RANDOM REMINDER

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30091, 27 March 1963, Page 22

RANDOM REMINDER

FOOLS STEP 1N...

West Indians, a colleague reports, have brought more than calypso, limbo and startling clothing to Britain these days. One caused a minor sensation at a London Labour Exchange when he told an official that coming in to collect his dole every Thursday morning was making him late for work; and another has brought a change in Britain's social fabric that may be as significant in its way as Britain’s failure to get into the Common Market. On arrival, he took a job with London Transport and after some coaching In ringing the bell, handling change and shouting. “No room,” graduated as a conductor. On his first morning he found the rush heavy going, but

remembering his training, he coped with the technical details well enough. But he had given no preparation for a strange English custom: although everyone waited peacefully in queues at the bus stops, the men with bowlers and furled umbrellas invariably seemed to win the scramble for seats in a dignified but decisive manner. The women stood. And it worried him as he pushed among them up and down the narrow aisle. He glared meaningfully at the carefully-bent heads behind their newspapers and jolted their elbows at every opportunity, but gtill the women stood. Having read of Raleigh and other hke gallants, he was amazed and in his position of responsibility he felt

he would do something to save old England's honour. Advancing to the tront of the bus, he turned and addressed hl* startled passengers. “Which nice Inglish gennelma n going to give his seat to de todies?" he inquired hopefully. The pages of 'The Times" and "Guardian" quivered along the bus, but there was no other response. “Come sir, what about you? You would give your seat to de nice young lady?” There was no evading, no esewpe from this sort of personal interrogation, and with gruff “What’s thats" and oh yeses.” they rose sheepishly to their feet He i* reputed to be the most popular conductor in London and strangely enough, the moet hated at the same time.