So, Liverpool is set to be the European Capital of Culture for 2008, is it? I beg to differ.
A fortnight ago, Spike & I went into the city centre, my first ever shopping trip to Liverpool, and quite possibly my last.
The first thing we did was to go to the bakery and get a pasty and a doughnut each. We were standing next to the Radio City box office in the St. John's shopping centre, just opposite the bakery, quite happily munching away and watching the world go by, when a small grumpy woman barged past me, carrying some sandwich wrappers. She dumped them in the bin and then glared at us and snapped "I suppose that lot was yours!". "Erm, no", I replied, stunned at how rude she was. I pointed out that I'd put my wrapper in the bin and that I was still eating my doughnut. "Well YOU'RE standing there", she snapped. I have never felt my anger rise so quickly. I had the urge to slap her, but managed to restrain myself. I repeated that the litter wasn't mine, but she just glared at me and unlocked the door to the booth and went inside, so I called her a silly cow and left.
Radio City - if this woman is an employee of yours, I commend her for her attitude towards litter, but her attitude & behaviour towards complete strangers is disgusting. I had never been to Liverpool before, and if that woman is an example of how your employees and fellow citizens treat visitors, I will never visit again. She ruined our day. You may think this is petty anger, but given that persuading Spike to leave the house is a challenge in itself, only for some stupid woman to upset us both by falsely accusing us of leaving litter, was just the topping on the cake. His recovery has been set back as a direct result of your actions, and I have never felt so insulted.
We ended up going straight home, having lost all enthusiasm for our day out. If that woman is an example of how you're promoting your 'City of Culture', you can stuff it. I have no desire to return to Liverpool.
2 comments:
Shame to let one ignorant person put you off a whole city Womble, but I can't say I blame you.
Trouble is people like this will never know how much damage they can do unless it is explained to them. I suggest you put a polite letter of complaint into Radio City. If she unlocked the booth she must be an employee.
Shame you and Spike and your day ruined by that individual.
Like Shirl said, I'd complain direct to Radio City.
We weren't impressed with Liverpool when we went. In Notes From a Small Island, Bill Bryson describes his first experiences of Liverpool - "I took a train to Liverpool. They were having a festival of litter when I arrived". It was apparently still on when we went however many years later.
Big hug for Spike
xox
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