Rescued

Every now and then a passenger will ask to use my phone, usually citing a flat battery. This I always refuse, after a female junkie once tricked me by using the phone to organise a heroin deal. Last night, however, I agreed to a phone request.

A thirty-something fella boarded the cab in the inner city and asked for Newtown shopping centre. He then made a phone call. In a softly persuasive tone he said, ”Hello, Kate? Are you okay?...what have you been doing?...Kate?....can you hear me?...Kate?....Katie!?... where are you?....are you at the salon?....everyone is looking for you....Kate?....Katie!?...”

Kate was either reluctant to talk to him or ‘out to lunch’, and drifted off the line.

The passenger leaned forward and addressed me. “Mate, have you got a phone?” The phone was sitting in a cradle in plain view. When I hesitated he explained, “My wife is sick and I need you to dial a number. If I hear it ring in the background I’ll know she’s at the shop.”

This sounded genuine enough plus his use of ‘wife’ was somehow more persuasive than ‘girlfriend’ or ‘friend’. I agreed. After punching in the number we waited as he called her back on his phone. She didn’t answer.

“What happened,” I asked, “did she collapse or something?” “I think so,” he replied. “Just stop here, right here thanks.” He flicked me five bucks then quickly crossed the road.

Pulling back into the traffic I glanced across to see a group of people standing outside a closed hair salon. “Open the door!” one called whilst the others gesticulated to a young woman inside the shop. She could barely stand and leaned awkwardly against the wall whilst struggling to reach the door.

Whatever was going on there it seems they reached her just in time.

Comments

[freedom vivian]

Using the term "junkie" is highly offensive and derogatory unless you personally identify as being a "junkie". Then you can use it. Kind of like the term "nigga".

[Rainer.the.cabbie]

Yeah, I agree Vivian. After having dealed with a lot of Drug depended customers over the years, and learned to separate them from the Housing commission, never had a proper education, don't give a rats arse about anything, throw the needles in the street and rip off everyone you meet "Junkies", I'd hate to label all heavy Drug users as such.

[Goldstein]

The two terms have nothing in common -"Nigger" is a derogatory statement, carrying a whole parcel of hate and fear, a racist insult to describe a person, define them, purely on the color of their skin, their "race", implicit that the "nigger" is inferior/below the presumably "white" speaker of the insult, etc etc..

"Junkie" on the other hand, is not racist -it refers to a person who is a user/addict of drugs... "Junkie" as used in "Rescued", above, is referring (quite clearly) to the sort of person who uses other people any way they can to get to the drugs they are addicted to.. to get the "junk" hence "junkies", as in booze/boozer etc..

Me? I can't stand "junkies". Time wasting, self absorbed, life wasting, boring, shitbags.. I've seen too many via the "Justice" system, via the Health system, sitting vomitting in William Street, trying to steal my car, coming into Pawn Brokers.. do I have to go on?

If a "Drug depended" (sic) person is acting responsibly, they're a regular person -if they're slurring/vomitting/cracking it in the street/stealing/yelling at each other while shopping in Coles/neglecting their children by being out of it all the time -they are a junky scumbag. Simple...

[adrian]

Vivian, the term 'junkie' is indeed derogatory, when considered from a professional or objective standpoint.

However this is not a mainstream publication, health periodical or academic paper but a personal online journal reporting nightly experiences, worts and all. Thus, in this format and the context used, I regard 'junkie' as accurate and acceptable.

[Me]

I disagree.

If someone injects drugs they are a junkie. It's not an insult it's just a fact. It's like saying you can't call someone who does gymnastics a gymnist. Calling someone a junkie is a factual thing. It is a word to describe people who inject drugs. If we didn't have that work we would have to call them 'a person who injects drugs' which is just silly.

Calling someone a nigger is insulting. The word is used as an insult and was not designed to make the explanation of the persons race or whatevr any easier.

Junkie & Niger - totally different.