I was openly mocked in a pub- would you have said something?

[siven]

The other night I went to the pub to catch up with an old friend. The pub was quiet, and in the room we sat in there was only one other table. Two women.

Topic of conversation naturally came onto coronavirus and vaccines. I was saying how I was lucky to get my second dose just in time for travel, and my friend was saying that she feels more confident in going out. We are both in favour of getting them but agree that it should not be mandatory. My dad had a very serious hospital spell (blood clots) after his vaccine, and the doctors are pushing to make the link. Whether or not that’s what caused it, is by the by to this thread. I was telling my friend how my dad was ill, but is now thankfully better.

The two women on the table over, were evidently listening to every word I was saying. They’d both turned and were looking directly at us. So I looked back and made it clear that I knew they were listening in. I told my friend “oh seems we’re being listened to”.

The women looked away, and friend and I started talking about our kids.

Then I could hear the women speaking much louder than they were previously. Saying stuff like “oh don’t you hate these stupid anti vaxxers” “they always say that someone they know had a side effect” “everyone thinks they’re a better scientist than the experts” blah blah. Evidently taking the p*ss out of us. I was furious because I think none of the above. I also hate the superiority they think they have over others that may have legitimate concerns.

I drank up and left, as I was quite upset by this. I’m angry at myself that I didn’t confront them.

It's not worth a row.
I've decided covid belongs with politics and sport so to be avoided as topics.

So they were clearly upset by your conversation. You were upset by theirs. Sounds like you were both best off ignoring and avoiding each other.

If they really had nothing better to discuss than what a stranger in a pub was talking about then you did the right thing to ignore them.

I would be annoyed by that- I was annoyed reading your OP.
None of their business what 2 strangers in a pub are doing with their lives. Bore off!

@Potteringshed

So they were clearly upset by your conversation. You were upset by theirs. Sounds like you were both best off ignoring and avoiding each other.

The other people seem to have been annoyed by a half heard or half comprehended conversation which was none of their business.

Annoying, OP, but not worth getting bent out of shape by it.

That does sound annoying but it's done now. Let it go, they mean nothing to you. Don't give them another thought, it'll cause you unnecessary stress.

Whatever your view on your conversation (which sounded perfectly reasonable to me - both things can be true; vaccinations are important and A Good Thing, and your dad got sick after having his), there's no need for them to start a passive aggressive row with you. Really annoying. They were being drunk and unnecessarily bitchy. But maybe your "it seems we are being listened to" was a bit PA too.

So you were annoyed they were listening to you and then went in to listen to them?

I think you were quite rude and I'm not surprised they "reltaliated". If you're talking in a public place of course people will hear.

It sounds like you were a bit rude with the comment you made or am I misunderstanding this?
You thought they were looking at you so accused them of listening in, which from what they said afterwards seems like they weren’t actually listening to you.
I always find it a bit of a bullying tactic when people do something like what you did when they happen to make eye contact with someone. You must have been looking at them to know they were looking over at you. If you don’t want people to hear what you are saying then don’t talk in public. But it seems like you started it.

@LegendaryReady yes!

I don't understand why they would call you anti vaxxers when you were talking about both having had the vaccine though

Bizarre. You were talking about having the vaccine so they were talking about you being anti vaxxers? They looked at you so you made a passive aggressive comment ?

Then you drank up and left over a complete non event ? Sorry I know this sounds harsh but this is one of the many threads on here where barely anything happened in the situation at all. Sounds like you are making a drama over nothing in your head.

You were passive aggressive and that triggered them to act like dicks. They are dicks but you can't really get upset about people over hearing your conversation in a quiet pub. its clear they weren't listening to all of it as they missed the bit where you said you were vaccinated.

It sounds as if you were talking too loudly in the first place. That was why they were staring. When you saw them looking you should've just smiled and looked away. As it was, your comment upped the ante. But this situation would've spoilt my evening too. Next time, keep your voices down a bit. :)

When you noticed they were eavesdropping you should have moved your chair so your back was to them - I’ve done that before. I wouldn’t have commented.

But they were out of order, nosey parkers with no conversation of their own so they listen in to other people. Sad really.

A similar thing happened to me in a pub OP, except our chat was very pro-vaccine. The woman next to us got up to leave and fired a comment over to us - but because she was masked (still masking when moving around bars in Scotland) we couldn't actually hear what she said. Which then led to lots of super-polite 'pardons' until she flounced off.

Anyway. Don't let it worry you. Eavesdropping is rude. They were rude.

You were speaking loudly enough for them to hear. They were speaking loudly enough for you to hear. You were PA with the comment about being listened to (don't talk in public if you don't want to be listened to - it's not like they were standing right behind you in order to hear better).

So basically you were sat near two die hard vaccine evangelists MNers.

They were rude and need to get a life, how boring their conversation must have been to get involved in yours.

But you are not an anti vaxer. Not relevant to you. You were right not to confront them. I think the old "it seems we are being listened to" was a bit OTT. Just go out and enjoy your evening. No need for you, or them, to be out spoiling for a fight. I am sure you all went home raging. What is the point in that?

I’d have changed the conversation to dildos, rather than kids. Preferred size, colour, texture. That kind of thing.

If anyone is going to leave the pub, it won’t be me. Plus, it makes a pleasant change for everyone after 18 months of Covid eavesdropping.

You accused them of listening, they accuse you of being antivaxxer. The fact they accused you of being anti vax kind of proves that they were not listening in.

Frankly OP it sounds like you started it.

Having confrontations with strangers in the pub, especially over something as prone to get heated as COVID etc, whether they misheard you or not, is not winning at life. You might still be irked, by walking away was the only sensible thing to do. Do what many on here seem to do, if it helps, have an imaginary confrontation with them. Only don't come back and tell us.

You started it with your snide remark.

Then you listened to their conversation afterwards.

Just ignore people in future.

Anyway. Don't let it worry you. Eavesdropping is rude. They were rude.

We went out for a meal recently and even with tables being distanced, we had no choice but to hear the conversations of the two other tables in the place. For some reason, people got a whole lot louder than the last time we were out for a meal at this place.