One friend was an ardent anti-smoker. This was back in the day when smoking was allowed in parts of a restaurant. These parts were known as smoking sections. Unfortunately the smoke didn't always stay in the section with the smokers. My anti-smoker friend took to turning over the ashtrays in the university cafeteria. Not sure what this did to the smokers, but I'm sure it didn't amuse the cleaning staff.
Another anti-smoking action by friends of mine involved the time a large team was travelling by plane. There were about 30 of us on the team and the "leaders" of the team saw to it that we had our seats in the smoking section of the plane. This effectively took up all of the smoking section and meant there was nowhere for the smokers to smoke.
Another friend of mine, I call him Vigilante Derek, was a man of action. Once while stopped at a light with him as my passenger, we saw a car in the next lane and just ahead of us jettison a paper drink cup with the lid still on and maybe even some pop still inside. Derek jumps out of the car, runs up to the cup, picks it up and chucks it back in the car window.
Now you might be cheering for Derek on that one as who likes a litterer. However, just so you get a balanced view on vigilantism I share one more story with you. One time while eating in a McDonalds, Derek happened upon a chubby pre-teen kid eating a Big Mac. Derek spoke up and asked the kid, "Are you sure you need that." Nice. The kid complained to his mom, but apparently didn't give a good description of Derek, because when the mom came over to our table it was me she gave heck to. I took the hit because that's what friends do. At least young idealistic friends. Nowadays, I'd rat him out.
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I vote that we start a super secret club. A club that is so secret that its mandate can't be discussed on this public forum. All we can say here is that the objectives of this super secret club would be to fight against the tyrrany of evil... oh yeah, and through fast food litter and cigarette buts back into the windows of the cars from which they came. I nominate VD as our fearless leader, idol, or god... (Vigilante Derek... what did you think I was getting to?) We could call it "Project Hubbub"
ReplyDeleteMy favourite type of vigilantism is culture jamming. I have a friend who practices this by, everytime he is in line at the grocery store, turning all the magazine's around so we are no longer faced with the screaming tabloid style headlines, but instead what is usually a considerably quieter and less obnoxious back page advertisement.
ReplyDeleteI nominate VD to light the winter olympic flame. If he can't make it perhaps Steve Fonyo could cover for him? xelA.
ReplyDeleteWhere was the Facebook post letting us know about this?! I'd days late.
ReplyDeleteI always used to sit in the smoking section in restaurants for the very reason you said the team did on planes. (Maybe you're thinking of me, because I think I travelled with that same team for four years and they never did that when I was with them.)
I'm pretty sure you weren't on the B.C. rowing team for four years.
ReplyDeleteSurely you weren't either because you once told us in this space that you weren't an athlete; you were an intellectual. Someone good enough to make a provincial team is surely an athlete, even if the sport is only rowing.
ReplyDeleteAs Jack's mentor I'm glad to see him refered to as an intellectual and an athlete. Now if only he could develop my dysfunctional personality and substance abuse problems, he'd be perfect! Cheers, xelA.
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