Well I'm a little worse for wear at the moment, after an unprovoked altercation at Burswood Station yesterday (small railway station adjacent to the Casino/Entertainment complex here in PER).
Some people on my twitter feed would have already heard the whole story, which unfolded virtually live for them.
The result of the unprovoked altercation
was one badly split lip (link is to picture, work safe & no blood) - and that was on top of the headache, significant bruising and swelling to the nose and forehead, what has now become a black eye caused by a one-two punch by my assailant.
It came about due to an indigenous Australian male, who was behaving very offensively on the station platform. His behaviour started with some very offensive racial slogans and phrases at people of different races, predominately of Asian and Japanese origin who were going about their business walking to and from Burswood Station that evening. This carry-on continued even after reaching the platform.
The irony of an indigenous Australian shouting phrases and slogans of racial hatred isn't lost on me.
Needless to say, I was on the phone to transit security like a shot before he'd even reached the platform. They'd asked me if I was comfortable, could I please relay that the cameras were watching him and that they (railway police) were on the way.
Well he did carry on like this, and I'm not the type to be timid or afraid in an uncomfortable situation. Needless to say I politely informed him of that matter, after clearly identifying myself as a public servant of course (meaning that there's room for a few more charges just in case he does kick off). Gave him some polite and extra advice that he'd be best to just sit down and take it easy, and there shouldn't be anything to worry about.
Anyway, he carried on like a pork chop for ages and as his significant other was getting him to leave the station, he had a brain snap and before I had time to react just ran right at me before knocking me on my cough,
In what can only be described as another strange part of the story, I was later advised by the Police in attendance that the male who assaulted me was the same person who was ejected from the Burswood complex not 15-20min prior for a very similar offence.
According to my junior Picassos' at Royal Perth Hospital ED who stitched me up, the split was 0.5cm deep and 1.5cm long. It was not through the
Vermilion border, but they did consider it right on the clinical borderline between stitches and plastics.
I decided on the stitches, as it would be far cooler (first time I've ever had a decent war wound), and didn't want to unnecessarily clog up those services for people far more needing of them than myself.
The bruise on the inside of my lip (not shown) is a beauty which will last for sometime. I'll refrain from showing the bruise right above my nose between the eyelashes, as that's still bloody painful.
A few hours later, I was back at home, on the comfort of my own couch thanks to a lift from a good friend, pondering why some people are - well frankly coughs.
So yes, an eventful evening of a frequent flyer. Might be a good time to arrange for helicopter flights to work and avoid roads and public transport all together - just need to figure out how to get points for that... then deal with the small problem of funding it all
I left it with friends in the UK after I'd finished it to lighten the load, then went and bought one just as big ("The Passage" by Justin Cronin). It's also good.
). Good on you for doing it but you just never know what deranged people are going to do in that situation. Hope the ill-effects wear off quickly. Did the "perp" get caught?
