The neo-nazi walked with furious steps through the waiting room while acknowledging every little bit of hate his smoke provided him. The guy wore black nike running pants and a white hood with its brand all over the chest. He was skinny with black hair and about 175 cm, while trying to get his movement to fill as much as possible.
As he went through the waiting room made of glass, with benches on both sides with people able to watch each other and exits at both ends. An African woman sitting in-front of me, asked him politely and quietly, if he could stop smoking or go outside. He turned without a word and proceeded to walk towards the lady who sat on the bench in-front of me. The bloak had aggression painted all over his face as he called the woman a black piece of shit and showed her some nazi tattoo. Then he looked around to see how the waiting room took his responds - three chicks at the age of about 18 years, looked at him with shock and fear and then there was me, watching him - with the type of shock and disrespect unseen by most people.
He saw the disapproval of his actions and exited the waiting room. His walk was more insecure, constantly turning his head for some distant horizon, as if he was looking to meet or avoid someone, but his eyes always came back at us eventually, as he proceeded to head for the end of the perron.
The nervous type of guy.
The three chicks started talking about racism and the African woman scoffed and shook her head to ridicule the experience. I breathed out calmly to keep myself restrained as I felt my heart pump faster than usual. My mind rambled on thinking the situation through and what I would have done if I was prepared. Then I promised myself that I would stand in his way if he tried to enter the room again. As he came back I watched him with hate. He didn't enter the room, but stopped as he saw me and turned as if something else caught his attention. After a little, he came back slightly more determined than before but instead of entering, he walked by the waiting room as if he had something to do at the other end of the perron. As he passed by the waiting room the lady, the three chicks and I watching him, his anger got the best of him as he for the second time called her a black piece of shit through the glass walls loud enough for us to hear it while pointing at her.
This is where I somewhat snapped! I slammed the glass door so loud that everyone and especially the neo-nazi could hear it and walked towards him. I am 187 cm had a big craftsman jacket on, which makes me look at least twice as big than I normally would. To make it all better I had fairly long hair, to my shoulders and a hair band but as people in my personal life will testify to. No one wants to be looked at, when I show complete hatred towards them.
The nazi who heard the sound turned towards me with hesitation and arrogance.
Nazi: " WTF do you want!" With and expression of anger and regret. As he hailed to get pumped.
Me: " You do know it is illegal to talk like that. "
Nazi: " I should fucking beat you up." ( constantly walking backwards, while I walk forwards slowly.)
Me: " You better talk properly to people. " ( somewhat pushing him backwards.) "You listen to what I say!" ( While having one hand out pointing at his face and one fist raised beside my head. )
Nazi: " I just came out of prison, but I should fucking punch you! Come by my prison and I know everyone! " ( while he was continually walking backwards. ) " There are witnesses here, you are trying to beat me! I'll defend myself." ( he pointed at a random guy. )
Random guy: " I think you should calm down."
Nazi: "Fuck you, fuck this city, fuck everyone, fuck you, you black asshole." (pointing at me.)
I stopped up breathed out and started walking backwards and forwards on the narrow station, to block his path. After calling me a black asshole I knew he was out of bounce (as I am white) and had no respect from anyone around us - While everyone was looking at him, even from other the platforms.
For a guy this paranoid, angry and insecure, addressing what is socially acceptable is way more important than to what he himself thought was acceptable. Since no one gave him the benefit of the doubt, he had lost his own game. I had proven my point.
Me: "You'll walk away right now!" Pointing at the exit at the end of the station. while walking around to keep myself calm.
Nazi: "You got 10 seconds or I'll beat you up."
I stopped up and started walking towards him twice as fast as before, with both my hands beside my head, he started, half jumping backwards and looked to see if he was stepping in the right direction, not to end on the tracks. I stopped, breathed out... Then I thanked the random dude sitting at the bench and started to walk back to the room.
Nazi: "Yea, you better run!"
I stopped up, took a look at him, breathed out slowly again, looked around, smiled and walked inside. He took the exit.
The three chicks talked about never ever having the guts to take actions towards such types and I told them never ever to do it - since I am way bigger than them and can defend myself and have another kind of respect from that type of guy. I had seen how paranoid he was, I am confident, in shape and in control of my movement. It is true that he could have knife but I had a thick jacket on and felt as I could handle the situation. And I am at the believe that no one will stab you, unless they can convince themselves that it is socially acceptable to do so. Most people on the station did not agree with his way of life - as a criminal and certainly a nazi. So the things we as "normal" people have to fear, is only the fear itself. Because there was no way he was going to stab anyone on that public train station, in the middle of the day.
An old lady who had entered the room while I was out turned towards me, while I sat down and breathed out slowly to calm myself - I was shaking like an insane from the adrenalin. "And you look so nice." She said, inferring that she didn't expect such a thing from me, but seemed very happy to see that I did. I told her that I couldn't stand the way he talked and the three chicks took over for me and explained the neo-nazi's deeds to the old lady.
I didn't do it for the African lady, but because racism shocks me and angers me a lot. Any kind of hate that I feel, can't be argued for, hits me very hard. Also against handicapped or most things, you might think of as irrational. Hate, that I don't find justifiable gets to me.
The train arrived and we all stood up and the black lady thanked me. I told her that I was thankful and that I hoped she would have a nice day.
Have you ever stood up for something or someone?
It could be a kid in school or your brothers' wish of meal?
On an extra note: I've come up with some guidelines for doing great deeds.
1. Watch the situation and see if it is worth standing up for. This should make most quit but also ensure that only the right people stand up for their entrenched courses.
2. Breathe out and consider the fact that you could be wrong.
3. Tell the person you are action upon, the reasons and give them the chance to argue, flee and apologize
Best regards,
Samuel
