A Poke In The Eye

Remember the story about the beggar asking for spare change and trying to get me up to a fifty. I lied. He stopped asking at twenty. Fifty made a better story. I left him with five.

So you're wondering why you should believe anything I write. According to one of my readers, a good story is better than a poke in the eye. So here's another story. I'll try to make it good. Eyes are precious.

Last week I was chatting with a taxi driver. (true) The topic of immigration came up. (true) He made it clear that he wasn't in favour of all these immigrants coming in taking our jobs. It turns out he had got 100% on a certification test for a job and didn't get hired because they needed to satisfy their quota (female, bipoc, disabled, etc). He had the disadvantage of being an English speaking, able-bodied, white Canadian male. According to him, they should have hired the most qualified person (him) and ignored all the other stuff. But they had a rule, and it favoured someone else like maybe immigrants.

That's the thing about rules. They are fine as long as they favour us. They are just wrong if they favour someone else. But if a rule does not adjust the relative advantages of individuals, there is no need for the rule.

Anyone, such as our taxi driver's great great granny, who arrived here ahead of an immigration restriction rule and established a home on native land, has an advantage; and our taxi driver inherited the advantage and feels entitled and wants to keep the advantage by restricting immigration from now on. (I didn't say that.)

I am here because a dozen years ago a doctor from Nigeria treated me for an abdominal abscess and saved my life. (True, but I didn't tell him that.) 

If he is fortunate enough, one day an immigrant will be helping him into his wheelchair and loading him into a van with an immigrant driver to go to an immigrant doctor. In the absence of immigrants, he might have to stay in bed until something nasty finishes him off. (I didn't tell him that.) 

He was angry enough without any encouragement from me. He made us get out and walk three blocks home. 

No that's a lie, but wouldn't it make a good story if we complained to the taxi company and he got fired because there is a rule about that? 

Actually, he drove us to our door. I thanked him for the discussion and gave him a big tip. (true) Not as good a story, is it.

Maybe better than a poke in the eye!