Strolling into work this morning, I was behind an elderly lady who was walking along and taking in the beautiful views.
Behind me I heard a stressed voice. Suddenly, a pushchair rushed past me steered by a stressed young mother wearing designer sneakers. She was talking loudly on her iPhone, via her ‘hands-free’, her aim set on accomplishing this conversation and arriving at her destination rapidly and without delay. She forced on past me and I watched as she approached the elderly lady from behind.
At the exact moment she swished past, the old lady took a small step to the left and was almost mowed down. The young mother didn’t react, she just kept walking forward, talking loudly on her phone with full egocentric focus. I don’t even think she noticed she had almost ploughed into the pensioner – it seemed that to her the elderly lady was invisible.
The old lady stopped in her tracks and then raised her head in the direction of the woman, now scurrying into the distance. She opened her mouth and shouted loudly:
‘Men kära lilla! Förlåt att jag existerar!’ (Well, my dear. Sorry that I exist)
As I walked within earshot, the old lady muttered under her breath – ‘jävla kärring!’ (fucking bitch)
Watching the Swedes 