Spitalfields Scuttlebutt

[capt_facepalm]

Title: Spitalfields Scuttlebutt
Author: capt_facepalm
Rating: PG-13
Fandom: Sherlock Holmes (Gaslight ACD)
Characters: Two original characters, Dr Watson mentioned
Summary: Two co-workers discuss the challenges they face on the job
Warnings: Yes. Derogatory language use and casual racism.
Word Count: 100
Author's Notes: July 23rd 2014 prompt: Deal with racism.
A bit cheaty due to the inability to write convincingly from a racial minority perspective without the fear of becoming patronising. (So I wrote from the perspective of two jerks, which was disturbingly easy to do.)

.oOOo.

‘There’s gratitude for you. We bend over backward for those people and what do they do? Complain.’

‘Yeah. At least the Gypos and the Jews know their place. They show proper respect at least.’

‘I still don’t trust none of ‘em.’

‘Me neither. Murderers and thieves, is what they are.’

‘Some dark night that Watson fella will get his throat slit if he keeps going into their warrens, and it will be one of our lot what finds ‘em, and then someone will have to tell Mr Holmes.’

‘Surely, they’d send an inspector, like Gregson, not poor constables like us.’

.oOOo.

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Comments

[gardnerhill.livejournal.com]

Ooh, nasty and very accurate twist at the end. And these are exactly the kind of cops who in the same breath sneer that Those People don't respect the police the way they should.

[capt-facepalm.livejournal.com]

A policeman's lot is not a happy one.
Victorian London constabulary were a mix of barely literate thugs, veterans, petty criminals, and some good people; many were barely on the right side of the law. London was "that great cesspool into which all the loungers and idlers of the Empire are irresistibly drained", and the situation had become acute with industrialisation and the depopulating of agricultural land.

[laurose8.livejournal.com]

A very convincing conversation. And bravo, Watson.

[capt-facepalm.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Yes, in the background of this nasty conversation Watson continues to do his thing.

nicely done and brings to mind...

[serenusc.livejournal.com]

"Painful, is it? Yes, the coolies used to do some squealing towards the end. Takes you as cramp, I fancy." - CS, DYIN

[capt-facepalm.livejournal.com]

*shudders*

[ancalime8301]

What I find most disturbing is that there are still people who say things like this... :(

[capt-facepalm.livejournal.com]

Alas, it is true. I did not have to dig deeply to find examples.

[debriswoman]

Rings true, alas.

[capt-facepalm.livejournal.com]

True. But take consolation in that there are people like Watson who are not like that and go about their business regardless.