American vs British soldiers

[almostwitty]

I was in a queue for some bagels, behind a very tall soldier fully decked out in green camouflage uniform. While in the queue, someone else randomly went up to him, shook his hand and said "I thank you, soldier, for protecting our country" before going on his way.

I'm not too sure how much that happens in the United States - do random strangers thank policemen and fire fighters too? Certainly contrasts to the UK, where the armed forces essentially had to launch a media campaign telling people to thank the Army and Navy after there were rumours of hotels barring soldiers and the like.

Whilst waiting for our respective bagels, I was tempted to look up to the soldier (man, he was TALL!) and ask him why he was wearing his uniform instead of casual civillian clothing. I mean, it can't have been that comfortable, surely - and you don't see policemen or fire fighters wearing their uniform off-duty. But alas my courage failed me - another reason why I'll never be a journalist...

Just 150 minutes to wait to my next connection...

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Reminds me of a post on Copperfield's blog after he moved to Canada. A planeload of troops landed at the airport and the poilce escorted them from there to the barracks with blues'n'twos while crowds applauded them on the street.

Far cry, as you say, from our lot who're treated like someone else's shit when in reality they're *doing* someone else's shit work and putting themselves at risk for it.

I have an ex (you know her, no names) who writes to soldiers overseas and keeps their *ahem* peckers up for them. Her way of saying "thank you".