To get wound up by random men making stupid, rude comments when I’m visibly struggling in public?

@Charlottian
I get this sort of thing riding my mountain bike.
I was enjoying an adrenaline rush up a very steep hill.
Random middle aged man stood there as my unsolicited cheerleader, applauding and shouting "Go on luv!, you're doing so well! "
Twat.

I’m so sorry that you experienced that upsetting and bizarre behaviour. What is wrong with men? And it is getting worse. Like some glitch in their brain.

I have a very crooked middle finger and use it often. Stupid men don't get the joke.

I was driving/parking our c'van on a pitch at a Club site: Three old (well over 70s) men were sitting together watching and then clapped and said well done when I had put it correctly on the pitch. DH was doing other stuff around the c'van.

So, I walked over and asked each of them what was the largest vehicle they had ever driven. All three replied about a large car and c'van. I informed them that I had driven a 55ton Chieftain Tank (albeit on an experience day but I wasn't going to tell them that).

No further comments were made.

I've had this often. I have 360 cameras which is the reason why I can park well, but how many times have I had men waving, shouting, appearing behind my car to direct me, and persisting even though I've said no thanks I don't need help. One said to me do you know how close you were to that wall. Yes I fucking do because I deliberately drove my car there and knew exactly what I was doing.

I used to have a St Bernard dog. His breeder had sadly given him up when he was no good for the show ring so he was an adult when we got him and beautifully trained on the lead.

To be fair, I suppose we did look rather comical together as he was enormous and I am small (5'0" in thick socks) but you would not believe how many times men - always men - felt the need to shout to me "Who's taking who for a walk?" I always used to reply "Huh? How do you mean?" and they'd just repeat it, so I'd say "No, sorry, I still don't get it " and if they said it again I'd say "Well, I'm taking him for a walk, obviously, because he's a dog and I'm a person" with a puzzled look on my face. It was tremendous watching them looking more and more awkward 😁. I hoped they'd think again in future before shouting their inane comments at anyone else.

Miss my big lad 💔

I worked behind a bar at a wedding during Covid - at the stage where we were getting back to normal but with restrictions. I was using hand sanitizer in between serving customers. Some twat saw me using the hand sanitizer and said “That stuff doesn’t work you know, don’t bother with it.”

I just ignored him but I wish I’d told him I’m not just looking to avoid Covid but that generally it is wise to practise hand hygiene when serving him and his beloved family with beverages in a global pandemic, and also that Covid isn’t the only virus that exists. Absolute braindead moron

I agree and would have complained too. I won’t just let it go nowadays if I can make a complaint.

I know it’s not in good taste but I would have been tempted to tell him I’d jus been told I had a month to live, so he has upset me very much with his comment. Maybe (or maybe not) he would have realised what an utter arsehole he is.

I complain when I can, I’m too old for this bullshit now

taxi driver called me a ginger minger then miserable when I wouldn’t laugh along. Complained
builders on a retail park shouting vile stuff at teenage girls. Big sign with their company name. Complained
NHS white van tailgating me every morning in a 30 zone, did an overtake on the brow of a hill and nearly wiped someone out. Complained

@Nogimachi Sadly I think 11/12 is when girls start getting unwanted attention from men. I wanted to scream “she’s a fucking child” at them when it happened to my daughter.

I suggest you stare him in the face and say "Would you have said that to me if I was a man?"
This happened to me in my early 20s. Stupid man rushed out of his NCP parking kiosk to congratulate me in my parking. Knobhead

I used to get random men "guiding" me into spaces when I was in uniform and driving a postal van!

When a random bloke said this to me in identical circumstances. I replied “fuck off, it already has!”

Prick

Who cares what you think, random man .... Is the correct response.

grim, the thing about it is if you'd been walking with your husband rather than your daughter they'd probably have said nothing at all .........

I’ve reached an age where I can peer over the top of my glasses and say with schoolmistressy authority ‘Oh, do grow up”.

Reminds me of years ago when I was in my early 20s and walking down the street and a guy said cheer up it might never happen. That old classic. I stopped and gave him an earful about how me and by boyfriend had just broken up and I had the right to be miserable - not that I even felt I was, I just had a normal ‘walking down the street concentrating on my step’ face.
He looked shocked and didn’t know what to do with himself 😅

This seems an awful lot like the sort of thing a twat who says unfunny shit to random strangers, and is then offended when the strangers in question don't laugh, would say.

Maybe the heat brings these dickheads out??!

My daughter had a pony when she was little that was perfect in every way except he only liked to hack out in company. If she tried to hack him alone he would spin around to follow someone, any one, home along the bridlepath. So when she was at school I was riding him and trying to give him a bit of confidence. One day we were on the path and a the local RDA group, who were stabled at our yard, were coming past with ponies, riders and helpers, and the pony immediately tried to spin to follow them home. I kept him spinning until he was facing away from home and he planted, so I just sat there, not causing a row but also refusing to let him turn his head for home. I knew if I pushed it with him, he would get scared and then a battle would be on my hands, which I wanted to avoid. I was trying to make it a pleasant experience for him and keep us both safe. I am to old to bounce when I hit the ground!

Simple enough, right? Except a male helper decided to come over and 'help'. I told him to leave the pony alone, but he insisted on walking behind him and then trying to PUSH him down the bridle path! Pony threw his head up but couldn't spin as he was boxed in by small children on ponies on one side and a hedgerow on the other and he was starting to panic. I told this guy three fucking times to take his hands off and go away and in the end, I let the pony spin to face him as the ride got past, lift my dressage whip and tell him where I was going to stick it if he didn't back off.

He then had the cheek to complain about me to the yard manager for being rude! He was "only trying to help", despite knowing fuck all about horses. I bet he wouldn't have taken any responsibility if anyone had been hurt.

You’re absolutely right. So disrespectful. And even if I’d been young, attractive, revealingly dressed, out with the girls, completely unacceptable. As an older mum wearing a pair of old jeans and no makeup and walking with her child - have they no shame?

That's horrible.

I've had a lot of street harassment in my life, but not this. In my experience, strange men have usually been very helpful when I've been struggling with something. I've always been quite plain so it's not pretty privilege.

God, they’re everywhere at the moment! Stupid twats!

I used to do the whole stoic stare / completely ignore them routine but since hitting menopause I find a nice, loud 'Fuck off' invariably ends the situation and makes me feel better.

tbh in the bread situation I probably would have made a jokey comeback - I personally don't mind engaging if it is not rude or condescending however I agree with other posters - it's never other men they engage with is it?