Not sure if this is the right section, sincere apologies if not. But here's the thing, and it's going back a a couple of years now but it's really stayed with me and i wanted to try and make some sense of it.
I used to take my youngest to a toddler group, I never really liked those groups, hard to say why, but anyway this one was lovely - looked forward to taking her, she really loved it etc, they sang songs, did activities and whatnot.
One day I accidentally bumped into another child, a really gentle bump against my leg (it was a small room, lots of toddlers running around etc) and she was absolutely fine, just picked herself up etc but her dad reacted really oddly. Started talking really loudly to other people in the group about me and when I realised what was happening and tried to apologise he practically shook with rage, wouldn't look at me etc. He eventually told me through gritted teeth to go away/was obvious he didn't want to speak to me etc I tried to apologise again at the end of the class and he was just really poisonous, told me I should stop coming to the class etc and made a couple of personal comments. He was so angry, he practically spat at me. It only happened once but it really shook me, I forced myself to go to the sessions I'd paid for but didn't carry on after that because I found him so intimidating. He never spoke to me again, just smiled at me a couple of times, which I found really creepy. Just couldn't face seeing him there every week. I've always felt a bit sad that I stopped going to something that brought me and my youngest quite a lot of pleasure, and I still think about it quite a lot, and wonder about what he was like at home/in the rest of his life.
Just wondered if anyone else had experienced anything similar and what they'd made of it?
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One-off aggressive/abusive outburst from another parent - wanted to discuss, not sure if this is the right place?
notquitesureagain · 26/01/2015 11:03
I experienced something similar in a toy store. One toddler playing with the train-set. My toddler DS barges in and grabs the train. Cue lots of howling from first toddler, me telling DS to give the little girl the train back & play nicely before forcibly wrestling it off him the way you do.... 
First toddler's father (I'm assuming father) sweeps in like an avenging angel, all purple in the face, shouting and going on like it was some appalling crime rather than two tinies falling out over a toy.
I think I told him he was being a complete jerk. Sounds like your man was as well.
Sorry 
'If I'd have seen or overheard I'd have suggested he calmed himself down'
Thanks for your comments, folks - helpful (in a way ) to know that this stuff just does happen now and again, it did just feel very personal but as some of you have said, I guess it's just someone taking out their own rage about other stuff on a stranger. I think the context made it particularly alarming, came out of nowhere and was just such a contrast to the gentleness of the preschool group
Notsure, you said he didn't know you and made assumptions, well then look at it this way, he couldn't have been making personal comments, as he didn't know you and was making assumptions, based on his own nastyinternal thoughts.
Some men are total tools and unfortunately you bumped into an angry little tool.
His anger is problem not yours. He's probably divorced now 
Let it go, let it go!
If this bothers you anymore I think you need to get out a bit of paper and draw yourself and your DCs as circles,
and draw a circle on the edge of the paper for "shouty man", then cut around his circle and put it in the bin/ burn it - whatever feels best.
He's gone with his own issues, he's got nothing to do with you, (or any other stranger he vents his anger on.)
And breathe!
DropYourSword actually, I think Sakura's got a point - I haven't always been very good at small talk with other parents (just shyness/social awkwardness really, I've got better at it since then 
) and, from what he said, I think maybe he interpreted that non-engagement as me considering myself as a bit 'above it all' and wanted to bring me down a peg or two. It was all quite pointed.
Anyway, thanks for your posts, MN - I do appreciate it. Helps to 'talk' these things through sometimes.
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Sakura you post as if you were there
Op....we occasionally come across these disturbing individuals male ....female makes no difference. On reflection of this angry spat by him....I'm sure you were alarmed. I would have been.
I'd pity Mr Angry and not think about it much again.
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