To sometimes despair.....

[50shadesofknackered]

I.was in Toys R Us today with dd2 and dm when a bloke walked past carrying a little girl of about 4. He then said very loudly to his partner nearby who he was obviously arguing with, 'What did u do that for, I swear I'm this far away from giving you a back hander girl.' All said very aggressively The woman didn't say anything, just looked at the floor. I was so sad for that little girl, who will grow up thinking its normal for a man to speak to women and obviously her this way. I assume its something she hears and possibly sees regularly as he said it so easily and from his partner's reaction. I so wanted to say something but obviously didn't. He was just a vile man and I keep thinking about that little girl.

Doesn't sound pleasant but you've seen a split second of someone's life and are assuming an awful lot.

I know where you're coming from 50. We don't speak to each other like that here, ever, not to say we don't get hacked off with each other and the DC from time to time. But that is aggressive and abusive and wrong on so many levels. I once saw a man - the dad I presumed - bend over a little nursery kid at the school gate, and jab his finger in his face and call the kid a little sh*t, and I was horrified. Shamed to say I did nothing. I don't think the sort of behaviour you or I witnessed is acceptable, but it is sadly not uncommon.

So, no YANBU (IMHO).

I know it was only a split second of someone's life but like Lego said, never has my dh said anything like that to me.

Its always sad when you hear something like this in passing

Always sticks in my head for ages :(

And especially with what you heard, its not as if it could be mistaken for something else

Hugs :) yanbu

Lego that's awful! We all loose it sometimes but some people seem to have no boundaries. How could u behave that way to ur child

Thanks twinkle

"giving you a back hander girl"

Blimey that's a very old fashioned way of putting it?

How old was he? He sounds Dickensian.

Its always hard to know what to do in these circumstances. I once walked past a young couple and I thought the women was standing awkwardly. They were having one of these hissed arguments which sounded quite nasty. It was only as I got past them that I realised the bloke was gripping her hair quite tightly at the back and that was why she was standing awkwardly.

I was too scared to intervene, he was younger and bigger than me. I wish the police had been around so I could have pointed it out to them.

He was late twenties I'd say.