I think DS gave a good reply to a rude woman

[HollyBerryBush]

In short. Full bus. Heavily pregnant woman got on with push chair. DS was sitting in the adjacent buggy/luggage seat.

He got up and said "would you like my seat?" (she was parking her buggy)

She said "oh just fuck right off"

He said "I'm so sorry, I thought you were pregnant now I realise you are just fat and rude and I apologise for thinking your need might be greater than mine"

disclaimer< he can tell the difference between post natal baby belly and a 9 month distended stomach in a crop top.

disclaimer 2< I do realise he is legally a child himself, but his height, build and hairiness pitches him mid 20's.

Your ds sounds lovely. Round here nobody ever offers their seat.

The woman sounds horrible. Yes, she may have mental health issues but it was rude and his response was calm and measured and spot on. Sometimes people need to be told. You can't just go around telling people to fuck off.

I would be pleased if my ds also 17 stood up to give someone a seat. However, I would be ashamed if he swore and spoke like that to anyone.

OK, so next time he should stay firmly rooted in his seat and think "fuck 'em, I was here first, let them struggle" ?

He didn't swear.

Monty he didn't swear.

Oops no he didn't swear

But still, you don't go down to the level of being rude. although she deserved it

The absolutely perfect response would have left out the word "fat", apart from that it was purely factual.

No angus it was for everyone who is saying that this young man did something wrong.

He is not a child.

totally uncalled for but I would not be impressed if ds replied like that calling someone fat i would prefer him just to ignore it or say there is no need to be so rude

If it was my son, who is older than this, I would prefer that the woman was called on her rudeness. I would pull him up about calling someone fat, but in comparison to being told to fuck off in response to a kindness, it's a non-event.

why zat then LBE?

Being fat, myself at the moment, i would have took her side and challenged him on that.

It isn't ideal taking up an arguement infront of a child (which she had in her pram), or insulting the mother of that child.

So i would encourage my teens to let it go, tbh. My 17 year old wouldn't argue with anyone who had children with them, anyway, she has respect for what is appropriate behaviour around children (even if the parent doesn't).

As long as he is as quick to do the same to a man, which would then put him in danger.

LBE, fat, makes it four and parents who swear in front of their children, makes it five.

Yes, he was lovely and adorable to offer the seat, but should have kept his dignity :)

He's not a child, he's a young person and deserves as much respect as anyone does old or young.

It's better to bite your tongue and turn the other cheek, of course. But, that bitch had it coming.

Even if you're NOT pregnant, if you're struggling with a pram and have a belly and some young person offers your seat, it's not OK to be rude. In fact, even if you're whippet thin, it's not OK to respond like that.

I think he did keep his dignity, more so than if he had sloped off saying nothing.

He was certainly far more dignified than I would have been!

I'm a trusting soul LBE [wunk]yourself!

Your DS sounds lovely and kind and witty to boot!! I think I like that young man!!

She was unnecessarily rude, he was justifiably so.

Your DS sounds a bit immature tbh.

And I think he should have said nothing at all to her after she said fuck off.

I actually am worried that people think insulting her was a good idea.

Who knows what kind of day she had had, or what things she's going through.

To hide behind some other people was putting them at risk too if she did kick off.

No marks from me I'm afraid.

Good for him. There is such a thing as too much tolerance, and why should we tolerate shocking rudeness from others when he went out if his way to be kind. I think a tolerance and not speaking/ hiding etc allows people to be selfish and nasty in any way they want. Some people trade on a dignified silence to get away with being vile.

Why must we sit here and think of excuses for verbally abusing someone being kind? Perhaps it is just that she was unpleasant.

I was raised to have better manners than that, even when someone was rude to me. Insulting others just dumps you to their level. My mother would have been ashamed, not proud if a) I'd spoken to someone like thag and b) not had the conviction to stand by my words.

But as LBE says, probably all bollocks anyway.