Slap in the face
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="Please">Please</span> <span word="explain">explain</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="headline">headline</span>: <span word="Bus">Bus</span> <span word="strike">strike</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> ‘<span word="slap">slap</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="face">face</span>’ <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="taxpayer">taxpayer</span>.</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="It">It</span> <span word="works">works</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="way">way</span>.</p><p><span word="Buses">Buses</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="integral">integral</span> <span word="part">part</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="public">public</span> <span word="transport">transport</span>. <span word="Bus">Bus</span> <span word="companies">companies</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="either">either</span> <span word="paid">paid</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="taxpayers">taxpayers</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="full">full</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="part">part</span> <span word="via">via</span> <span word="various">various</span> <span word="subsidies">subsidies</span>. <span word="Bus">Bus</span> <span word="companies">companies</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="paid">paid</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="any">any</span> <span word="taxpayer">taxpayer</span> <span word="directly">directly</span>, <span word="of">of</span> <span word="course">course</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="via">via</span> <span word="government">government</span> <span word="spending">spending</span> <span word="using">using</span> <span word="taxpayer">taxpayer</span> <span word="money">money</span>.</p><p><span word="If">If</span> <span word="bus">bus</span> <span word="drivers">drivers</span> <span word="go">go</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="strike">strike</span>, <span word="it">it</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="busses">busses</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="stop">stop</span> <span word="running">running</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="then">then</span> <span word="bus">bus</span> <span word="commuters">commuters</span> <span word="won">won</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="able">able</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="get">get</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="work">work</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="back">back</span> <span word="home">home</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="time">time</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="commuters">commuters</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="among">among</span> <span word="taxpayers">taxpayers</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="paying">paying</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="busses">busses</span>. <span word="Now">Now</span> <span word="they">they</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="able">able</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="use">use</span> <span word="it">it</span>. <span word="That">That</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="why">why</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="this">this</span>, <span word="that">that</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="bus">bus</span> <span word="strike">strike</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> “<span word="slap">slap</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="face">face</span>” <span word="to">to</span> <span word="taxpayers">taxpayers</span>, <span word="meaning">meaning</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="public">public</span>.</p><p><span word="It">It</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="bus">bus</span> <span word="companies">companies</span> <span word="involved">involved</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="ungrateful">ungrateful</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="disrespectful">disrespectful</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="taxpayers">taxpayers</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="bus">bus</span> <span word="commuters">commuters</span> <span word="deserve">deserve</span> <span word="better">better</span>. <span word="They">They</span> <span word="certainly">certainly</span> <span word="don">don</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="expect">expect</span> <span word="this">this</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="strike">strike</span>.</p><p><span word="It">It</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="someone">someone</span> <span word="offer">offer</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="apple">apple</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="slap">slap</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="face">face</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="return">return</span>.</p><p><span word="Literally">Literally</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="slap">slap</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="face">face</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="exactly">exactly</span> <span word="that">that</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="slap">slap</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="face">face</span>, <span word="causing">causing</span> <span word="sharp">sharp</span> <span word="pain">pain</span>. <span word="If">If</span> <span word="you">you</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="halfway">halfway</span> <span word="civilized">civilized</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="entirely">entirely</span> <span word="mad">mad</span>, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="won">won</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="it">it</span> – <span word="slap">slap</span> <span word="someone">someone</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="face">face</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="give">give</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="apple">apple</span> – <span word="but">but</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="point">point</span> <span word="here">here</span> <span word="is">is</span>, <span word="metaphorically">metaphorically</span>, <span word="if">if</span> <span word="someone">someone</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="something">something</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="described">described</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> “<span word="slap">slap</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="face">face</span>”, <span word="it">it</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="exactly">exactly</span> <span word="that">that</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="sharp">sharp</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="rude">rude</span>, <span word="disrespectful">disrespectful</span> <span word="rebuke">rebuke</span>.</p><p><span word="Any">Any</span> <span word="receiver">receiver</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="proverbial">proverbial</span> “<span word="slap">slap</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="face">face</span>”, <span word="needlessly">needlessly</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="say">say</span>, <span word="feels">feels</span> <span word="wounded">wounded</span>, <span word="embarrassed">embarrassed</span>, <span word="insulted">insulted</span>.</p>
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