To Think Stupid Woman Lovely Man

[Mitmoo]

Driving home this evening son ASD/OCD, mum heart disease disabled, and the tyre goes as flat as a pancake. I was on a country road so I pull into a village and park up in a safe place. Village idiot (woman) says "your car smells like it is burning"

"I have a flat" I reply.

"So you do" she says. Then says "can you move your car it's on the road outside my house". No drive, just a road, no yellow lines, nothing, but my car had the audacity to come to a halt outside her house.

I asked not in a nasty tone but more one of bewilderment if she is joking, she then looks embarrassed.

Another man from the same village came out and me being a dumb ass woman and ashamed to admit I can't change a tyre on MN, changed it for me then didn't want the £20 I was trying to give him for helping. He did take it as we were so grateful. Having him helping helped keep my son calm, and made sure we all got home in one piece.

He was absolutely lovely, happy to help, a true gent. I haven't had help with my car since I was a size 10 and wearing skirts that my Mum called pelmets.

Son is very shaken, doesn''t cope well with things out of the norm but if it wasn't for the lovely man he'd be in a terrible state now.

But we're home (obviously) am I being unreasonable to think the woman was a silly moo to ask me to move my broken down gilloppy when it had a flat and the man was a true gent and happy to help me, my Mum and son on our way?

If that's the case I wonder when Mitmoo will publish details of her deterrent Pande?

If you could see your way clear to delaying publication for a week or two, Mitmoo, I'll be far too preoccupied to give a shit away with a raggle-taggled-gypsy-o paramour.

Why didn't you ask her to give you a push? Perhaps the only village idiot was then one passing through.

the !

It was only missing a drum roll and a bit of timing :)

I suggest reading MrsDVere's thread about NetMums and then toddling over there. They apparently don't have a problem with other traditional offensive terms for those with disabilities. I susupect they would embrace "village idiot" with joy.

Yet another mitmoo thread where she asks AIBU, everyone says yes you are. Mitmoo: no I'm not!

Why do you bother?

twoshoes imo there is no difference, calling someone a village idiot especially when you have a child with sn......is well rather weird

Are you really comparing a child with SN with an idiot? How thoroughly disgusting and offensive. You should hang your head in shame. I just hope you were alcohol influenced when you posted that.

What a thoroughly vicious post.

what the actual fuck are you talking about?

Mitmoo- I can see why some people have taken offence at you labelling this woman 'village idiot. Please look at wiki definition (2) below.

Wikipedia

Village idiot
The village idiot in strict terms is a person locally known for ignorance or stupidity,[1] but is also a common term for a stereotypically silly or nonsensical person. The term is also used as a stereotype of the mentally disabled.[2] It has also been applied as an epithet for an unrealistically optimistic individual.[3]

Mitmoo- I can see why some people have taken offence at you labelling this woman 'village idiot. Please look at wiki definition (2) below.

Wikipedia

Village idiot
(1)The village idiot in strict terms is a person locally known for ignorance or stupidity, but is also a common term for a stereotypically silly or nonsensical person.
*(2)The term is also used as a stereotype of the mentally disabled.
(3) It has also been applied as an epithet for an unrealistically optimistic individual.

OP, how dare you try to twist your own massive, stupid mistake to suggest that it is 2shoes that is in the wrong. That would be laughable if it was not so offensive. You have targeted a poster who has consistently spoken out against all sorts of disability discrimination and who has her own ongoing experience of a child with a severe disability.

YOU were the one who used a term which has been well-established for many, many years as one intended to refer to someone with learning disabilities, and which pretty much every poster reading this thread found offensive for that very reason.

It is quite frankly shameful that instead of apologising for the offence you have caused, you are going on the attack and hoping we are all daft enough to fall for the "OMG I can't believe you said that" approach. I am reasonably confident that you had somehow failed to make the connection between the use of the term "village idiot" and its real origins, but it has been drawn to your attention in no uncertain terms. Again, how dare you try to blame another poster for YOUR mistake. Anyone with an ounce of grace would be apologising and leaving this well alone.

Defend all you like I care not. If in your minds you equate a child with SN to a village idiot, a correlation never once made by me but made by a few on here then iit shows the sickness in your own minds.

Sick and twisted, my God I was told it was like going into a nest of vipers posting on here but I didn't realise the malaise was so deeply and viciously ingrained.

Happy hunting guys but don't use disabled children to get your kicks.

SICK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No apology then?

hmm, another poster has used the term "loon" and as far as I can see noone has caned her

loon=lunatic=disablist non?

think there is a hint of bandwaggon jumping her, and a rather nasty crowd bullying mentality

I equate 'village idiot' with a child with special needs because I was a child with special needs and others did use that name for me. As an adult I have also occassionally been called it by other ignorant adults like you. I often hear my AS husband referred to as the 'village idiot', despite him being a professor of nuclear chemistry.

My daughter, also AS, was first called it when she was 14 and waiting for the delayed train home from school. She was getting stressed and worried so asked another traveller what was going on. Something in the way my daughter spoke led the woman to snap 'what are you, the village idiot?' at her.

Fact is that term is used to insult children and adults with special needs. You are the one perpetuating and normalising it. You are either ignorant beyond belief or you are being delibrately massively offensive.

I see no bullying. I see a lot of people telling the OP that she has used a term which is not acceptable. I then see a defensive hissy fit from the OP followed by an entirely transparent attempt to deflect attention from her cock-up.

As I said in my previous post, I would imagine that she simply did not make the connection between her use of the term and its real origin and meaning, but once it had been pointed out then the appropriate thing to do would be to say "I didn't mean that/I didn't think, but sorry for any offence" rather than going on a rather unpleasant attack.

In terms of the "loon" comment, it is not a term I personally use, but I wouldn't necessarily pull someone up on it (dependant on context obviously) simply because there are various words that have passed into a usage that is so broad that it no longer immediately conjures up any sort of connection with someone with a mental disability. People often say "I think she is quite mad" or "they are bonkers" when referring to people with bizarre ideas. If they were using these terms because the person actually had mental health problems then it would be inappropriate, but in general usage I think it would be rare for someone to think that the user was being prejudiced towards those who do have mental health problems.

Unfortunately there is another set of terms entirely - some of them have been discussed on MrsDeVere's thread about Netmums - which are still in active use in relation to those with learning disabilities and it is impossible to hear them being used without making that connection and making assumptions about the person using them. For me, and clearly for a number of other posters, "village idiot" would fall into that category. It conjures up a particular image - nd it is not a nice image at all of marginalisation and social exclusion.

Again, I think the OP used the term without making this connection but it has been pointed out and she has not responded remotely appropriately.

procamiseria according to the Oxford dictionary loon doesn't come from lunatic. It comes from a 19th century word describing a bird's action when escaping from danger and now means a silly or foolish person.

mitmoo you can't expect empathy for yourself, DS and DM when you proceed to call people (village) idiots.
You have to look at other people's point of view, they have expectations of your behaviour - it's a two way thing.

Mitmoo - I hope you take this in the spirit in which it is intended, it is not an attack.

I strongly suggest that you consider a name-change and possibly a break away from AIBU for a little while.

The term "Village Idiot" was historically used to describe a child/adult with learning difficulties because the medical science just did not exist to diagnose SN! To your average uneducated "villager" there was something undefinable wrong with that person, which would have made them uncomfortable. Hell, if you research the witch burnings in Salem and England many, many of the victims were these "Village Idiots".

I cannot understand why you are so viciously attacking people for pointing out simple fact to you, or why you are twisting things round so much. It was you who used a historically offensive term - and you who should know better.

God Mitmoo what is your deal? Can't you just stop?

You seem to have these mini dramas occurring in which you are always right. AIBU is to canvas opinions, not just bleat on about how right you are.

Village idiot is a hideous term, can't you just accept that? Also, the man wasn't that lovely, for £20 I would have changed your tyre and I am not nice.