He's not Harmless, He's a Twat...

You're not funny, you're not harmless,
you're not a 'character', you're a twat

Have you ever heard someone described as harmless? Ever been venting your anger at someone over something someone else did or said to you, only to have your view dismissed in the two words, "he's harmless"?
I've noticed that there are a small percentage of the population, that while complete and utter toss pots, get away with things because people see them as harmless. I think it has alot to do with pity. Picture the people in your mind that you have heard described as harmless. Got them? Right, do you think they are described as harmless because they have some reason for people to pity them? I know the 4 or 5 in my head do. Be it a drink problem developed because of some family bereavement, or the fact that they are a bit simple but regularly put people down with scathing and biting comments, or people that intentionally go behind your back on something but get away with it because they are "so nice usually".

Let me describe the people to you that inspired me to write this article, and afterwards you can decide wether these people are harmless or just twats. They drink in the same local pub as me, two mates, ones Irish, ones English, lets call them Paddy and George...


Paddy and George are mid 20's and have been barred from a few pubs in the area, for being irritating drunkards, to say the least. They are the sort of people that will come in to the pub early afternoon, already half cut, and drink shots until they are sick, and then continue to drink shots until the pub shuts.
They're the sort of people that drink shots from opening to closing on a sunday.

Endless Jagerbombs, a favourite
of Paddy and George

They're the sort of people that will sit either side of a man on his own, who doesn't speak English very well, who has just come in for a quiet drink with himself, and continuously take the piss out of him and wind him up. Right up until some one else in the pub is so disgusted with the things they are saying that they jump in and tell Paddy and George to leave the man alone. 
They're the sort of people that will interrupt my conversation and tap me on the back continuously for 20 minutes, asking me what's wrong, because they think they're funny. And after 20 minutes of being tapped on the back, when I turn round to tell them to f-off or else, they're the sort of people that will do it one more time, just to see the reaction.... and then get the hump when I push them away.
They're also the sort of people to leave the pub late at night, but be so drunk that they leave their wallet behind, and then come all the way back from the pub, only to find it locked, and then attempt to climb into the pub over sheet plastic covering to the beer garden, fall through and break a table underneath.

Now, do these people sound harmless or do they sound like twats who are best avoided?
Do you take pity on someone for whatever reason and dismiss their actions as harmless? You shouldn't. Pity is not an excuse for the rest of the world to put up with their behaviour.