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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Was I being a cow or not?????

273 replies

Fairyfellowsmasterstroke · 18/08/2014 14:06

I was in town earlier when I popped to the loo in Debenhams.

When I walked in a young chav mum was sanding near the sink area talking on her phone (her side of the conversation featured such immortal lines as " yeah but, fucking bitch, I'll have her, cunt etc etc). I kid you not a docker would have blushed!!!

Her DC looked about 2 and was sat quietly in the pushchair.

Anyhow I went to the loo (whilst listening to every word and profanity that young mum was uttering - including the "c" word being used with astounding regularity).

After weeing visiting the toilet I shimmed past aforesaid young mum (who was now perched on a sink with one foot resting on the pushchair) to wash my hands. I was about to dry them in the "Blade air dryer" when she stopped her phone conversation and asked me to wait because her DC didn't like the noise.

Fair enough I thought, expecting young mum to vacate the toilet. But no she carried on her phone call berating some poor lad who was fucking with her 'ead, clearly causing her some degree of upset.

I waited a moment and then asked her if she was going so that I could dry my hands, she told me to "wait". I did wait for a few moments (out of respect to Dc not her) but she remained perched on the sink with the phone attached to her ear. I finally looked pointedly at her, she half turned away from me and carried on the phone call. At this point I shoved my hands in the dryer causing poor DC to scream - chav mum snatched up the pushchair and stormed out of the toilets calling me a cow.

I stand by my actions but am expecting a MN flaming!!!

OP posts:
slithytove · 18/08/2014 16:20

She sounds like a chav.

I don't know why anyone gets up in arms at the proper use of the word. It's a negative used to describe negative behaviour, like effing and blinding in front of your toddler. Chavvy.

If you aren't a chav, no need to be offended Grin

Nancy66 · 18/08/2014 16:22

what about 'ruffian' that's not used much these days

eyebags63 · 18/08/2014 16:22

Why do people assume 'chav' is an insult to do with class? Despite the official definition I find it is often used to describe a mindset of a person rather than their social status.

lilrascal · 18/08/2014 16:23

thing is - she was a cow so ywnbu in one way. however the only one that suffered is the poor child (ds 5 yrs old also hates the driers). so if she were afraid of them (i know, hypothetically) then u were spot on. but its the poor kid i feel sorry for. so am torn tbh.

HaroldLloyd · 18/08/2014 16:24

loo wanker

WorraLiberty · 18/08/2014 16:24

Perhaps she should jolly well have been described as a cad or a bounder?

Whiskwarrior · 18/08/2014 16:25

Gobshite, prickwit, bellend, could all be used instead - and are suitable regardless of social standing.

For example, David Cameron is a gobshite. As was the woman in Debenhams.

HaroldLloyd · 18/08/2014 16:25

Whatever you think it means, undoubtedly people use it as a class insult.

It's used with that connotation very frequently in the baby names topic.

lottieandmia · 18/08/2014 16:26

YABU to call her a chav but she was very rude to expect you to wait before drying her hands. That is crazy, entitled behaviour.

lottieandmia · 18/08/2014 16:26

Your hands obviously.

Original poster
Fairyfellowsmasterstroke · 18/08/2014 16:26

No whiskwarrior - she was definately a chav.

OP posts:
WorraLiberty · 18/08/2014 16:27

Not a rotten oik?

Whiskwarrior · 18/08/2014 16:28

OP, you're just looking to keep arguing with me aren't you?

Why keep insisting on using the word otherwise? And specifically at me in this instance, when other people have also suggested alternatives?

That could be called goady behaviour.

ithoughtofitfirst · 18/08/2014 16:28

A trifle common.

FloozeyLoozey · 18/08/2014 16:29

I'm not sure why you kept needing to mention her age? Or perceived age. I mean "young" in this context could refer to anyone from 16 to 35, depending upon how youthful they look.

Nancy66 · 18/08/2014 16:29

if someone in baby names posts:

'what do you think of the name Kelsee-Mae?' and a poster replies 'it's a bit chavvy'...what's actually wrong with that?

would the alternative of 'it's a bit downmarket/common/naff' be any better?

Whiskwarrior · 18/08/2014 16:29

Personally, I would have cleaned my monacle and sniffed 'I say, old chap, would you mind awfully refraining from that dreadful language you're using? One can't hear oneself think!'. Then I would have wiped my hands on my manservant (that's not a eupehmism!) and toodle-pipped orf.

HaroldLloyd · 18/08/2014 16:30

No, it's not any better.

alemci · 18/08/2014 16:33

yes common is good or how about guttersnipe. probably dad again

Nanny0gg · 18/08/2014 16:33

I'm not sure why you kept needing to mention her age? Or perceived age. I mean "young" in this context could refer to anyone from 16 to 35, depending upon how youthful they look

Why not? It's just painting a picture! Just as if she'd been in her 50s with a grandchild.

What on earth is the problem?

ThinkIveBeenHacked · 18/08/2014 16:35

I have a two year old who is scared of the handdryers but life goes on. People use handdryers. I simply say to dd "itll be over in a minute its just the hand dryer".

Id never dream of asking another person in a public loo not to use the hand dryer.

ithoughtofitfirst · 18/08/2014 16:36

Lmao 'the blade' hand drier. I think I've seen these.

eyebags63 · 18/08/2014 16:38

Nanny0gg
Maybe Whiskwarrior is an aspirational lower middle class type, desperately trying to get away from her chav roots, hence the sensitivity to the term.

HaroldLloyd · 18/08/2014 16:39

That's not nice eyebags!

RiverTam · 18/08/2014 16:40

A child who hates hand-driers having to hear a hand-drier go off near him - not pleasant for him, but not the end of the world either, he'll recover soon enough from his upset.

A child with that for a mother, though - well, the future doesn't exactly look rosy for him, does it?