Tuesday, April 13, 2010

When Tiffany Stops Being Polite...and Starts Being REAL

Place: Monday afternoon, the grocery store...

I went into the grocery store to get a few items for potato soup (yes, even when the temp was 77 degrees outside). I went to the U-Scan to check out. I am talking on my cell phone, but then again, who isn't these days?

I HATE going to the grocery store, and HH does most of our grocery store shopping. I am VERY fast at grocery shopping (when I was a nanny I could whirl through the store and have $200 worth of groceries at the register in fifteen minutes). I am not too shabby at the U-Scan. The woman behind me proceeds to loudly curse me out, telling me to get off my "f-in" phone" and check out, and how "f-in" rude I am, etc. She finally goes to the station in front of me, still ranting. At this point, even the security guard has noticed, and is watching to see if the situation gets elevated.

As I was walking by her, and she was still checking out, I said, "Well it appears I was still able to finish checking out before you." To which she let out some more vulgar names for me.

I'd hate to come home to HER! Her poor kids....her poor husband.

3 comments:

JLI said...

Sometimes the best response to a situation like that is silence or even better, "Have a nice day!" and a smile and walking away.

You don't know a person's situation, if there is something going on that's causing them to react that way. One flickering moment isn't enough to give you a glimpse into the heart of the person, although first impressions are usually lasting ones.

At least your response wasn't crude or vulgar. It's hard to remember in those moments, but I try to speak a prayer for that person when I encounter them. And for myself, that I don't act like them.

Missie said...

I had a woman treat me the same way once because I was on my phone. I politely looked at her and said, I'm sorry, I can't hear you, I'm on my phone. OMG! I swear to you her face turned so red from anger. I just laughed. It did shut her up though! LOL

Ice Queen said...

People in glass houses...

It is amazing that those who scream loudest about others being rude are often much worse.

You handled it well, tho.

I wonder if I would have been as classy. *evil grin*