I am at the MRT (subway), and I get on the train with this fairly well dressed couple. They seemed cool, waited in line, and they didn't rush to take a seat.
I walked to the back of the train and they were to my right in the car. All of sudden I see him start pointing to something to my left. It was a blatant enough point that several people looked - turns out what he was pointing at was a girl with dark purple lipstick. I looked back at them thinking maybe I missed something, but he and his companion were cracking up laughing (again, like enough for me not to be the only one looking at them again) while pointing at this girl.
It kinda irked me, but I know this world isn't always the most considerate, and I am sure not innocent of ever laughing to myself about someone's appearance. I said nothing and went on trying to admire myself in the train window (because that's what you do on the train). But it didn't stop...
This guy just wouldn't let it go. His girl finally calms down and he starts miming putting the lipstick on and making big lips and the whole nine yards. This went on for like 3 stations! and I really swear to god I tried to keep my mouth shut and stay out of it. But it didn't stop...
Finally I just couldn't take it. I see the lipstick girl move about the train to accommodate people. I know she's seen him impersonating her, and he's still laughing about it. The train doors open and a ton of people get out and it just came out of me.
I was like "ร้องไห้broken Thai) Yo, that's not funny man, and it isn't nice that you keep making fun of her." Obviously I offended his sense of pride and he starts shouting "what!? what!?" at me in Thai. he starts puffing out his chest at me.
I really tried leaving it at that man - but I just couldn't do it. I said "ร้องไห้broken Thai) She's not an animal, she's a person. That's not okay that you do that and you're not a very nice person." I didn't swear, I didn't yell.
He just loses it and starts coming at me. His girl is trying to hold him back and the girl with the lipstick has now stepped in and is trying to get me off of the train away from him (which was not easy between the people fleeing, and the fact that I wasn't too interested in getting off of the train until my stop.)
I saw some people filming this on their phones and all I could think was "This is really how it is now, isn't it? No one else cares enough about how poorly behaved we've become to stand up to this guy with me, they just want to film it."
I figured it best to calm the situation down by stepping off the train since he was now swinging about in my direction, so I said to him "now everyone sees what I am talking about, that's not okay." All while he's still yelling at me now in his broken English.
I got on the next train with the lipstick girl (I won't leave her name), and she told me that it's like that all the time. It's sad though because this girl who is 100% Thai, spoke fluent English and was cool. She even gave me a shirt which was way nice of her.
Even now as I sit here I am still stewing about this. Am I wrong? I want your opinion - and be honest. If you made it all the way down this far in my story, you can give me a few words. Share it with whomever you know, and get their opinions too. I am not asking to create a forward or an email chain. I don't want more friends on Facebook, and I really don't expect to hear back from anyone other than obligatory family responses. But if you feel like you can weigh in on this, hit me up. Do not make this a race thing because we're not cool with that. This discussion is from the human perspective only.