The female of the species….

Amusing non-election anecdote; Aggressive guy parks his Range Rover (What else) on a taxi rank, blocking taxis. Taxi drivers get irate. Offending driver starts giving verbal to objecting taxi drivers. Up pops Manic Mary from behind and slaps an ‘Instant’ parking fine on offending drivers windscreen while he is still busy giving abuse to taxi drivers. Offending driver does not notice, flounces off to do whatever he wants to do to before returning ten minutes later to find committee of taxi drivers laughing at him. He gets aggressive once more, notices the diminutive Manic Mary on the other side of the road giving ticket to embarrassed car driver on bus stop. Offending driver makes insulting gesture at cabbies (Obviously thinking he’d got away with it) before leaping into Range Rover and suddenly noticing PCN on windscreen. According to the cabbie who related this tale, the blood drained from the guys face, and he sheepishly stopped, got out, picked up the Penalty Charge Notice in it’s cute little envelope on the windscreen and drove away, much mollified. Mary gets applause from half a dozen cabbies and returns an ironic little bow.

Not that I cross swords with her lightly. Despite her lack of size she’s got a very effective way with her has our Mary and I’ve seen her stop a guy half my size again with the right tone of voice and a sharp word. “If my three boys give me respect,” I have heard her say, “He won’t give me any trouble.” Believe me, she has three strapping lads, all in their mid twenties, much bigger than I am and none of them dare to give their mum any lip (Rather like the Krays – oo-er). I think the saying ‘Great oaks out of little acorns grow.’ This is certainly true of Mary’s boys.

Must be something about being a Mum that gives a woman this power of command over their younger menfolk. To quote Kipling; “For the female of the species must be deadlier than the male.” You won’t catch me disagreeing with that one.