UK Trip - Leaving

Well, w are finishing our trip now. We've had a wonderful
time, visited many places we've never been to before and
had some disturbingly warm weather.

We were in the leeds area yesterday and I was surprised at
the number of fully veiled muslim women wandering about. I
did not realize there was that lrge a population of
muslims in the Manchester/Leeds area.

I was not the least out of place wandering around in my
burqa and even had a couple of niqabi women in full veils tell me they thought
my rubber burqa was well suited to the rainy weather (the
one day we had a bit of rain).

We took a a nice train to London (with plenty of A/C) then
were met by our limo driver and taken to the airport
where we are staying in a hotel for the night.

However, I did see something very disturbing on the
Cromwell Rd on the way here. I was looking out the window
when I saw a large man and a somewhat smaller man talking.
suddenly the large man struck the other in the face with
his fist. He fell down, nearly in the street.

The man who was hit was dark, Egyptian or Indian, very
well dressed in a brown suit and tie. The hitter was about
twice his size and weight and wearing a casual business
shirt and tie, white and blonde.

I was appalled at the sudden violence and got Sir's
attention, but he had not seen what happened. Maid was
sitting in the jump seat facing backward and also did not
see the evnet, but I motioned her to look out the window
with me. We were both gagged and coould not say anything
to Sir.

The victim of this road rage got to his feet and backed
away and actually tapped on our car's window as we passed,
but our driver either did not see or did not wish to
stop. The man and I stared at each other as the cab
passed, I watching the shock and fear in his eyes and he
seeing two women in burqas in a limo.

I was horrified, but felt terribly helpless. The larger
man climbed back in his car and closed his door and had
his window up. I looked back and the smaller man was
climbing into HIS car. I did not see any damage on the
cars, but presume somenthing like a fender bender must
have set the big man off.

I am totally unused to seeing this kind of violence and
was doubly surprised to see it in a London street. I never
expected to see such a thing and it seems completely at
odds with the patient, tolerant attitudes of most people I
meet in the UK.

The rest of our trip was uneventful, and we have spent the
rest of this evening here and then at our friends' house.
They live not to far from the airport. We had a nice
dinner at their house and a very enjoyable evening after

dinner.
Yet, I keep wondering about this altercation in the
Cromwell Road. Is this sort of thing becoming commonplace
in Britain? It has, to some degree, in certain US cities,
but I never expected it here.

We fly back to the US tomorrow, first to Texas for a
family reunion and then on the San Jose. It has, overall,
been a wonderful trip.
RegardsLady