My genuine
response when someone once shouted “Sideburns” at me from a passing car was
“You should have seen me a couple of years ago”.
Questioning their time frame was, admittedly, an unusual approach. Few victims offer their tormentor additional fodder. By sharing this I became complicit in their insult. I may as well have been sat in the car too, shouting abuse through the window at myself on the street - and even I couldn’t do that.
It’s unlikely that my barbed comment hit home. It’s hard to think of a witty retort that takes into consideration the speed of sound and the velocity of a passing vehicle. To do this, you'd need to preempt it, which would make you the aggressor. The physics to delivering a zinger are confusing.
Next time, a simple "Fuck off" will suffice.
Questioning their time frame was, admittedly, an unusual approach. Few victims offer their tormentor additional fodder. By sharing this I became complicit in their insult. I may as well have been sat in the car too, shouting abuse through the window at myself on the street - and even I couldn’t do that.
It’s unlikely that my barbed comment hit home. It’s hard to think of a witty retort that takes into consideration the speed of sound and the velocity of a passing vehicle. To do this, you'd need to preempt it, which would make you the aggressor. The physics to delivering a zinger are confusing.
Next time, a simple "Fuck off" will suffice.