The drunken', fightin', (hairdressing) Irishman
Another customer.

This one was about as stereotypically Irish as you could get. Permanently drunk and he would quite literally start a fight with anyone. Oddly enough we had a second drunken Irishman who frequented our library too, so that was always fun when they were in togther.

Anyway, the staff had learnt that the best approach is, unless he's actually fighting or urinating or breaking the lawy in some way, just ignore him or acknowledge him as little as possible, and for the love of god, don't make eye contact.

Back last Christmas I had decided to put an end to my black, gothy hair and be a grown up man with my natural shade of blonde. I also drunkenly shaved my beard off whilst on a foray to Edinburgh, so I turned up to work looking radically different after the Christmas break.

I was just closing up the reference library and I pass the Irishman, who up to now has never spoken to me. Then all of a sudden...

"You've changed your hair"

"Erm...yep!"

"I miss your old hair. You used to have beautiful hair."

"Oh...thanks?"

"Reeeeeaaaaalllly beeeaaauuutifuuulll..."

So there we have it. Drunken irish reprobates in small Kentish seaside towns like goth-men.
(GONEism, Fri 31 Oct 2008, 16:15, Reply)