out to them that bullying older men and women was the mark of a coward.
For this I was called a "four eyed c..."and invited to the car park around the corner to "sort it out".I might point out that I am 62 years old and would have difficulty walking as far as the car park and these two gents would be under thirty ,well muscled and were in full flow.They are obviously athletes of some description,boxing I would guess.
I can say with certainty that were this challenge put to me before my stroke I would give it a lash.Not now however but still I was not prepared to be cowed.
I threatened to call the Gardai.The sports journalist said he would have done so before now only his phone was broken,hence his presence in the shop.They dared me to so,so I did despite stares and body language designed to intimidate,but having the opposite to the desired effect.
I outlined the position to the Gardai and was assured they would be down shortly.I announced this but the news had little effect on their behaviour except to motivate one of them to go outside the door and talk into a car that was idling outside the shop.I went out the door to take the registration of the car and came back into the shop and borrowed a pen to write it down,not attempting to conceal what I was doing.I was barked at to give up the piece of paper but refused putting it in my pocket.
I sat down on the window ledge with my back to the road watching the proceedings unable to do much more except await the arrival of the Gardai.Maybe ten minutes I saw the Garda van drive slowly by out of the corner of my eye but it did not stop.Surely said I the squad won't be too far behind.But divil a sign of it.I have since deduced that the van drove slowly by,observed no fighting and kept going.
Realising that the Gardai were not coming I went outside the shop,to have the younger coward put his face in mine calling me a "four eyed fat >....who never washed ,was also smelly and asking me again around the corner to sort it out"I told him that him and his ilk didn.t scare me and I would be making a phone call to a lad near his own age to see how brave he really was,or if his courage disappeared when dealing with other than disabled people and women.I must say I seriously considered giving one telling belt of my walking stick and feck the consequences ans was nearly goaded into it.
I reentered the shop and in full view of the two bullies did phone a friend and asked him to appear quam cellerime as I feared for my own safety and that of the others involved.These boys continued their abuse as though invincible.
A smaller male customer who seemed to know them entered the shop,said he knew them having boxed against them and asked them to calm down and leave.Not a word about it.
My friend arrived .He matches them for physicality.I asked them to repeat the threats they had made to me and invited them to challenge him to the car park to sort it out.
You never saw such a climb down in your life.They proceeded to regale him with the details of their claim against Vodaphone and denied they ever intimidated anyone.As regards the car park to sort it out,not a mention of it .
Typical cowards and bullies,.thugs.
Afterwards I contacted the gardai and gave them the registration number of the car outside.
This is rural Ireland for you and in the capital of Meath,
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