I blush for my country (in a small way)

[owl]

Yesterday a tour bus was vandalised in Belfast.

Personally I cringe every time I see a bus driving about with PADDYWAGON written on its side. Perhaps the vandals thought they were doing a public service?

Comments

[tree_and_leaf]

I'm almost tempted to argue that they were doing so!

[owl]

OW OW THE PADDYWHACKERY IT BURNS

[nineveh-uk.livejournal.com]

The bus driver said it sent out the wrong message to tourists.

Well, yes.

(And since when is Maria archaic? The Sound of Music has a lot to answer for!)

[owl]

Like the ambiguity in that statement there.

I think they mean the ma-rye-a pronunciation, not the name itself.

[nineveh-uk.livejournal.com]

(Clarifies that I was indeed noting the ambiguity in the busdriver's statement and suspecting it intentional (or knowingly quoted by the journalist); perhaps I should have used more words!)

I _like_ Maria the old pronunciation as a name - hence the von Trapp contamination!

[legionseagle.livejournal.com]

I'm going with vandals carrying out a public service, too. Paddywagon is a disgraceful term to use, especially given well, all of the last couple of hundred years. Given the relatively small non-white population of Belfast and the historic legal position on race discrimination v. religious discrimination in the Province it would diffuse tension while still keeping to the jokey feel of the original brand to have them renamed "NIGGASHIPPA" pending a more satisfactory long-term solution?

[owl]

Terrible temper those Irish have on them, especially when they've a drink taken...bah.

[lilliburlero.livejournal.com]

'the only place where phoney ould Oireland is tolerated is in Ireland itself...' -- Patrick Kavanagh. He said it in 1952.

[owl]

Oh, America's pretty good at it too.