"There are countless horrible things happening all over the world and horrible people prospering, but we must never allow them to disturb our equanimity or deflect us from our sacred duty to sabotage and annoy them whenever possible." -Auberon Waugh
Old Tanker, cricket is played throughout the Anglosphere, including America and Canada, but the heroic batsman could have been from England, South Effrica, West Indies, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka or indeed Australia, (which to my knowledge is the only country that routinely calls Americans 'Seppos'.
I seem to recall an epsisode of the Simpsons where Apu gave some miscreants a lesson in the art of batsmanship, but I may be mis-remembering.
An Alabaman would of course have used a baseball bat, but if the plucky owner was trained in cricket-fu then he would naturally use his weapon of choice.
I'm guessing the batsman/employee was an Indian or Pakistani, and not necessarily recently arrived. They bring the passion for cricket with them, and they never lose it, and if you do much traveling in the South, you'll realize that a great many gas stations, motels, convenience stores, and tourist curio shops there are owned by Indians and Pakistanis (more Indians than Pakistanis).
Old Tanker, appreciate your comments, but I'm not talking about truck stops (which are usually large conglomerates made up of fast food places, large gas company/owners, and chain gift shops). I'm talking about smaller, private venues that operate in small communities, and were probably cheaper to buy up. From North Carolina to Texas, and back over to Florida, I've seen dozens that were owned by immigrants from the subcontinent. Not that I care, they were always genial and eager to please, but wary that they would be cheated (not sure if that's a reflection on us, or the societies they came from).
I taught English to Bangladeshis in the 80's in India in the same school Harish later attended before going to USA, so I'm a bit affected by this case (but worse things happen back in India).
My last taxi driver in Delhi told me his extended family own a chain of gas stations in the US and he was soon to go there, 'You see me here driving this taxi but my mind is already in America!'.
It's not only guns that are banned in Oz — you can be jailed for carrying any "offensive weapon" in a public place. A magistrate can determine whether the thing in your hand is an "offensive weapon" and the courts seem to be always on the side of the villain. For example, during the 2005 Cronulla beach wars, a 21-year-old Anglo was convicted and jailed for having a tree branch in the back of his ute (pick-up). More recently, a baseball bat stored near a cash register was deemed to be an "offensive weapon", when it was used by the storekeeper to threaten a would-be robber. But cricket bats were deemed by the courts to be an OK bit of sports equipment to be carried in a public place. Maybe it's the association of alien Seppos with baseball bats that makes them more offensive than cricket bats.
Broad indeed, Paco, especially when you consider that the "offensive" tree branch was in the back of the ute while the "offender" was driving it in a suburb that is 30-40 km away from the scene of the Anglo vs MoMEA riots. As far as I know, there was no evidence tendered to prove that the Anglo had used the tree branch as a weapon, or that he had even been present at the riots. Such a gentle bearing of arms makes a bean burrito look intolerably cruel and, I dare say, much more lethal.
I don't get it.......who the hell in Alabama owns a cricket bat?
ReplyDeleteAt least they knew how to use it productively....
Some durn good comments there, too, Paco. My favorite:
ReplyDelete45ACP wrote:
Never bring a toy gun to a cricket bat fight. . .
7/13/2009 1:10:44 PM
Old Tanker: My guess is that it must have been an exchange student, or a recent iimigrant.
ReplyDeleteOr even a recent immigrant.
ReplyDeletePaco I didn't see where he was calling the theif a Seppo?
ReplyDelete....or the thief either....sheesh, it's rubbing off on me...
ReplyDeleteOld Tanker, cricket is played throughout the Anglosphere, including America and Canada, but the heroic batsman could have been from England, South Effrica, West Indies, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka or indeed Australia, (which to my knowledge is the only country that routinely calls Americans 'Seppos'.
ReplyDeleteI seem to recall an epsisode of the Simpsons where Apu gave some miscreants a lesson in the art of batsmanship, but I may be mis-remembering.
An Alabaman would of course have used a baseball bat, but if the plucky owner was trained in cricket-fu then he would naturally use his weapon of choice.
Kevin B
I'm guessing the batsman/employee was an Indian or Pakistani, and not necessarily recently arrived. They bring the passion for cricket with them, and they never lose it, and if you do much traveling in the South, you'll realize that a great many gas stations, motels, convenience stores, and tourist curio shops there are owned by Indians and Pakistanis (more Indians than Pakistanis).
ReplyDeleteKevin B.
ReplyDeleteI only used that because there are a number of Aussies who come to Paco's place.
Rebecca,
We travel to Alabama every year we, however, usually hit the truck stops, not too many Indians and Paki's there!
Old Tanker, appreciate your comments, but I'm not talking about truck stops (which are usually large conglomerates made up of fast food places, large gas company/owners, and chain gift shops). I'm talking about smaller, private venues that operate in small communities, and were probably cheaper to buy up. From North Carolina to Texas, and back over to Florida, I've seen dozens that were owned by immigrants from the subcontinent. Not that I care, they were always genial and eager to please, but wary that they would be cheated (not sure if that's a reflection on us, or the societies they came from).
ReplyDeleteSupporting RebeccaH, sort of:
ReplyDeleteHarish Roy, originally from Bangladesh, murdered in Atlanta convenience store this year:
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/atlanta/stories/2009/03/23/fatal_west_end_robbery.html
I taught English to Bangladeshis in the 80's in India in the same school Harish later attended before going to USA, so I'm a bit affected by this case (but worse things happen back in India).
My last taxi driver in Delhi told me his extended family own a chain of gas stations in the US and he was soon to go there, 'You see me here driving this taxi but my mind is already in America!'.
It's not only guns that are banned in Oz — you can be jailed for carrying any "offensive weapon" in a public place.
ReplyDeleteA magistrate can determine whether the thing in your hand is an "offensive weapon" and the courts seem to be always on the side of the villain.
For example, during the 2005 Cronulla beach wars, a 21-year-old Anglo was convicted and jailed for having a tree branch in the back of his ute (pick-up).
More recently, a baseball bat stored near a cash register was deemed to be an "offensive weapon", when it was used by the storekeeper to threaten a would-be robber.
But cricket bats were deemed by the courts to be an OK bit of sports equipment to be carried in a public place.
Maybe it's the association of alien Seppos with baseball bats that makes them more offensive than cricket bats.
I'm sure we Aussies have got some rule somewhere about the right to bear cricket bats.
ReplyDeleteActually, there's some cricket in Milton:
Chaos umpire sits,/And by decision more embroils the fray. Paradise Lost, II, 907-8.)
Skeeter: I say, that law seems a bit broad. A good prosecuting attorney might well convince a jury that a bean burrito is an "offensive weapon."
ReplyDeleteBroad indeed, Paco, especially when you consider that the "offensive" tree branch was in the back of the ute while the "offender" was driving it in a suburb that is 30-40 km away from the scene of the Anglo vs MoMEA riots.
ReplyDeleteAs far as I know, there was no evidence tendered to prove that the Anglo had used the tree branch as a weapon, or that he had even been present at the riots.
Such a gentle bearing of arms makes a bean burrito look intolerably cruel and, I dare say, much more lethal.