People are strange

I had an experience last week that I really want to share. 

I was out in a park inline skating, when I decided to sit for a moment and enjoy the view. The weather was great and really sunny, which made everything look very bright and colourful. I decided to sit on a bench that looked straight to a lake and the path behind it. I was observing the people that were walking, jogging or just hunging out in the park, when two women wearing burkas came and sat to the bench next to the one I was sitting. I wanted to go talk to them, ask about their calture and find out their opinion on living the way they do, but I hesitated, because I thought they wouldn't be willing to talk to me.

While I was sitting there trying to find the courage to go ask them all those things I had in mind, I noticed an old couple that was walking towards where we were sitting. The woman saw the inline skates on my feet, smiled at me and wished me a nice evening. The old man stared at me with a strict look on his face, then pointed his finger to the women that were wearing the burkas and loudly asked if I was sitting with them. Of course they heard him and looked at us. When I awkwardly said "no", he looked at the sky and said "Thank God!". I didn't hesitate to ask him, why he said that. His response wasn't very clear. He just said "I can't understand that. I mean the things they wear. I just don't get it.". I politely told him that it is because of their calture and that he should respect that. Now the old man obviously annoyed by my response angrily said "I told you that I just don't get it." and left.

I felt embarassed and disappointed. He could have said it in a kind way, but he chose to be rude. After a while I got up to continue inline skating and I couldn't get what just happened out of my head. I wasn't sure if he was just being rude or racist. Either way, he shouldn't have reacted this way. Even if he was being racist, I respect his beliefs, I just don't respect the way he expressed them.