To tell this lady to bend down and get it herself?

[WimpleOfTheBallet]

I'm genuinely not sure...I was in the local CoOp looking for some cake decorations...standing right up against the shelf as the aisles are very narrow...and people were walking past now and then.

A woman came along, pointed to something on the very bottom shelf by my feet...(I was obstructing her from getting it) and said "Can you pass me one of those."

No please either.

She said "Can you pass me one of those" in a very off-hand way. I was a bit because isn't it usual to ask someone to move so you can get it yourself?

If I had been squatting down and was right beside the item then fair enough...or if she was old then fine...but she was a couple of years older than me (38) and looked as fit as a fiddle so I moved and said "No, but I'll move so you can get it."

And she looked at me like I was a freak!

Am I?

I fully accept your verdict because I AM a freak in many ways. Plus I have scoliosis which is painful but didn't feel the need to explain that to a stranger who was ordering me about.

I think it's rude to ask someone to bend down and get something though...not to pass something which is nearby.

I mean what's wrong with saying "Excuse me I need a can of shitty-manners-beans and you're in the way"

I just think it's odd - you'd just say "Sorry can i get to the beans please" -

I'd never dream of asking someone to get something unless - a)I couldn't reach it myself nad they were taller or b) was incapable - like now being heavily pregnant - and even then - if i asked someone to bend and get it i'd check they looked fit and explain why - i.e. cos i'm pregnant and crap at bending!

but no excuse not for a "please"

not rude to ask, very rude to not use any manners while asking..

I would have been tempted to say "whats the magic word?"

A man got very indignant with me in the Co-op the other day when I couldn't tell him where the blancmange was. Who buys blancmange?

I often get asked to get things down from top shelves for little old ladies (I'm quite tall) - I don't mind.

MadamDeathStare LOL at the pleasure you felt at being taken for a Harrods person! I would be pleased enough if someone thought I worked in topshop!

OP YANBU

She was rude, but I tend to think one should meet rudeness with civility because it generally makes the world a nicer place, so I would have passed it to her with a smile.

mitochondria I buy blancmange, it's an easy pud and my DH gets sulky if I make him go without pudding too often!

I often ask tall people to get me things but I give them a smile and say please (and I am only 5ft tall so they are usually happy to help!).

I think it the situation in the OP is wierd and I would have politely asked you to move in that situation rather than get an item for me. However if I had been you I would probably have got her the item without tnking about it and only thought afterwards 'hang on that lady was a bit rude and didn't even say please!'

I was in the Co-Op not that long ago to buy some stuff to make a cake and was standing in the baking aisle looking at the cake decorations and looking for vanilla extract and a couple of other things, when a guy (I think from the local Chinese take away, though not 100% sure) came in was and started piling packets of plain flour into his trolley. I turned to him and light heartedly said, 'you're not taking all of it are you?' and smiled at him (I had a basket full of baking stuff and obviously wanted some of it). He just looked at me, replied 'yes' carried on filling his trolley and then went off with the entire shelf full of plain flour! I was so gobsmacked I just stood there and watched him go with my mouth gaping

wonder what he planned to do with it??

Partial...I was in our co-op another time when a lady came in and bought ALL of the meat!

All of it. Beef, sausages, chops...everything that was meat basically.

A man at the counter commented "What a lot of meat you're buying."

And she said "Oh yes...would you like some?"