Loveable rascals

The tension and debate continues over the tragic accident of the Koori boy, TJ, in Redfern last weekend. He died in a spot, a stones throw from where I previously had dealings with Koori kids in touble.

Not long after the Olympics, I was gridlocked on King Street, Newtown, early one Saturday evening. I idly watched two young Koori girls use an Automatic Teller Machine, then make a beeline for my vacant cab. ‘Waterloo, mate’, came the request. Groan. Reluctantly, I headed off thinking, this could be heaven or this could be hell. Have they got any money-will I end up in the Projects-will they run...?

The girls, aged around 16, have got plenty of money. They proceed to take me on a circuitous tour of their neighbourhood, organising for a party that night. First we stop outside a unit block, where they call 5 storeys, for another girlfriend to join them. After a bout of protracted yelling from the window, the girlfriend comes down. Next stop is the local pub, where we park down the road. One of them fishes out a young fella from the bar. He goes to the bottle shop and gets them a bottle of bourbon, and something else.

Then they take me to a nearby housing commission block where, once again, I park down the street with the lights off. A girl conducts a prolonged conversation through an open window, at ground level, without entering the block. I spot a cruising police patrol car on the opposite block which causes the girl to come scampering back to the cab. ‘Lets go’, she demands, slamming the door. Watching the cops do a sudden U-turn, I tell the girls to check their seat belts, as I ease off.

As the patrol car speeds towards us, I enter the next block which suddenly traps me in a cul-del-sac. I stop the cab and wait for the cops, who arrive with flashing lights. The male copper orders me to stop the meter, which I’ve already done. A female copper open the back door and hauls the girl out. She asks her what she was doing at a drug dealers window. Looking for her cousin, is the response.

The bloke proceeds to gather details from the other two. None of them have any identification. What promises to be a drawn-out affair, is shortened by the girls knowledge of procedure,

My name is Kirsty W and I’m 17. I’m 168cm and I got brown eyes and I’m 47kg.....but I want to be 42kg. Plus I’m a Cancer..

This sparks some mirth and suppressed giggling from the girls, and a friendly remark from the copper. The female says to her suspect, ‘Isn’t Jimmy W your brother ?’ ‘No, he’s my brothers cousin’, comes the reply.

It’s established that the girl and her brothers cousin, had been on a recent weekend mentoring program with Constable Kylie from Redfern police. She is gently quizzed on how she likes it. Overall, the girls get the softly, softy, treatment even though the cops could have searched them and the cab. Definitely a well-handled PR exercise and pointless to do otherwise.

Eventually we’re allowed to go, and the girls have a good laugh. They were very relieved their plans for the night remained unchanged. Plus, they were only too happy to pay me the $25 fare, shortly after. Koori kids. They’re incorrigible, yet loveable rascals.

Comments

[Portia Melba]

So this supposedly responsible adult drives 16 year old girls around so they can buy alcohol illegally. These kids will be drunken sluts by 18 & he can congratulate himself for aiding their careers. Would he have thought this behaviour charming in white girls? Or described it as "loveable"? He's a patronising racist pig. And an idiot.

[slatts]

If he hadn't driven them, someone else less sensitive would have. And don't worry, there are plenty of white 16-y-o girls and boys who get cabbies to buy them booze. Adrian's affectionate portrayal has shown that before anything else, these kids are high-spirited, sharp, fun-loving teens. By just letting these kids know that at least one adult doesn't think they're complete losers, Adrian is doing immense good. Only an axe-grinding, dogmatic curmudgeon of the first order would see racism and patronisation where it doesn't exist. You're a disgrace PM.

[Bloggo Slatter]

You haven't been in a cab long enough to draw the conclusion that they are loveable rogues .To get through the issues of steriotypeing and come to a conclusion about a class of people is dangerous but necessary in the cab game .

[ade]

Huh ?