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AIBU to have given an old lady a piece of my mind?

(168 Posts)

By Thu 02-Jul-09 18:30:43 Add message | Report | Contact poster

I was travelling on the bus today to meet up with some other mummies.

There were 3 buggies already on the bus when I spotted a lady with a pram trying to get on (I realised later it was actually a friend of mine - I'm a bit short-sighted!). The driver told her it was full so she thanked him and joined the back of the queue to wait for the next one.

The horrible old cow old lady sitting in front of me loudly said "I don't know why they can't just walk".

Well, I was not having that! Her comment was down right rude, thoughtless and unneccessary. So I gave her a piece of my mind!

I should add that when I got on the bus carrying DS in a sling and carrying 2 bags she hadn't moved her bag so I could sit down, despite it being a seat for "those less able to stand". (Perhaps I am being unreasonable there and her bag needed the seat more than woman carrying 3mo child and shopping??!)

I don't normally do this kind of thing but I just lost it. AIBU? Would you do the same?

Add message | Report | Contact poster By Sun 05-Jul-09 21:39:04

Hear, hear, onagar!

Add message | Report | Contact poster By Sun 05-Jul-09 19:30:10

LupusinaLlamasuit, I read the whole thread you patronising young person!!!

It's possible that a lot of people have understood the issues and still think this was a thread hijack by people with too much time on their hand. This and the gay lunchbox ffs.

Not everything is an ism or ist, but it seems to be a popular hobby these days (or maybe just on MN) to look for it everywhere.

I'd like a definition of 'old' too as I am in my fifties and I want to know if that entitles me to special treatment.

Add message | Report | Contact poster By Sun 05-Jul-09 14:20:43

I would still like a definition of 'old', to my DS 30 yrs is old! I would say that you have to be over 80yrs to be old- and by then people could make a few allowances.

Add message | Report | Contact poster By Sun 05-Jul-09 14:19:39

hocus: Do you really think that is funny? What is your way of getting through the day?

Add message | Report | Contact poster By Sun 05-Jul-09 14:17:03

But they're OLD. It's their way of getting through the day grin

Add message | Report | Contact poster By Sun 05-Jul-09 14:09:26

hocus -fair point but really how many times has a mean thug looking person said something like that? Very very rarely I would imagine,they are more likely to be helping you onto the bus IME!! I certainly have never had people says things apart from the exact type of person the op refers to. If people give their opinions then they should expect others to give theirs

Add message | Report | Contact poster By Sun 05-Jul-09 14:00:31

But why did you 'give her a piece of your mind'? Why the anger? If you had to say anything why not 'It's probably too far to walk that's why' and leave it there.

Would you have got responded in the same way if a large mean-looking thug type had said the same thing?

Add message | Report | Contact poster By Sun 05-Jul-09 13:06:55

The op used the term 'old lady' to replace 'horrible old cow' so it appears that the op wanted us to know what she really meant when she said 'old lady'. Seemed to be a bit sneery to me. But maybe I read too much into it.

What was the relevance of how old the lady was? Did we need to know? Or was it to have a go at older people generally?
Why weren't we treated to the age of the lady with the pram?
I do happen to think that mentioning that the lady was old was relevant. As other people have said sometimes it needs to be taken into account and sometimes allowances made for age. But not just to sneer at.

Add message | Report | Contact poster By Sun 05-Jul-09 12:59:00

onagar, if you read the whole thread, and some of the wider debate on ageism, you would realise that the use of old in the ways used is not just descriptive. Old is almost always used in context.

Age Concern/Help the Aged, the Open University and the SCIE Institute (google them) have some very good free resources on how extensive and pernicious ageism is in British culture.

Add message | Report | Contact poster By Sun 05-Jul-09 12:54:56

maltesers said joesmummy was supporting a friend, I was pointing out that she wasn't.

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AIBU to have given an old lady a piece of my mind?