Schmuck, from the Yiddish word smok meaning penis, according to Webster, is a foolish and contemptible person, a nice way of saying someone’s an asshole, or a dick, if you will.
Sadly we encounter them when we least expect to.
I was catching a train at rush hour, something I try very hard not to do, but having to be in Brooklyn at 9 a.m., unless I wanted to drop 50 bucks on a cab, had little choice.
Soldiers with M15s and tiers of frenetic commuters, would dissuade you as well, since terror if reigns, will occur between the hours of 7 and 9, according to those trusty, terrifying tabloids we shouldn’t read. A girl has enough to deal with without having to gear up for an attack even before she’s had her breakfast. . . That said.
I was trying to get on a very packed car, when, without meaning to, stepped in front of a guy who wasn’t too happy. Fortyish, Waspy looking with John Lennon glasses and a Barbour jacket, just like mine, was furious I had the boldness to push my way forward.
It’s not something I normally do, but anxiety makes you act out of the box, and I just had to get the whole nightmare over with.
After we were both squished in like sardines I apologized, saying I had hearing loss and it made me act irrationally.
He screamed further saying, “I don’t give a damn about your fucking hearing loss.”
Now for me, this is a verbal stabbing. My shame not being able to hear and conduct myself normally is a huge issue for me. I felt tears roll down my cheeks unable to say anything to defend myself.
However, a young, Latino kid all of 20 did it for me.
“Hey man,” he said, “she just apologized to you. Like that’s really big.”
The WASP shook his head, An iPod soldered in his ears, and said, “I DON’T CARE.”
“YOU’RE AN ASSHOLE BRO,” said my Lancelot with an earring in each ear and ghetto drawers proudly drooping to his thighs.
“And I hear that!” chimed in a sassy lassie standing behind him.
I loved the chivalry and lack of fear both these kids showed. This guy was out of line, but because of my shame around something I have no control over, froze where I stood.
His lineage front and center, clearly a member of the elite, my opponent had no compassion for the plight of another, a real cryin shame, in my opinion.
It took a boy of color with a pretty sidekick to put a schmuck in his place, and trust me when I say, it was mighty impressive.
SB
You know what they say, what goes around comes around. His time will come.
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He was so amazingly rude, even for New York. It made me fold like a pup tent.
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Too bad you didn’t catch his name. You could have shamed him on the internet. I believe that’s the approach teachers sometimes use with students who misbehave. They write their name on the blackboard.
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Despite how once recovering from my sick shame, I could never do that only because I’d die if someone did it to me. He was a schmuck and so am I. At my age I should be tougher. I’m not though, not in this area anyway…sigh
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So you’re human after all. Stop beating yourself up.
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Lol. Ok, off comes the hair shirt even if it’s Gucci.
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Sometimes having someone else stick up for you is perfect. Very validating. Maybe Mr. Schmuck had a really bad morning. Then again maybe he’s clueless.
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I need to get tougher skin.
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It may alter your kind nature.
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There’s always a price I’m sorry to say.
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Bravo to the young folk. As for the schmuck…not worth thinking about.
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You always make me laugh. Now if Teddy was there he would have scratched his eyes out. 🙂
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Sorry you had to endure that, but how nice of that boy to stick up for you. Dickheads will always be dickheads, wasps or whomever.. just another NY story.
Best ,
Hal
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Love the term dickheads. Am using it from now on…:)
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Glad that people are showing up for others when people behave badly. It is unfortunate that bullying and being rude has been fortified by the selection of bloated ego, misogynistic, racist and loud mouthed DT and cohorts. Shame that way too often those who behave that way because they are filled with fear themselves. Stay strong.
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Was just thinking of you Alva, and here you are. So beautifully written. I can see your lovely self saying this to a group of patrons somewhere. All true.
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I always try to give people the benefit of the doubt when their inner asshole decides to break loose, and it’s very disappointing when they prove me wrong. Kudos to the young dynamic duo for stepping up! It’s nice to know that doing the right thing is still alive and well in NYC.
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It’s time we compile Topdown’s Top 10, inner asshole starting at number 1. Yes, the dynamic duo indeed. I’ve said this before, but People of Color, Latinos in particular, are so noble and well-mannered and you really see it on the trains. They offer their seat to a woman or the elderly. A mom gets on with a kid. They are polite when you’re practically stuffed in their pocket during rush hour. It’s interesting to me. The asshole who went to Harvard eats with his hands in comparison.
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My mom would’ve said “that makes my blood boil!” Grrrrr!!! How beautiful that Lancelot showed up at exactly the right time. XO
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Well hello Madam, how nice to hear from you. Yes, Lancelot shows up when you least expect him…:)
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I like the ying and yang of this story. There will always be a ready supply of knob-heads but hopefully a supply of right-minders too.
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Knob heads, I love that. Yes, this appears to be true.
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Just goes to show that there is hope for the younger generation. So glad you had a knight in droopy drawers.
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Yes, he was urbanely outfitted riding on his noble steed.
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His mother would be ashamed of him. That’s for sure. How hard is it to just be nice? Some people don’t have ‘nice’ in their vocabulary. Sorry your day started so badly. Hope it progressed for the better after that! ~Elle
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It’s mystifying isn’t it. On my worst day I couldn’t be that mean.
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I pretty much despise rudeness and would have, probably, said something had I been there. But I have to admit, the fearlessness of many kids are amazing. It would strike me almost to tears when a student would begin harassing or yelling at me and, before I could speak, 1 or more of my other students would stand up to him and let him know what was going on.
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It’s nice to know chivalry isn’t dead. It’s actually on the number 6 train 🙂
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