THE RIGHT TO BE MASKED
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was a cold night and I couldn't find my beanie.
Instead I put on a full-head rubber ghoul mask and went to wait at
the bus-stop for my bus.
I knew it would be interesting but what transpired needs sharing...

My friends were already at the bus-stop.
I stood away from them a bit; silently facing the road.
I'm sure my friends were not surprised (coz they know me).

The stop was right outside our (CliftonHill) suburban train station
and so there were a few people passing early this Friday night.
Normally, of course nobody would speak to me.
In fact, because I look unusual, I usually have 
all the seats next to me and opposite me (on public transport)
completely free while the rest of the commuters are 
almost rubbing shoulders.

This time people wanted to say "howarya", know the time, 
borrow matches etc.
I stayed silent and focussed, only turning around once when actually
tapped (rudely in my opinion) on the shoulder.
Eye contact was enough therein >:)

Eventually someone next to me was persisting with making contact.
Adrenelin pumped once he claimed to be a police officer.
Aha, a *real* challenge!
I refused to turn to him. Why didn't he stand in front of me?
Power games. He had dubious reason to intervene and he knew it.
"You're on public transport property, I have to ask you your name."
Yes, he was asking politely but that fact that
he was asking at all was rude. I was enjoying my world with*out* him.
I finally turned my head and saw that he indeed was nervous.
He was plain-clothes and had a female officer with him which I never
actually properly saw. She was silent all the way. Maybe intelligent.
In response I merely pointed to him, and he answered accordingly:

  "I'm Senior Constable Tibbets, and you?"

I gestured for a writing implement and he passed me his notebook and pen
with which I wrote:

  "I ASKED FOR YOUR NAME NOT YOUR JOB TITLE!"

Cocky, I know, but I think he was gradually realising that all he was
doing was trying to intimidate me.
It is OK for him to intimidate me but not for me to do my thing and
have commuters intimidate themselves when something is not "normal".

  "Why don't you speak?" he tried to sound concerned.

  "BECAUSE PEOPLE DON'T LISTEN."

This is always true when I chose to be silent, in this case it 
fitted beautifully with his previous response.

  "I've noticed you standing looking across the road.
   Can you see how that might look a little bit strange to some people?"

Why the fuck should I explain to anyone why I wasn't 
wearing a pin-stripe suit and reading a newspaper?
Or why I wasn't drunk and chatting up women?

  "WHERE DO YOU THINK WOULD BE A BETTER PLACE TO LOOK?"

  "Hey! The bus..." my friends called from nearby.

  "Oh, you're with them, that's OK then. Have a good night."

It was "okay then". What the fuck does that mean?
I wonder whether such moral crusaders are actually self-aware.
Aware of why they do what they do. Aware of subconscious motives?
Aware that they really cannot handle anything outside their own paradigm
unless it becomes law, fashion, or both.
I'm sure Senior Constable Tibbets enjoys Masquerade Balls though.

PS International Masked Protest 23rd November 1998. 

______________________________________________

Zlatko for the Undesirable Propagation Unit.