There isn't a lot that shocks me in this world anymore. I've seen enough of human nature at its best and worst that I tend to sigh and regard it all with barely more than a 'meh...'
Apparently, I haven't yet seen it all.
So, yesterday afternoon; I'm waiting in my car across from my children's primary school. I often get there about 15 minutes before the bell to ensure I can park safely and scroll the news feeds on my smartphone - because that's always the best time to do that sort of thing guilt free.
I've got my son with me, whose been home sick with vomiting and is only just starting to feel a little brighter.
Without warning, I'm shocked out of my Twitter-feed reverie by a sudden pounding on the driver's side window. Jumping in my seat, I look up to see a man - face pressed against the glass - hurling abuse at me and gesticulating wildly, in the middle of the street, for everyone to see.
Apparently, he had taken issue with the fact that I had parked my car in such a way that it was impossible for anyone to slip in behind my car and the car further back. The space wasn't big enough. There was a car in front of me so my moving forward was out of the question.
This, apparently, constitutes a perfect storm in some people, where they feel it is their constitutional right to unleash the power of Grey Skull on a fellow parent.
And unleash that power this father did.
Not content with my shocked and stunned look of disbelief at his salvo of window punches and verbal abuse, this genius, proceeded to grab the door handle of my car and yank it open. He ordered me to step out of the car. To fight it out. In front of a Primary School. In broad daylight.
Now bear in mind here that my 11 year old son, is in the car with me. My sick-with-gastro 11 year old son who was cradling an ice cream container just in case he had cause to vomit for the 50th time today.
Once I got my head around the shock of what was happening, I calmly stepped from my car and suggested we move off the street, lest we get run down by the steadily building after school traffic. All the while, crazy-father-guy was actually goading me to throw a punch, in between berating me for him not being able to park his cark behind mine.
By this time the school bell has chimed and children and parents are passing by this shit show, watching on with bemusement. Never a good look to have an audience of kids at a potential dust up.
The situation was quickly spinning out of control.
Unwilling to listen to this rant anymore, I calmly stepped forward, into his face, and whispered - because that is all I can manage vocally right now - 'If you want me to throw down right here, I guarantee you, you will not get up.' It was kinda Liam Neeson-esque - minus the Liam Neeson.
Then I calmly turned and walked away, back to my car.
The dad continued his tirade of abuse as he retreated from my car and across the street while I slowly motored down to the gate to collect my daughter. My 6 year old daughter. Who got to witness his continuing rage and vile langauge. As did any number of other children and parents and teachers.
This happened at a Primary School in Adelaide yesterday.
Seriously. Are we doing Parent Rage now? Is this a thing?
DFA.
Men are dickheads.
It seems to be the case that my sex are increasingly displaying behaviour in public that has me dropping my head and shaking it in complete and utter bewilderment.
There have been three occasions within the past week here in Australia in which men have behaved like complete dickheads.
Last week, it emerged that a Minister of the Crown in our Federal Government, made inappropriate advances towards a female staffer from a Government department, known as the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, whilst on a tax payer funded delegation in Hong Kong. The details of the "inappropriate advances" have, so far, not been made explicit, however they were deemed serious enough for the Minister, Jamie Briggs, to have to tender his resignation as Minister for Cities.
In the fallout from this, our national broadsheet newspaper, the Rupert Murdoch owned Australian, released portions of text communication that occurred between the female staffer and her superiors over the incident but they also published a pixelated photograph of the staffer posing with the former Minister's Chief of Staff (taken prior to the incident of inappropriate advances). It has since emerged that the photograph had been distributed to his parliamentary colleagues, revealing the identity of the female staffer, by none other the Jamie Briggs himself.
Let's be clear here - a Federal Minister has behaved in a manner that has caused a female staffer to make a formal complaint and then he has distributed a photographic image of that staffer. This is conduct that is not only illegal, it is immoral.
This whole train wreck continues however. On Monday, January 4th here in Australia, journalist Samantha Maiden (of Rupert Murdoch's News Limited stable) penned an excoriating opinion piece in which she similarly chastised the behaviour of the Minister and the ramifications of that behaviour. Subsequent to that opinion piece, another Federal Minister, this time the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, Peter Dutton composed a text message, referring to Samantha Maiden as a "mad fucking witch. The intended recipient of this text message was his colleague, slain Minister Jamie Briggs.
Peter Dutton sent the text message to Samantha Maiden herself.
It has often been said that our current government and many of its male Members of Parliament have a problem with women particularly and sexism/mysoginy more generally. I have highlighted two examples of our Parliamentary leaders, our legislators - Men!! - who have made themselves look like complete dickheads and, by extension make men look like collective dickheads.
I have problems with authority - particularly unearned authority. Messers Briggs and Dutton are two cases in point. Both men should be sacked and bundled out of Parliament immediately.
But this is not the end of my frustration.
Last night, (January 4 here in Australia), during our limited overs cricket competition, known here as the Big Bash League, former West Indian Test Captain Chris Gayle, who is currently playing for the Melbourne Renegades, was interviewed following his innings by Channel 10 journalist Mel McLaughlin. In the exchange that followed, Gayle said, on air, that he wanted to be interviewed by McLaughlin "just to see your eyes for the first time."
In what quickly became cringe worthy television, Gayle continued his sleazy flirtation with McLaughlin by adding, "Hopefully we can win this game and we can have a drink after".
A clearly uncomfortable McLaughlin tried to steer the interview back to cricket but (dickhead) Chris Gayle misinterpreted her unease by saying, "Don't blush baby".
Yep. He said that.
Predictably, the internet has erupted this morning in reaction to this exchange and it has been on a sort of rolling boil since (dickhead) Briggs and (dickhead) Dutton made prize idiots of themselves in the past week.
Men - particularly men of influence - treat women appallingly. Men everywhere treat women appallingly and I am completely bloody sick of it. Most men are dickheads and if we men that are left don't call out this dickhead behaviour then we are dickheads too.
There is a really nasty undercurrent of behaviour perpetrated by men in Australia that has been allowed to fester for far too long. And it has to stop. We have to stop it.
Stop. Being. Dickheads.
DFA.
