I was on the train, going home. It was the off-peak period and there weren't many people in the carriage. Apart from me there were probably half a dozen other people, all men and, as far as I was concerned, all losers. They'd all tried it on with me at various times and I'd just slapped them down. Who wants to get involved with a loser?
Train travel irritates me. I just don't like travelling on them. Such common people ride them. Fortunately this one was an express, one more stop and then straight through to nearly the end of the line. Mind you, why they run expresses during off-peak periods is beyond me. It's not as though they're trying to move lots of people real fast.
The train stopped at the next station and one person got on. The train started off again and I cheered mentally. A straight run through to my station. The man who had just got on turned around and I could see he was wearing a badge. Oh, great. A ticket inspector. There's another loser for you. The only work you can get is making sure other losers have bought their ticket. I wondered if he'd catch one of the other men. They seemed the sort to evade train fares.
He passed amongst the men, all of whom produced their tickets before he even asked. Pity. It would have alleviated the tedium seeing one of them get booked. Finished with them he turned and headed towards me. I just sat back, waiting.
"Ticket, please, Miss," he said politely, tapping his inspector badge.
I'm not dense. I could see it. I gave a put-upon sigh and fished my purse out of my bag, intending to get my ticket. I was in no hurry. It wasn't as though the man had anything else to do. That's when a little problem cropped up.
Somehow or other my purse had come undone. When I grabbed it everything just cascaded out of my purse and into my bag and my bag was full of junk. What should have been a simple extraction had suddenly turned into a major scrabble through my bag, looking for the ticket.
I couldn't find it, could I? I was fishing around searching and I could tell he was getting impatient.
"I'm sorry," I apologised, "but I just can't seem to find it. I do have one though."
"Yes, Miss, but unless I see it I'll have to give you an infringement notice. It's regulation."
"But I have a ticket," I pointed out. "It's just that the things in my purse got mixed up with the things in my bag. I'm looking."
"Yes, Miss," he said, in a tone that hinted that he'd heard it all before.
The man then had the gall to bring out his book of infringement notices and started to write one up.
"Name, Miss," he asked, and I jacked up.
"There's no need to fill out one of your stupid forms," I snapped. "I have a ticket. Just be patient while I find it."
"Yeah, go easy mate. Give her a chance." The call came from one of the losers watching us.
"Hey, instead of fining her, why don't you fuck her?" another called out. "That'll teach her to travel without a ticket."
I gave the onlookers a filthy look. As though I'd permit any such thing.
"I'll find the ticket," I snapped. "I obviously had it when I boarded. You can't even get through the gates of most stations without a ticket."
"Yes, Miss. Name, please."
"Oh, don't be such a little dictator," I snapped. "Give some people a little authority and they become little Hitlers. I said I'll find it."