Being a citizen is risky

I am mid hobble to Charing Cross station, where I start my commute home. Seconds before I reach the steps down to the tube, a guy crosses my path and as he does so, he chucks a screwed up piece of paper on to the ground in front of me. Instinctively I bend down and pick it up. Excuse me mate, I say, nicely but very, very clearly, you've dropped this. He looks at me in a split second of disbelief, then recovers and says, Ididn't drop it. I threw it. Well, I say pleasantly, hand still outstretched, perhaps you could throw it into a bin. He takes the litter from me, then it dawns on him and he loses it. What are you, trying to be a BLOKE now? He say, loudly and sneeringly. No, I reply calmly, I just want to see a clean city. Actually I'm thinking, what an interesting train of thought. Do blokes pick up litter but girls don't? What he actually means - that he would only take a challenge from a man, for challenge is undoubtedly how he interprets this episode - is too stupid to bother deconstructing. It does however confirm two things. Firstly, this man is a numbskull. And secondly, that I think I need to duck. Fast. And I'm right. The only dustbin here is your MOUTH, he screams, and lunges at me. I step aside. He stumbles, a few people gather round to watch, and the guy giving away Evening Standard newspapers intervenes. Come on mate, he says, pulling the guy to his feet. The guy straightens up and heads off. On his way, he let's off a stream of insults. Garbage mouth! Lesbian! Etc. As I make my way into the station I find I am a bit shaken. Being a citizen is pretty risky stuff, presumably because people who toss their rubbish on to the street are morons and don't take kindly to reminders, however gentle, of what it takes to be a social being. Hey, but as he stomped off, though he was yelling silly stuff (I LOVED the lesbian comment), he hadn't let go of his litter. And the other good thing? I had leftover White cake to look forward to.