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Why are there so many racist outbursts on public transport? Why are there so many racist outbursts on public transport?
(about 2 months later)
Like a bad spin off of Australia’s Funniest Home Videos or a new, viral social media campaign to ward off asylum seekers, crowd-filmed videos of racists on trains across the country just keep popping up.Like a bad spin off of Australia’s Funniest Home Videos or a new, viral social media campaign to ward off asylum seekers, crowd-filmed videos of racists on trains across the country just keep popping up.
The latest addition to this odious oeuvre comes this week from the NSW Central Coast, courtesy of 55-year-old Karen Bailey (who originally gave the name Sue Wilkins). Bailey, who was denied a seat by some children, let rip with a degrading rant on mixed race relationships and an impersonation of a Chinese woman that might have made Pauline Hanson apply for the position of Race Discrimination Commissioner.The latest addition to this odious oeuvre comes this week from the NSW Central Coast, courtesy of 55-year-old Karen Bailey (who originally gave the name Sue Wilkins). Bailey, who was denied a seat by some children, let rip with a degrading rant on mixed race relationships and an impersonation of a Chinese woman that might have made Pauline Hanson apply for the position of Race Discrimination Commissioner.
Here's the strange thing. When the train abuser was confronted by Channel Nine news, who asked her to explain her outburst, she treated the journalist like a social worker, giving a long, bizarre list of excuses: a recruitment agent hadn’t called her back when she wanted them to; someone called her fat in a department store bathroom earlier in the week; her knee was sore at the time of the incident; she joined RSVP a few years ago and ended up meeting a scammer.Here's the strange thing. When the train abuser was confronted by Channel Nine news, who asked her to explain her outburst, she treated the journalist like a social worker, giving a long, bizarre list of excuses: a recruitment agent hadn’t called her back when she wanted them to; someone called her fat in a department store bathroom earlier in the week; her knee was sore at the time of the incident; she joined RSVP a few years ago and ended up meeting a scammer.
She didn’t say whether those who had wronged her – the recruiter, the department store fat-shamer, the online dating scammer, or her sore knee – were from Asia, and whether that was the source of her bile. Somehow, despite dishing out the racist tirade, our amateur video star was desperate to position herself as the victim.She didn’t say whether those who had wronged her – the recruiter, the department store fat-shamer, the online dating scammer, or her sore knee – were from Asia, and whether that was the source of her bile. Somehow, despite dishing out the racist tirade, our amateur video star was desperate to position herself as the victim.
Perhaps her environment had something to do with it, because the question keeps getting asked over and over: why are these incidents always on public transport? In terms of perfectly designed dystopias, buses and trains are pretty hard to beat. High-speed metal containers packed with passengers, and conditions that lie somewhere on the scale between the Stanford prison experiment and Pavlov’s Dogs – such an environment is designed to break human beings. At least Pavlov's dogs got snacks, though; anyone caught eating on the train gets fined. Perhaps her environment had something to do with it, because the question keeps getting asked over and over: why are these incidents always on public transport? In terms of perfectly designed dystopias, buses and trains are pretty hard to beat. High-speed metal containers packed with passengers, and conditions that lie somewhere on the scale between the Stanford prison experiment and Pavlov’s Dogs – such an environment is designed to break human beings. At least Pavlov's dogs got snacks, though; anyone caught eating on the train gets fined.
When we get on public transport, we are at the mercy of forces beyond our control. There are few staff or intermediaries to set social standards or dampen tensions between the passengers, only a metal speaker box jammed against the ceiling that blasts crackly, passive-aggressive threats.When we get on public transport, we are at the mercy of forces beyond our control. There are few staff or intermediaries to set social standards or dampen tensions between the passengers, only a metal speaker box jammed against the ceiling that blasts crackly, passive-aggressive threats.
Maintaining perspective when you’re late, tired, stressed, unemployed, body shamed, sore legged and have been catfished on a dating service, can be tough. It's understandable, perhaps, that Bailey was feeling fractious. Feeling trapped and frustrated, entitled to more comfort and more respect than they're getting, people lash out.Maintaining perspective when you’re late, tired, stressed, unemployed, body shamed, sore legged and have been catfished on a dating service, can be tough. It's understandable, perhaps, that Bailey was feeling fractious. Feeling trapped and frustrated, entitled to more comfort and more respect than they're getting, people lash out.
It's both disgusting and unsurprising that her pent-up stress finally burst out in the form of Australia’s oldest pastime: racism. When we're feeling threatened, Australians' national vocabulary tends to default to racist bigotry. We kick down. It's the response to anxiety that seems to come naturally, partly from a place of unearned entitlement.It's both disgusting and unsurprising that her pent-up stress finally burst out in the form of Australia’s oldest pastime: racism. When we're feeling threatened, Australians' national vocabulary tends to default to racist bigotry. We kick down. It's the response to anxiety that seems to come naturally, partly from a place of unearned entitlement.
Our public transport system really is the only true terra nullius that's ever existed in Australia – churning nowhere places where every man, woman and child compete for space. Bailey's attempt to assert her privilege – "What's wrong with Hong Kong, why did you come to this country, this is our country" – didn't fly.Our public transport system really is the only true terra nullius that's ever existed in Australia – churning nowhere places where every man, woman and child compete for space. Bailey's attempt to assert her privilege – "What's wrong with Hong Kong, why did you come to this country, this is our country" – didn't fly.
She was stamping around the carriage like an overgrown lady Joffrey, attempting to claim not just a specific seat (she wouldn't sit in the one offered her – bafflingly, she wanted the specific one someone’s child was in) but the divine right to decide who's Australian. Then she ran up against the other paradox of public transport: that loose, inchoate sense of camaraderie that comes and goes from collectively shared experiences.She was stamping around the carriage like an overgrown lady Joffrey, attempting to claim not just a specific seat (she wouldn't sit in the one offered her – bafflingly, she wanted the specific one someone’s child was in) but the divine right to decide who's Australian. Then she ran up against the other paradox of public transport: that loose, inchoate sense of camaraderie that comes and goes from collectively shared experiences.
A woman standing behind Bailey, while she rabbited into her phone about the rude children, steadfastly looked in her eyes, directly challenging her both verbally and in posture. Then a young man started to mock and imitate her. Next a young couple stood up, tag-teaming their arguments as she continued to babble. They made a pretty impressive team considering they’re just a collection of strangers.A woman standing behind Bailey, while she rabbited into her phone about the rude children, steadfastly looked in her eyes, directly challenging her both verbally and in posture. Then a young man started to mock and imitate her. Next a young couple stood up, tag-teaming their arguments as she continued to babble. They made a pretty impressive team considering they’re just a collection of strangers.
An attempt to suggest that Chinese people don’t belong in Australia quite gloriously became the very thing that identified Bailey as the outsider in this situation. Yes, it was another racist outburst on public transport; but far more worthy of this well-attended spectacle were the strangers joining together to neutralise it in that lackadaisical Australian way, by saying “I don’t think so, mate”.An attempt to suggest that Chinese people don’t belong in Australia quite gloriously became the very thing that identified Bailey as the outsider in this situation. Yes, it was another racist outburst on public transport; but far more worthy of this well-attended spectacle were the strangers joining together to neutralise it in that lackadaisical Australian way, by saying “I don’t think so, mate”.