"I am currently living in the USA, not Britain , but I had a sort of
encounter a few days ago. In a Taco Bell parking lot, I saw a group of four
thuggish-looking teen age boys standing and smoking and just acting a bit
loud and raucous. I would have just ignored then, but I saw one was wearing
a black t-shirt with a big, white khanda. He and one other of the boys had
what appeared to be big, heavy, macho-looking karas. No turbans or patkas,
though, and nary a beard among them.

I put on my best "Aunty Khalsa" attitude, walked over to them and, never
raising my voice, suggested that if they wanted to smoke that is their
business, but if they are identifying themselves as Sikhs, it becomes my
business. I insisted that the one either remove his t-shirt (it's winter
here and a bit cold) and both their karas or get rid of the cigarettes. The
other two, who I think were not Sikhs, were just looking on in some sort of
astonishment. I guess they didn't expect a short, fat grandma/aunty sort to
challenge them. They all put out their cigarettes; I insisted they wrap up
the butts and dispose of them properly. Then I insisted they take out their
packs and break each cigarette one by one. "Yes, Khalsa ji. You're right,
Khalsa ji." The one with the t-shirt even took out a second pack and broke
them, too. Someone must have been protecting me because not only did they,
but so did the other two, as well. I smiled as sweetly as I could (my face
is a bit crooked and a sweet smile can look like a sneer). As I walked off,
I heard one of them say, explaining to the other two, I guess, "She is a
Khalsa. You just don't mess with Khalsas."

Not that I suggest this approach; they could have easily pulled guns and
killed me."

Mai Harinder Kaur
Puget Sound, USA