The Living Dead at Teatime

Last week I saw a newspaper a feature article about what they used to call legal highs.

I've seen hundreds  of people high on legal highs and I did not recognise what they were talking about.

The article was effectively talking about a kind of street zombies. It had photographs of men leaning over,  stood still on busy streets in he middle of the pavement with stooped shoulders. 

I didn't recognise this manifestation of the epidemic.

I've interviewed hundreds of people on Spice, Doom,  Pandora's Box etc and I have seen hundreds of people drunk on alcohol both professionally and in the mirror. But I didn't recognise this description.

Until today.

I live in a heavily studented area and at 5pm on a beautifully still and sunny day on my local shopping street was that exact picture. A young man, leaning forward, stooped shoulders, stationary but for a mild stagger an inch forward an inch backwards. 

Not drunk. Not quite. We've all seen drunks. They are more animated. Less, well less zombie-like. 

Somebody walked past him minding his own business. Just as he passed the body animated and shouted. "Fuck Off Dickhead".

And then he as quickly he returned to standby zombie mode again.

I watched him for the next few minutes. 

Before he lurched off.

Like a walking dead.

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