I would like to officially add this word to the dictionary as a verb please.

I ‘Oi’

You ‘Oi’

He/She ‘Ois’

You get the idea. You might be wondering what on Earth I am talking about so allow me to explain.

Last night I was taking some bottles down to the one place we can recycle them without having to go to the dump. I got out of the car and took my bag over to the line up of bins that are provided. I did notice a car had stopped just in front of the bins but the driver hadn’t gotten out yet.

I looked at the 3 bins which faced me and saw all were full, to the point people had lined up bottles of all shapes and sizes in front of the bins also. Some bagged, some boxed. There was one bin turn sideways which I assumed was ‘out of action’ so I walked back to my car.

As I turned away, I noticed the driver of the car which had stopped in front of the bins (there were parking spaces available but that might have meant an extra 15 steps). The hairy individual was wearing white wireless head-phones which to my untrained ears, seemed a bit inappropriate for driving but what do I know?

As I reached my car (I don’t mind 15 steps), I heard a very loud ‘Oi’ ring throughout the land. Puzzled and perhaps a little startled, I turned around to see which direction such a noise could have materialised from. It was the head-phoned Wookie, who was looking right at me then gestured at the sideways bin and said, “There’s room in this one”.

Well, to say I was a little taken aback would be an understatement so I cautiously approached, walking slowly so as not to startle the wildlife. I got to the bin and saw I was not tall enough to reach the same slot as the Wookie who was happily chucking his glassy items in. I admit I was relieved not to have to fight for the same opening. I walked around to the other side and found I could reach that more easily. I too started throwing in my glass rejects.

Then with a chirpy, “That does the job”, the Wookie strode off back to his car, head-phones and all.

As I walked back to my car, I couldn’t help but think, “I’ve just been Oi-ed”: “Oi”? Not “Excuse me” or “Hello?”. Oi.

The Wookie certainly looked old enough to know what manners were – and he was driving, but to him “Oi” was an acceptable way of attracting someone’s attention in an otherwise empty car park – 15 steps away. I couldn’t help thinking, “Surely I’m worth more than on ‘oi’”?

Apparently not!