Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
....racist incident?
On the 29 bus coming from Manor House this evening, I was sitting on the driver's side as we approached the lights by Homebase when I saw something hit the window beside the young woman in front of me - it looked like spit - it trickled down the window. I looked across at the white transit van stopped next to the bus and saw a white man in his thirties, balding, plump - he was laughing and pointing at the young woman - a quiet unassuming mixed race girl who had her head down. The bus moved forward a few feet and I could see the driver now - they were both pointing and laughing. Then they saw me looking at them and I glared at them and mouthed - that's not funny... they were still laughing as I pointedly took out my phone - the words Enterprise UK - 0800 581 were all I caught as they drove quickly forward and turned right fast past Argos towards Sainsbury's - too late to get the full number, which I'd been putting in my phone and too late to catch their registration number. I googled Enterprise UK on my phone and rang the 24 hour customer service helpline, having verified that their free phone number started with 0800 581.... They wanted my name etc and I refused to give it to them on a crowded bus. The pleasant woman said there was nothing they could do if I didn't catch their registration number, their vans did not have tracking devices. I asked for the manager - by now I was getting off the bus - I said I had a description of these guys and their van and an exact location of where they'd been five minutes ago. He said he was sorry, it was shocking but -we have 10,000 vans across the UK. I said how many of those were in the location of Green Lanes, London N4? He must be able to narrow it down. He started to take me seriously then, said to leave it with him.... he called back later, they are making enquiries but it's probably not going to be possible to locate the exact van. I said well I'd like a message sent out to all the staff that work for Enterprise - about this incident, to say the company will not tolerate this behaviour - he agreed and said he would do that and that the company does not tolerate this kind of behaviour, whether directly racist or not and that if they find out who these guys are they would be dismissed....
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by 26tc9f3bnbv1h on
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enterprise are a rental company- it could've been anyone in the van, so without the registration number there's no chance of finding out who it was :(
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Permalink Reply by Julie - WPRNW on
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Enterprise is also this company: http://www.enterprise.plc.uk/services/
Thank you for calling. If the company-wide message is made, then at very least, those guilty will know someone is saying what they did is not ok. In a small way, you help instil a boundary.
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Permalink Reply by Sapphireblue on
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Yes it was not the rental company. But I just felt it wd have been easy to shake my head, tut tut and ignore it. It would have been so easy to do that. But I hate racism and I felt so angry for the girl... I hope they hear the message, the guys who did that and it puts a check on their behaviour in future.
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Permalink Reply by Jimbo on
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Good for you. That sort of behaviour should never be tolerated or ignored. So... ditto what Julie said above
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Permalink Reply by Anette on
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Well done, how horrible!!! Poor girl, can't have been nice for her. You should report this to the police too, that might make Enterprise take it a little more seriously. What utter morons in that van!
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Permalink Reply by Julia Richards-Davies on
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Well done for reporting it.
Even if the message never gets to the perpetrators, the company has been made aware, and maybe most importantly the other passengers and the girl herself heard someone not taking that kind of crap lying down and standing up for the right thing. Maybe next time one of them will have the courage to do the same.
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Permalink Reply by Margaret Fowler on
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My son and his wife who is Congolese were staying with me for a few weeks on holiday from DR Congo where he works. Both of them were rather disappointed that men in white vans and other men working on roads and building sites still shouted out abuse and comments not necessarily racist, when she passed. My son had hoped the country was above that sort of thing now ,not as when he previously lived here. She just gives them the fingers and strolls on.
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I can't believe things like that are still happening! You did very well phoning the company but I don't think they will find out who it was :( .
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A very helpful man from the company phoned back next day. It seemed he'd gone to considerable trouble to phone managers in N London. He had I think, reading between the lines, encountered not much co-operation. The end result was that there were no company white transit vans operating in Green lanes, as far as the company can ascertain. The van must have been driving home. He was v willing to send out an email to managers reiterating company policy ie that racism and bad behaviour of any sort will not be tolerated, and anyone breaking this would be disciplined and face instant dismissal.
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