"One report said that since my time on the run I've had 2,500 girlfriends. I mean you got to realize, I've been on the run for more than 30 years, I have got to have had more than that!"
- Ronald Biggs
About this Quote
This quote by Ronald Biggs, the infamous British criminal understood for his role in the Great Train Burglary of 1963, can be unloaded on several levels, providing insight into both his character and the situations of his life.
Initially, there is an undeniable note of bravado in Biggs' statement. By referencing the report that claims he had 2,500 girlfriends throughout his time on the run, Biggs seems to be engaging in a sort of tongue-in-cheek bragging. For him to state, "I have actually got to have actually had more than that," suggests that he is entertained by or maybe dismissive of the exaggerations that have actually surrounded his personality over decades. It shows a type of lively defiance, consistent with his larger-than-life public image. Biggs has actually long been painted as an anti-hero, someone who managed to reside on his terms regardless of the legal system's efforts to contain him, and this quote enhances that folklore.
Additionally, his declaration touches upon the sheer length of his time as a fugitive-- over 30 years, most of which he spent in Brazil, where he ended up being something of a folk figure. By extending the underlying numerical jest about his romantic experiences, Biggs may be highlighting the level of his life in hiding, drawing attention to the years passing not just in punishment but in individual experiences, even more capturing public imagination.
There's also an element of self-awareness. By acknowledging and then pumping up the claim, Biggs demonstrates an understanding of how stories about him have actually been sensationalized in the media. This exaggeration-- and his own exaggeration of it-- might reflect how he sees the gap in between his true experiences and the legend that formed around his life.
Eventually, this quote not just serves as a window into Biggs' personality but likewise highlights his unique location in pop culture as a celebrated hooligan. It shows the complexities of how he accepted his credibility, utilizing humor and embellishment to browse the story that surrounded him.
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