After Hastings I spent a few days in Canterbury and London.
Canterbury was weird. I visited it for the first time in my life last summer, and had a few odd experiences, especially in the McDonalds and in the Cafe Nero in the middle of the historic High Street.
In both places I seemed to be recognized by staff and consequently abused.
On this my second visit, I again went into Cafe Nero. Perhaps the third time in my life. The same staff as in the summer appeared to be working there. When I went in they appeared to me recognize, me the female barista serving me said ‘you’re welcome’ in a snarky way after serving me. As I sat down, I distinctly heard her say to the other female barrista with her ‘you’re welcome’ while laughing and looking over at me.
The thing about this is that I’m 100% positive I have never, in my visit there or my previous two visits last summer, done ANYTHING that could possibly warrant this.
I’ve had the same behaviour in dozens of Cafe Nero stores across the country for over a decade since the torture began. Sometimes, such as in Hastings, it might be because I got slightly agitated or suspicious when a member of staff said ‘you’re welcome’ in an apparent snarky way after serving me. I have recorded a female barista in that store actually saying ‘you’re welcome’ seconds after serving me when her back is turned to me, which she does constantly. Not that this would be a justification. I have little idea why a barrista would repeatedly torment a mentally ill person in such a manner just because I once might have got a little suspicous or anxious when being served by her.
However, in this case, like many other times in other Cafe Nero stores, there seemed no explanation for it other than the police or security guards had incited it after pointing me out in some manner to staff.
Security guards at the Fenwicks department store also seemed to be ‘expecting me’. Other than that, Canterbury passed off pretty unremarkably.
Couple of days in London and return to Battersea
I spent a couple of days in London. On one of them, I returned to Battersea/Clapham, where it all began.
I visited the Cafe Nero at the end of Lavender Hill. I have a video recording of one of the baristas there saying – ‘you’re welcome’ inappropriately at me ten years ago. To put this into context, I went into that Cafe Nero store once to record staff saying – ‘you’re welcome’ to me inappropriately or sarcastically, in order to prove it was happening and not a delusion on my part, and I did.
On this occasion, my first visit in years, the staff were completely different, and yet one appeared to recognize me.
I sat down looking out of the window. Across the road is the Wandsworth Road Sainsbury Local store, in which 10 years ago I similarly recorded a staff member saying – ‘you’re welcome’ to me before even serving me, after another cashier had got up as soon as I joined the queue telling other staff – ‘I’m leaving, I don’t feel well, I don’t know why’, whilst apparently grinning.
I have not visited that Sainsbury’s for several years, and maybe once in the last five years.
After a few minutes of trying to relax drinking my cup of tea, I noticed an elderly black man slowly walked out of the Sainsbury’s and stood staring at me waving, without smiling.
After finishing my tea, I decided to go into there to buy a few things for my flight home the next day. The young male cashier – who could not possibly have ever seen me before – kept looking me suspiciously the entire time.
Earlier I’d walked by Lavender Hill Police Station, and a bent psychopath going into the building saw me and appeared to recognize me. I assume that the psychopath then ‘alerted’ the Sainsbury’s store that the ‘nutter’ who mumbled under his breath 12 years ago, and never once in any Sainsbury’s store, might be visiting so be sure to make it clear that you recognize him (but deny it if he asks you).
Hope that police officer, as well as his colleagues at that station do get life in prison eventually.