We were walking from the parking lot to the store when a car just barely stops in time from running over one of the girls and lays on its horn. This is a place where people are supposed to cross, and it is twenty feet past a guard station and maybe fifty feet after a sharp right turn. Tim and I were actually five or ten seconds ahead of the girls, so it wasn't like anyone jumped out in front of the car.
Tim and I both look at the car, thinking "what the hell". We didn't flip the driver off or even say anything, just looked at the tinted windows and in obvious displeasure at this driver's actions. The car stops, and down goes the window, and this woman starts yelling at Tim. Tim is a pretty laid back person, but she is now pretty pissed, so she starts to shout back. This goes on for a minute or two. I just start smiling and waving "bye" to the woman, hoping it might piss her off a bit. She is ignoring me and just screaming at Tim. At one point I heard her say the word "falang", which I was pretty certain referred to me.
There was a security guard there who was just watching, not really wanting to be involved. I was between the car and my family, and I took a step towards it while I was waving. I was still ten feet away, but the security guard started to motion for me not to get closer. I think he was afraid that I was going to escalate things. I raised my hands and said "mai ben rai" (no worries), and he relaxed. I'm sure this guy just wanted this to be over. Finally after a minute or so, I kind of ushered Tim and the rest of our group into the mall. Meow started to join in the yelling after Tim had walked inside, but I calmly escorted her away from the car as well.
Tim said that the woman had used some really rude terms, basically the equivalent of saying "f" you and some other really rude things. Tim kept her language clean, but she gave as good as she got. When Tim used the word "you" to the woman, she used "kuhn", which is the polite way people talk. The woman referred to her as you would an animal.
My favorite part was when I asked Tim was the woman said about me. She said that the woman said "Do you think you are better than me because you are married to a foreigner?" For some Thai people, marrying a falang might increase their social standing, but not for Tim. I told Tim that her being married to me was just one of the many reasons that she was better than that woman.
I've never seen Tim yell at someone like that. She is usually pretty good at keeping her cool, but I don't blame her after how this woman drove and then started yelling. Truthfully, I'm glad that I was there. If I had not been there, perhaps the woman would have gotten out of the car and started a physical confrontation. She was kind of heavy, and looked like what Thai's refer to as a "Tom". My understanding is that a Tom is a lesbian who dresses and acts like a man. Tim is actually in great shape, but I'm not sure that she's ever fought anyone. Plus there is no way something like that can happen in front of the kids.
Nalin seemed a little worried about it the rest of the day. We explained that Tim had done nothing wrong. She kept referring to "that bad woman", which was both accurate and cute.
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