To have moved this lady's empty trolley - she obviously thought I was

[slartybartfast]

shopping in Asda earlier

women in her late 60s had her trolley blocking salads, I moved it slightly, leant over and got my watercress.

She was then muttering at a packet of ready salad. I thought she was reading it out loud, then wondered if she wanted help reading the ingrediants. I said "are you talkign to me"
She said "you could have said excuse me", before I moved her trolley.

It's only a Trolley was my retort.

It does annoy me,
I must admit I occasionally do say excuse me when I move people's trolleys out of the way but do find it unreasonable that people get so protective of their trolleys, when they are standing in the way of the food!

• DH said if i was a man I would be in permanent fights in pubs with my attitude!

Known even

MarmeladeShatkins - judgemental! Would you have done the same thing (and had the very same opinion) for someone in the fruit and veg aisles? How did you ask the person - going on your comment, I would suspect you did not ask very nicely at all. It seems as though you were rather aggressive.

Does it matter what someone is browsing, really? In fact, if the lady in question was browsing the "Pot Noodle" offerings and similar, if you have belittled her for this, then what were you doing in the same area?

I don't understand why you can't just go and choose something else on your list and come back to the clogged-up area when it's free. Why does everyone feel it's okay to shovel people along, because, in their opinions, someone is in their way.

Patience, patience, patience. And respect. Be nice.

Yabvu and incredibly rude both by moving the trolley without politely saying excuse me or sorry can I just get. To the watercress and again with your infantile retort to being pulled up on being rude.

How did I ask? I said "Excuse me! Can I just get to that there please?" Very cheery and polite.

Yeah I judged her for what she was looking at and for being a rude cow.

Why should I come back later?!

Me too but I'd never own up to it.

Oops.

What is wrong with being polite enough to say excuse me? Wait till you are older, maybe you will need to cling to the trolley for balance and take longer to choose.

I need to remind myself this often tho, I think I am an impatient mortal

Why should I come back later?

Because it's not difficult and it's not rocket science. If someone is already where you want to be, then you do something else and come back. Why would you think your time is more important than anyone else's? I have managed to do it for years, with no problem at all, as have many others.

I'm asking, because it's a mystery. We all have busy lives. Some older people find it difficult to shop as it is, what with enormous illnesses sometimes, and pain in moving around. Why should they be simply viewed as an "old biddy" or a nuisance simply because they are browsing the products that you want and are in your way?

This is why I shop online.

To avoid all you bastards and oogle the PKs in peace

Imagine a supermarket full of mumsnetters. Cold chill.

I wasn't asking any time of her. So why do you think I think my time is more important than anyone elses? Genuinely baffled.

She was in my way. I asked her nicely to excuse me. She declined. So I did it for her.

Problem solved.

Would never happen in Waitrose...

It would depend. If it was one of the certain sector of the population who make a point of bobbing around in front of vegetable displays so no one can get close then Yanbu.

If you try and squeeze in they move and then again when you move to their other side. Heaven forbid you might pick a lettuce that is the one they wanted.

Well she's right, you could have said "excuse me" but you didn't - assuming you didn't barge her trolley into her or out of her hand or indeed 25' down the aisle then she was over-reacting a little too.

Both a teensy weensy bit U, IMO.

I sometimes say excuse me, but only if the trolley is being clutched for dear life by the user - otherwise I just lever it gently out of the way (at an angle) so I can reach in behind it. Never had an adverse response yet.

I do, however, say EXCUSE ME! pretty loudly when there are 2 people chatting in the middle of the aisle with their trolleys splayed out behind them, blocking the aisle completely.

As for meekly going off and doing something else and then coming back later, no, I'm not a mouse, I ask people to move.

"As for meekly going off and doing something else and then coming back later, no, I'm not a mouse, I ask people to move."

Exactly.

I've heard some martyrish things on MN in my time but this is the best yet.

And if it's the last thing on your list? What do you do then?

It's all about being aware of other people and some people live in such a tight little bubble they cannot see other peoples needs.

For example- a group of three ladies stood in the only entrance to a shop last week, gossiping and spreading out when I said "Excuse me". I glared at one of then and repeated myself louder and they huffed. When they were causing the blockage and there were people trying to get in and out. An older gentleman coming into the store manhandled on of them out of the way and then they understood that they were blocking the doors.

I think YABU for making such a big deal of it, yes.

As you said, OP, its only a frigging trolley.

We need more like that gentlemen in this country, Nutella...

me and my friend were in Asda once and got similarly annoyed with ignorant people blocking the way a la ops post. So we put a few choice "embarrassing items" eg big box of condoms, lube, pile cream, a huge tub of Vaseline, canesten, massive tampax, those mini vibrating cock rings, absolutely massive pants etc in our trolley

Then when we spotted a trolley in the way, while it's owner was distracted with their gossiping / browsing / reading labels / squeezing fruit or whatever, we quickly dropped one of the items in their trolley then quickly made a sharp exit

Id like to say this was when we were teenagers, but I'm afraid it was only a few months ago

Who said anything about being "meek, mousey and martyrish"? You can't get to the tomatoes, so you get your lettuce first. Can't reach the apples? Select the pears and come back. Nothing meek about that. Just polite and waiting one's turn.

Imagine a supermarket full of mumsnetters. Cold chill. @HaroldLloyd

There isn't a 'turn' system in looking at supermarket shelves, Evans. You don't have to wait for anyone to move their trolley so that you may reach an item. It is perfectly reasonable and normal to do so.

The item I needed was the last thing I needed to get. Should I have wandered aimlessly until Mrs Thin Leggings had finished breathing all over the dried noodles?

And again, I ask what of it's the last item on your list and IgnorantTwit is parked directly in front of the item you need?