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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to think this woman was rude for swearing and barging by me?

175 replies

thelifeofamber · 28/12/2015 18:09

People queuing up to go down the escalator, I checked my phone but the queue moved much faster than I thought.

I stopped at the top to put my phone back and the woman behind muttered for fuck sake and barged by me and went down the escalator.

I was wrong to hold her up but surely she didn't have to be that rude?

OP posts:

TenTinyTadpoles · 28/12/2015 19:45

sparkling in the London version one finger means get on and two fingers means get off. So I'm told anyway.

sleeponeday · 28/12/2015 19:46

She wasn't polite, but nor were you, and she was provoked. Checking mobiles in that situation is really rude, IMO. It's the disregard for others.

I say that as someone who is hopeless at being aware of others due to being a scatterbrain, so I've been you due to daydreaming etc a lot in my life - not having a go. But I know it's annoying for others, and it's my fault. Her reaction was OTT, but human.

GnomeDePlume · 28/12/2015 19:47

YABU

From your description she swore at the situation rather than you. However it was a situation entirely of your making.

Sparklingbrook · 28/12/2015 19:48

I will bear that in mind on my next trip Tadpoles.

thefreshcleanstart · 28/12/2015 19:50

It's not that rude to check a phone in public and hardly comparable to swearing and barging someone out of the way! For goodness sakes.

user7755 · 28/12/2015 19:56

thefresh - I think the issue was that she stopped right in front of an escalator with people helplessly being delivered up her rear end! She could have caused a real problem if the woman hadn't shoved her out of the way.

londonrach · 28/12/2015 19:56

She was rude but checking your phone in that position is dangerous. Very dangerous and seeing so eone doing that frightens me and i usually hang back and wait for crowds to go till its safe. I hate escalators as i saw someone fall to their death once on one doing what you were doing. I have been known to ask a shop to turn it off if i cant use the stairs just so i can run down it.

thefreshcleanstart · 28/12/2015 19:57

Only on Mumsnet would you be vastly unreasonable for checking a phone and completely reasonable for getting a shop to turn off its esculator system.

WhereYouLeftIt · 28/12/2015 19:57

"It's not that rude to check a phone in public"
No, but it is that rude to stop in a pinch-point and impede other people.

kittypaws · 28/12/2015 19:59

she didnt need to be so rude but it is very annoying when people do such things as you did at a busy stop, why not wait until you get somewhere u can sit down and check your phone. You hold up people who may be in a rush.

MiniCooperLover · 28/12/2015 19:59

It's not about 'waiting one minute to get on an escalator', if people did that in most train stations there would be a major accident of people falling all over themselves. You can't just stop and wait when at the top especially, there will be a steady stream of people following behind.

user7755 · 28/12/2015 20:00

thefresh - I think you are missing the point.

thefreshcleanstart · 28/12/2015 20:01

I'm not missing the point, I just completely disagree that OP was the rude one in this scenario. Annoying, maybe, briefly, but not rude.

Alisvolatpropiis · 28/12/2015 20:01

Ah I see, op, think she overreacted in that case. Thought you were on the escalator, waiting to get on it is a different thing altogether.

MiniCooperLover · 28/12/2015 20:01

Sorry youarentkiddingme I misread your post. But my point stands that you can't just stop and check at the top of an escalator.

Birdsgottafly · 28/12/2015 20:01

I always wonder were the people who stop at the top of an escalator expect you to go.

I've had to run into people who have stopped, with an empty wheelchair, ive also shoved people, I've asked them "what else was I supposed to do and where the fuck was I supposed to go?", I've never got an answer.

Birdsgottafly · 28/12/2015 20:05

I'm also a ffs-er, as well.

It might be a sign of old age, but I think people are becoming more and more dozy and dependant on being constantly entertained, if a crowd, getting on an escalator/stairs/bus, put the bloody phone away.

reallyjustreally · 28/12/2015 20:06

She didn't barge past you, she more likely just couldn't stop as all the people behind weren't expecting someone to just stop at the top and went into the back of her. And the FFS is remarkably polite considering the accident you could have caused.

Not sure how you've managed to live and work in London without grasping the simple concept of moving with a crowd in rush hour.

Have you heard of the story of one car lightly touching its brakes on the M25 causing a queue of stationary traffic 5 miles behind? Yep, you're that person.

user7755 · 28/12/2015 20:09

Ali - Aah I also misread the OP and thought she had stopped at the end of the escalator. I see now that she was at the top of an escalator with a steady flow of people behind her and a load of people on the escalator below her. Ready to be toppled.

YWBU - I would have sworn too. I very rarely get cross with people for anything, but when you do something dangerous you should expect people to be frustrated with you.

Original poster

thelifeofamber · 28/12/2015 20:10

She was rude but checking your phone in that position is dangerous. Very dangerous

Can someone please explain to me why this is dangerous or VERY dangerous?

I've already explained that there was no exit blocked and there would be no pile up.

I've also explained that I was not on the escalator at the time, but waiting to go on it to get downstairs.

I'm not saying that I was reasonable or unreasonable .... but I just can't see how it is dangerous.

OP posts:

Sighing · 28/12/2015 20:10

There was a family (parents 1 child) stopped in front of an escalator today. Both adults on their phones oblivious to the two groups of people waiting for them to mske a move. Eventually I sidled past telling the kids "maybe they're lost, lets just go round". I got soundly swore at. They're just self centered idiots. I'd forgotten until i read this. YABU to check a phone where the process is to keep moving. Being seorn at is unnecessary.

Cotto · 28/12/2015 20:12

You stopped at the top of a down escalator and you wonder what makes that dangerous??
well der ...

Original poster

thelifeofamber · 28/12/2015 20:13

Sign

I'm unsure why people are finding this so difficult when I've already explained.

I was NOT stood on the escalator.

I was on the first floor and waiting to go to the ground floor.

Woman who said FFS barged by me and then stepped on the escalator to go downstairs.

There was no danger of people toppling or not being able to get off the escalator. I just held up someone behind me from stepping onto it to go downstair.

OP posts:

DickDewy · 28/12/2015 20:13

Meh. You were daft, she was stroppy.

Shrug, move on. Think twice next time.

Trills · 28/12/2015 20:14

Were you sworn AT?

Or was it a general mutter of "FFS"?

It's not unreasonable of someone to have muttered swearwords when the person in front of her stopped at the top of the escalator to put stuff away before getting on. Can't you put it in your bag while standing on the escalator?

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