Do you hate having ASD and wish you were neurotypical ?

No. I would like to be less anxious and have a better insight into the motivations of others, but having all my autistic traits removed - including the beneficial ones - does not appeal to me. It would change who I was in a fundamental way, and, as I am now, I think that I am one of the good guys.

It's easy for you to say that: you work in academia and you are free to "be yourself" as much as you want. Try that in a private job, you won't last a day.

I'm retired now. Before getting a job in academia I worked in two civil service jobs over two years (clerical assistant, then clerical officer grade). I can't say I enjoyed them very much, but I coped.

No security guards as such in my day, Sonny Jim.

You’re right that wouldn’t happen nowadays. If it was nowadays he wouldn’t have rolled you a cigarette he probably would have rolled you a joint instead. That seems to be the new thing nowadays lol. But sorry that happened to you, violence is never an acceptable way to behave in my opinion. 

wow!

but

licorice cigarette.

wow!

Martin said:

his was at the height of the Thatcherite cuts in the early to mid 1980s,

That was a bit before my time, grandpa. When I was there, I had the bank-style counters and flimsy chairs. Plus, there were always security guards stationed in the entrance. They ALWAYS arrived late, I wonder why.

Martin said:

Your scepticism does not trump my firsthand knowledge. When I started, the 'signing on' counters were open, before I finished they had bank-style plate glass partitioning.

I remember that happening in my local 'dole office'.

I was signing on 1980/81 (for the 1st time).

Martin said:

This was at the height of the Thatcherite cuts in the early to mid 1980s, there were a lot of frustrated and angry people - try listening to 'Ghost Town' by the Specials, it will give you some idea of how many people felt at the time.

I saw the Specials live singing that at the time.

Yes, people were angry and I wouldn't have liked to have been at the frontline as you were - I was on the other side in the queue.

My song of the time was UB40's 'one in ten'.

I loved that album which was stolen for me by a 'sort of' boyfriend.

I ceased saying I liked things in shops because he'd always turn up with it after, having stolen the item 

This was at the height of the Thatcherite cuts in the early to mid 1980s, there were a lot of frustrated and angry people - try listening to 'Ghost Town' by the Specials, it will give you some idea of how many people felt at the time.

Your scepticism does not trump my firsthand knowledge. When I started, the 'signing on' counters were open, before I finished they had bank-style plate glass partitioning. There was no money to steal, so I wonder why they were installed?

I have a friend who was in the army, he was twice in buildings that were blown up by the IRA - once a mortar attack the other a bomb - I rather think think that he was employed by the government. I also rather think that you would find some reason why he had a cushy number. 

Luckily, nothing that unpleasant happened to me. I had a cousin who was a probation officer and he had some 'interesting' encounters.

I remember the workers in the jobcentre acting all bossy and bullying the poor chaps that were down on their luck, especially the old and the frail. The same people became all sweet and caring when they were faced with burly construction workers or chavy ex-cons. I remember one of them bullying me because I had to go to an urgent hospital appointment, she was just pushing me around because she wanted an angry outburst and an excuse to sanction me. Every time I saw a chav kicking a workers teeth in, I silently cheered for the chav. I wonder if DWP makes an effort to recruit only sadistic bullies, or if they do specific training courses for the new hires.

I remember the workers in the jobcentre acting all bossy and bullying the poor chaps that were down on their luck, especially the old and the frail. The same people became all sweet and caring when they were faced with burly construction workers or chavy ex-cons. I remember one of them bullying me because I had to go to an urgent hospital appointment, she was just pushing me around because she wanted an angry outburst and an excuse to sanction me. Every time I saw a chav kicking a workers teeth in, I silently cheered for the chav. I wonder if DWP makes an effort to recruit only sadistic bullies, or if they do specific training courses for the new hires.