ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact
A visiting American tourist sack back in his chair last night at the Betoota Dolphin’s Leagues Club and wryly asked his new local friends if they rode kangaroos to school.
Max Sterling, originally from Portland in Oregon, is visiting friends in Betoota Heights that he met last year during the famous Calgary Stampede in British Columbia.
Now finding himself in the heart of the desert capital, the 34-year-old couldn’t resist a cultural jibe.
However, the answer he got for the absurd and downright disrespectful question was more than he’d bargained for.
“Nah, boorie. We don’t ride kangaroos to school here,” said Angus Peterwell, night manager of the popular family-orientated club.
He just happened to be walking past.
“Just like you didn’t get shot going to school. It’s a bit of a myth that’s been perpetuated and so on. Personally, I got the D45 bus to school and back each day. Lewis over there used to walk because he lived just up the road,”
“You see Annie over there beside the bain marie? Her old girl used to drive her to school because they lived out on the edge of town. No marlus, joog.”
From what had been a quiet conversation, your typical run-of-the-mill-post-bistro-Sunday-roast-chit-chat erupted into something a bit more intense.
Rather than turn the banter mirror back onto Angus, as per the local custom, Max raised his voice and began to make a scene.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about, bro,” he shouted.
“These are our kids dying, dude. You can just stand there and say those things and expect me to just take it, bro. I can’t believe you just said that. I’ll fucking fight you, bro, I’m not even joking right now,”
“Don’t joke about that shit. I’m just trying to have a laugh with you.”
Using his responsible service of alcohol training for the first time ever, Angus was able to defuse the situation and get everybody calmed down.
“I’ll give you another jug of Hanh Super Dry Mid and soda if you’ll calm down, mate.”
More to come.
