Boris.

[BashfulAnthony]

I'm sure that certain members of the Forum would be delighted to see that Boris Johnson, MP, Mayor of London, prospective Tory Leader, possible future Prime Minister, is as foul-mouthed as they are.

"Mayor of London Boris Johnson had a foul-mouthed exchange with a taxi driver in north London

First published 05:35 Thursday 18 June 2015 in National News
ｩ by Press Association 2014

Mr Johnson has been caught on film telling the black-cab driver to "f*** off and die".

The 10-second video, obtained by the Sun and Daily Mail, shows Mr Johnson, recently elected as Tory MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip, being harrangued by the driver while cycling in Islington, north London.

Captured by a by-stander, the film shows the driver leaning out of his window and shouting: "You are one of them mate, that's what you are. One of them."

Mr Johnson then replies: "Why don't you f*** off and die - and not in that order." As he drives away, the cab driver shouts: "Yeah b******s, hope you die."

The incident reportedly took place as Mr Johnson was cycling home on June 5 at around 12.20am in St John's Street, Islington."

[Rhiannon]

Isn't the issue that he tokd someone that he wished them dead?

[Shaker]

While I am delighted by the fact that Mr Johnson swears as much as ordinary, normal, everyday people do, I'm less sanguine about his intellectual capacities if he tells a hapless taxi driver to fuck off and die - and not in that order since it can only be done the one way round.

Silly man.

[ad_orientem]

So what, I say.

[Shaker]

Isn't the issue that he tokd someone that he wished them dead?

No, because it's only magical thinking (of the "lucky pants/socks" variety, which I'd hoped we had grown out of by now and know that many haven't) which thinks that there's some sort of superstitious link between wishing someone you despise to be dead and their dying. (I have a personal anecdote about this, which I won't relate as it's rather lame and of no interest to anyone but myself).

[Rhiannon]

Isn't the issue that he tokd someone that he wished them dead?

No, because it's only magical thinking (of the "lucky pants/socks" variety, which I'd hoped we had grown out of by now and know that many haven't) which thinks that there's some sort of superstitious link between wishing someone you despise to be dead and their dying. (I have a personal anecdote about this, which I won't relate as it's rather lame and of no interest to anyone but myself).

I meant that I find that more offensive than the swearing. I didn't mean I thought that Boris was some kind of wizard.

[Shaker]

I meant that I find that more offensive than the swearing.

Sure.

Why?

[Rhiannon]

I meant that I find that more offensive than the swearing.

Sure.

Why?

Because it has more intent behind it. I've told someone to fuck off when they've made me laugh - it's banter. Telling someone you want them to die is never banter.

[BashfulAnthony]

I meant that I find that more offensive than the swearing.

Sure.

Why?

Because it has more intent behind it. I've told someone to fuck off when they've made me laugh - it's banter. Telling someone you want them to die is never banter.

Having watched the video, I don't think any of it was mere banter.

[jeremyp]

While I am delighted by the fact that Mr Johnson swears as much as ordinary, normal, everyday people do, I'm less sanguine about his intellectual capacities if he tells a hapless taxi driver to fuck off and die - and not in that order since it can only be done the one way round.

Silly man.

I have some sympathy with him.  He was cycling home and then a taxi driver decided to have it out with him, apparently.

[Rhiannon]

I meant that I find that more offensive than the swearing.

Sure.

Why?

Because it has more intent behind it. I've told someone to fuck off when they've made me laugh - it's banter. Telling someone you want them to die is never banter.

Having watched the video, I don't think any of it was mere banter.

Of course not. But I've told my phone to fuck off. I don't think I can ever recall telling anyone I'd wish they'd die. Not because of any magical thinking, but because it is hurtful and unnecessary.

[Shaker]

Because it has more intent behind it. I've told someone to fuck off when they've made me laugh - it's banter. Telling someone you want them to die is never banter.

It's a mystery to me, I tell you, a mystery. Intent without action amounts to precisely and equally arse-all. I intend to kill you, but I won't do anything about it and I intend to kill you, and here is my claw hammer and here is the back of your skull, and ooh, doesn't it make a lovely noise and a satisfying squelch as it goes in aren't equivalent.

This is the first and almost certainly the last time I will have had a philosophical discussion based on the actions or even the existence of Boris Johnson.

[Rhiannon]

While I am delighted by the fact that Mr Johnson swears as much as ordinary, normal, everyday people do, I'm less sanguine about his intellectual capacities if he tells a hapless taxi driver to fuck off and die - and not in that order since it can only be done the one way round.

Silly man.

I have some sympathy with him.  He was cycling home and then a taxi driver decided to have it out with him, apparently.

I think it pretty unusual for someone so high profile to put himself in the public firing line as Boris does, to be fair.

[jeremyp]

Because it has more intent behind

Do you honestly think that telling somebody to "fuck off and die" means you really want them dead?  It's an expression that means "go away now".

[Rhiannon]

Because it has more intent behind it. I've told someone to fuck off when they've made me laugh - it's banter. Telling someone you want them to die is never banter.

It's a mystery to me, I tell you, a mystery. Intent without action amounts to precisely and equally arse-all. I intend to kill you, but I won't do anything about it and I intend to kill you, and here is my claw hammer and here is the back of your skull, and ooh, doesn't it make a lovely noise and a satisfying squelch as it goes in aren't equivalent.

This is the first and almost certainly the last time I will have had a philosophical discussion based on the actions or even the existence of Boris Johnson.

Nooooo, telling someone that you wish they'd die is that you wish that they were dead and unable to be with their families and loved ones and that you want them all to suffer and grieve. It doesn't mean you think you've put a curse on them.

Mind you, I happily tear photos up.

[BashfulAnthony]

I meant that I find that more offensive than the swearing.

Sure.

Why?

Because it has more intent behind it. I've told someone to fuck off when they've made me laugh - it's banter. Telling someone you want them to die is never banter.

Having watched the video, I don't think any of it was mere banter.

Of course not. But I've told my phone to fuck off. I don't think I can ever recall telling anyone I'd wish they'd die. Not because of any magical thinking, but because it is hurtful and unnecessary.

"Unnecessary" - which brings us back to the real point:  I agree it was unnecessary, so shouldn't someone of such a high profile have been sufficiently aware of that to curb his temper/vitriol, or whatever prompted him?

[Shaker]

Of course not. But I've told my phone to fuck off.

Ahhhhh ... another Samsung Galaxy S4 owner, then.

I don't think I can ever recall telling anyone I'd wish they'd die. Not because of any magical thinking, but because it is hurtful and unnecessary.

Unnecessary I will give you - but then most things most people do in most ways in most places most of the time are. It's only hurtful until and unless you have some element of magical thinking involved, surely. As it seems to me.

[Shaker]

Mind you, I happily tear photos up.

I'm more prey to magical thinking than you are, then. That's something I've never done and would never, ever do  I've seen people do it in front of me and have been absolutely ceiling-wallpaper horrified 

[Rhiannon]

Mind you, I happily tear photos up.

I'm more prey to magical thinking than you are, then. That's something I've never done and would never, ever do 

They were mostly of my wedding day. 

[dadvokat]

Black cab drivers are no Angels. Well done Boris.

[BashfulAnthony]

Black cab drivers are no Angels. Well done Boris.

But they've got a genuine gripe, and all the cabbie said was, "you are one of them,"  whatever that meant.

[dadvokat]

Black cab drivers are no Angels. Well done Boris.

But they've got a genuine gripe, and all the cabbie said was, "you are one of them,"  whatever that meant.

Yeah but when you are driving around London you notice how rude these drivers are with no road sense and breaking every motoring law. You will get a mouth ful if you try doing the same.

[BashfulAnthony]

Black cab drivers are no Angels. Well done Boris.

But they've got a genuine gripe, and all the cabbie said was, "you are one of them,"  whatever that meant.

Yeah but when you are driving around London you notice how rude these drivers are with no road sense and breaking every motoring law. You will get a mouth ful if you try doing the same.

I'm not defending cabbies:  I've had experience of their mouths.  But should Boris, supposedly a pillar of the Establishment, have sunk to the cabby's level?  Not that the cabby's remark was that awful, really.

[jeremyp]

But should Boris, supposedly a pillar of the Establishment, have sunk to the cabby's level?

No he shouldn't have.  However in this scenario I'm inclined to cut hims some slack. 

[BashfulAnthony]

But should Boris, supposedly a pillar of the Establishment, have sunk to the cabby's level?

No he shouldn't have.  However in this scenario I'm inclined to cut hims some slack.

I think you're being generous to him.

Apart from the language aspect, to get into an altercationafter midnight in a London street, only on a push bike, was a pretty stupid move.