The other evening a group of four of us left work at the same time and crossing the road outside, passed by a poorly parked car. When I say poor, I mean it was bad. When I say bad, I mean awful. Appalling in fact. The front wheel was maybe a foot and a half from the kerb, whilst the back had to be at least three. It amazed me that it had sat there on the busy roadside and remained in one piece, but I digress.

In order to set the scene maybe I need to explain who was in the group. Out of the four of us, we contained (in no particular order):-

2 Males
2 Females (go figure...)
2 Heterosexuals (At least)
1 Homosexual (maybe one more)
1 Sexual Unknown (they probably know, but I don't, and if I seem to be obsessing with labels here, hang on in - it might make sense later. Maybe)
3 White
1 Afro-Caribbean
2 Atheists (Minimum)
2 Religious beliefs Unknown

So that's the scene - Just the 16 of us, and perhaps an owl hooting in the light of the full moon. Fill in the details yourself, if you can be bothered - I can't. By the way, I'm the one at the back wearing combats, Doc Martins; white, straight atheist male. Overall, quite a diverse group for only four random work colleagues.

Anyhow, as we passed this car one person (J- black and female) stated jokingly,

J
Bet that was parked by a bloke!

A few seconds of thought later I felt compelled to remark that this was a rather sexist thing to say. She answered that it was true.

ME
But it's sexist! It's playing to a prejudice! How 'bout if I'd said - Bet that was parked by a black!

(Too far? Probably. OK, definitely. But that was the point.) Gasps from all round, and general disbelief that I could say such a thing. But, never one to back down, I continue:-

ME
Ok. What about - Bet that was parked by a Christian?

ALL
(Except Atheist, who was trying not to laugh)
YOU CAN'T SAY THAT!

YOU CAN’T SAY THAT! You can't say that? Why? Clearly, in today's über-politically correct society you cannot state (certain) opinions about (certain) groups without coming across as a prejudiced bigot.

I personally would have been offended if I’d overheard someone making a comment similar to the “black” version above (I had to find J the next day and ask her whether I had offended her as I could not sleep that night for worry that I had done so). I would have been similarly offended if “black” were to be replaced by “gay”, “Jew” or “Muslim”. In fact, I was going to say Muslim when I was asking the Christian version, but even I faltered at that one after all the recent uproar over something as trivial (to me) as a whether someone can or cannot wear a veil. However, I think that I would be hard pressed to find someone would honestly, truly, be offended by the original “bloke” version.

Of course, if the gender roles had been reversed to a guy making a comment about the driving skills of a girl we would be straight back into causing offence territory…

(Even my computer is telling me that the previous paragraph is politically incorrect – it wants me to change the word guy to person! Interestingly though it has no similar problem with girl…)

It would seem that something fundamental is happening to the values that we can hold and express.