Today I was harassed by a homeless person. AIBU?

The fellow human I would be relying on in that situation would be my husband, not a random woman in the queue.

The OP's husband was staring the whole time, yet she never beckoned to him and he didn't come to her aid, even though he could see her expression had changed.

Yes he should have stepped up first and foremost, but he didn’t.

You’re entitled to your stance. Would it be the same if you had a daughter who was being harassed, or would you hope that strangers might step in and help?

People didn’t step in because the behaviour was so strange that they can’t place it. That’s normal really, it’s why people struggle to deal with ie delusional people doing strange things.

this person clearly isn’t mentally healthy. I think that negates the whole premise of you being reasonable or unreasonable. It was just a horrible experience.

No one else is 'responsible' for anyone's situations though. We just hope fellow humans can be kind to each other once in a while.. evidently unheard of on this thread!

I wouldn't be getting myself involved with a person like this for those exact reasons, so unfortunately I wouldn't be getting involved with your situation either. Too many crazy people about these days

Exactly, you put yourself in a situation where most people would have used some common sense here and walked away.

I don’t understand how you were so scared to say anything, yet went insisting a few times to be served first? Surelu the person would have heard that? Doesn’t make sense. And why on earth would anyone step in, you were the one who brought this person in when most people would not have.

A frightened woman whose husband was standing by? I would not involve myself - she had her husband. Wouldn’t be by problem that he was gormless but I’ve got kids and am a single parent, I’m not putting at risk because some woman willingly walked off with a stranger, and then continued to stay with them while her husband was standing a few feet away. She had plenty of options that didn’t involve expecting to be rescued by a stranger.

Sad to say this, but we are living in an increasingly lawless society. Homeless/Addicts regularly walk into shops and shop lift while everyone stands by and watches, afraid to intervene. This is another example of that.
I can understand why you feel someone could have helped, but what could they have done and would it have improved the outcome? It probably would have escalated the situation as it sounds like this person was being very abusive. When you're afraid you also freeze up and don't always think rationally so I understand why you felt trapped.
I now dontate to charities like Crisis rather than give in person.

You should have just said no in the first place, you created the situation then expect other people to get involved with a potentially aggressive/ violent person. I wouldn’t have done anything either, I’d have probably left the shop tbh.
My DH usually speaks up in this kind of situation but he’s a big 6ft guy and isn’t easily intimidated.

You could have walked back to your husband. Your husband could have been more proactive. I don't think anyone else around was responsible for the situation.

I don't think so OP, you're getting a weird response so far, you were in a really horrible situation and no one helped, wasnt there a security guard? I hope you are ok, just write it off as an unlucky experience with a nutter 😊

What did you want people to do?

The staff likely had the till already primed with other people's orders so no, they couldn't let you skip ahead and pay before previous bills.

You've learnt a lesson, you've not been hurt, calm down, tomorrow is a new day.

Fucking hell some of these replies are vile and highlight everything that’s wrong with society.

You didn’t go out seeking to buy him a drink, he asked and you did a kind thing by saying yes. You did nothing wrong here.

Would you really all turn a blind eye if you saw a frightened woman being harassed by a man? It only takes one person to pretend to know the OP and just start chatting to help diffuse a situation. Nobody had to go in all guns blazing.

I appreciate your fear but next time say to the cashier very loudly and clearly. I feel very unsafe please can you protect me and remove this individual or just simply walk away quickly saying ‘no I’m phoning the police’ when my daughter was 11/12 the private school bus arrived in the horrible local city bus station and awful people hanging around. There was a Greggs and if for some reason the school bus arrived early it was normally arrive 5pm ish but sometimes a bit earlier they had permission from the Greggs staff to wait inside and not have to buy anything. However despite staff watching etc she was harassed a couple of times slimy men asking to buy her a drink etc and she was always with friends (the 3 of them got a lift back to our town via a parent rota) and were never alone and staff stepped in quickly. My daughter and her friends found it best to shout for help as it they knew the staff eg ‘Katy can we have help’ whilst one of them got a phone out and filmed (always a him) and another one told him ‘move away now or we phone the police’ in about 3 years aged 11-14. Your option should of been you shout ‘no stay away I’m phoning the police now and run to your husband’ or wait with the staff.

I do not give money or buy drinks any more - sad really but I don’t. I donate to charity instead.

My husband could tell by my face that something had changed and walked closer, between where we were and where my kids were.

Well he should've come straight over then shouldn't he, while you walked off with the kids.

Hell would freeze over before my husband stood there watching it all play out.

I’m all for helping a lone woman who is being harassed, but you engaged in conversation, walked with them to the queue and stayed with them. Then suddenly started demanding to pay immediately… so again, staying with them and helping them. When you should have just walked back to your husband and left the shop. You weren’t a lone woman being harassed while trying to ignore the person. I wouldn’t step in in your situation because, as a lone woman, I wouldn’t want his attention on me. You had your husband with you. You willingly engaged and walked away with this person.

Im sorry this happened to you. People like that are very good at spotting the "nice" person in a group, who will be kind and help them even when it becomes clear that they are severely unwell. You tried to do a good thing and it backfired on you, but noone was hurt and next time you either wont help or will be a bit more robust in your response to them.

I do think it was a bit pathetic that NOONE in the queue stepped up to help, but as PP said, everyone probably thought you were together.

I am sorry this happened to you, but if I had witnessed this I am not sure I would have understood the issue and would not have known what I could do to help. You can’t expect people to read your mind. Maybe you could have just walked away, with hindsight.

Its understandable if you were shaken up, but it would probably be more helpful for you to think about how you could handle the whole thing differently if something similar happens again instead of thinking that other people should do it for you.

Call him over? Wave at him? You said he could see you were afraid. You can't expect another women to do what you are afraid to do yourself. It was a nice thing to do, but it was your choice to do it. You can't be disappointed that others won't put themselves in danger (especially another women who was uncomfortable and scared) because of the decision you've made. Realistically, you could have walked away.

Thats again on you and your naivety. Most people say no and walk away. You got yourself into it, and should have just walked away as soon as they started being aggressive or weird.

Get a grip OP. Why on earth did you carry on getting him a drink, homeless or not you dont have to if someone's being horrid to you. Your dh was there, you were in a populated shop, what did you imagine was going to happen?

You got yourself into the situation and chose to stay instead of just walking away. Why would anyone else step in? There were two of you, you weren’t alone. Stop being so dramatic.