Reaction to you Wearing a Kilt

[Jock Scot]

I am not a resident of Glasgow and never have been, so whilst Glasgow does have a considerable reputation of being a tough City, confirmed only very recently by a gang fight in, I think the Ibrox area, where a considerable police presence was required to quell the riot, as were the ambulance service who had to deal with multiple stab wounds etc.. I have had and still do have the need to visit the city on occasion on business and the parts that I need to visit are probably as safe as any other city in business hours.

I have worn the kilt to Glasgow in my youth and the reception that I received from the locals on many an occasion, young and old, was far from pleasant and more than a little threatening. So much so that I would not wear the kilt in that City on business and frankly they would think that I was a complete idiot for doing so. Not from a danger point of view, but they would think my kilt attire was completely un-business like. Who wants to look like "Johny Hayseed" ------think of the Clampit family(you may need to be quite old to remember it) in the TV series "the Beverly Hill Billies"------- when discussing serious business and legal matters? Who wants small talk at the price those chaps charge for their time, not me!

So the football supporters reputation, the night life reputation, tough shipyard(even if there aren't any these days) reputation, gangland reputation, etc., still exists and the crime figures back up that reputation. Does that reputation cover the whole city, or just parts of it ? I cannot say. What I can say, robust conversations are common place at any time of day throughout the City and it matters not who you are, or where you are from, so one thing can lead to another................For me, I just don't need the hassle.