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AIBU?

To think that some people have no idea how to conduct themselves?

355 replies

Luckster · 23/11/2016 20:40

I'm fuming this evening. I'm a teacher and work long hours like lots of other people so I'm totally exhausted and may have overreacted slightly to this.
Background information - dh is a cub leader. Not the only leader, but one of a team and one of them ( not sure which one but fairly sure it isn't dh has organised a visit to an activity centre tomorrow.

Having my dinner this evening and a woman knocks on my door. I don't know her but recognise her as a parent if a cub and know she lives somewhere on the road behind me. I answer the door and she starts off saying what's happening tomorrow then? I could tell she was worked up but as I have nothing to do with cubs I have no idea what they are doing and told her so. She was getting note and more upset and asked if dh was in. When I said no she pretty much tried to barge in. Basically she hasn't seen an email about times for tomorrow, has no idea what is going on and was crying and getting hysterical by this stage saying over and over - but I'm a nurse - what am I supposed to do?

She was really over the top and most definitely unhinged and then started ranting about it being unacceptable. I pointed out there was nothing that I could do and all I could do was speak I dh when he got home and see if he knew. I pointed out that he also works long hours and is a volunteer so sometimes he may not email in a timely manner but he is doing his best. (I refer back to the fact that I am pretty certain it is not him organising this event). Anyway she ranted on and on (hysteria!) so I told her she was too emotional and needed to get her shit together. I also told her not to darken my door again with her screaming and ranting and promptly shut the door and went inside.

Seriously there was nothing j could do to help her. I appreciate its frustrating and she just wanted to get organised but to yell and scream at a volunteers wife because they have no idea what is happening is just unreasonable.

She's pretty lucky I didn't tell her to fuck right off as I'm pretty conversant with swear words! I feel I was quite restrained to me. God knows how she'll react if I see her in the street again in our small village. Oh my god, I am actually so wound up. Seriously who goes and knocks on someone's door randomly and act unhinged because you don't know what time you are supposed to be somewhere??!! People are bloody hard work!

OP posts:
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SuperFlyHigh · 23/11/2016 23:32

Donot how dare you second guess how I'd behave and "people like me"!

I wouldn't behave like this in a million years, I'm however putting myself in the shoes of the woman caller and also sharing my mum's behaviour as a teacher.

And sorry but there are certain professions where I do believe you have to behave with a certain level of decorum especially in a small village.

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DoNotGoSoftly · 23/11/2016 23:32

Good point.

If the person in question had been male.....?

Police? Release the hounds?

'Saintly' ? Nobbly Bobbly more like. Halo

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NavyandWhite · 23/11/2016 23:34

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SuperFlyHigh · 23/11/2016 23:37

Like I said Navy believe me or not that's what I'd do.

However the most contact I have now is flatmate, neighbours and the odd postman etc visit.

I have had a hysterical SN teenage son of a neighbour come and bother me on a few occasions even got me to call the police on a wild goose chase but I like to think I was calm. Again apologies if i was calm.

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TinselTwins · 23/11/2016 23:37

And sorry but there are certain professions where I do believe you have to behave with a certain level of decorum especially in a small village.

that does not extend to inviting unstable ranting doorstoppers into your home! Not for any professions I can think of! Nuns maybe? but they'ld have safety in numbers wouldn't they?

for all the "what if she…." people - it might have been alcohol or drug induced, nowt to say it's something the OP could help with.

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DoNotGoSoftly · 23/11/2016 23:39

First of all ' I do dare'. In fact it wasn't much of a dare.

It was more like the tippy tappy of laptop keys in response to your outrageously self-righteous post.

The woman who came to the door is the one who should be the subject of your thoughts.

Sorry for name-calling....

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Chinlo · 23/11/2016 23:39

She's pretty lucky I didn't tell her to fuck right off as I'm pretty conversant with swear words!

This cracked me up! Oh she's so lucky you didn't really lose it and use some bad words! ahahaha

Seriously though the best thing to do in these situations is to remain calm and deescalate things. As in, apologise that you can't help, ask if she needs anything else, and then say goodbye.

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TinselTwins · 23/11/2016 23:39

I have had a hysterical SN teenage son of a neighbour come and bother me on a few occasions even got me to call the police on a wild goose chase but I like to think I was calm.

So someone you know a little bit about then?

Not someone you only vaguely knows lives in the same town as you like the woman on the OPs doorstep, who could be on drugs, dangerous, or just very very rude for all she knows?!

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SuperFlyHigh · 23/11/2016 23:40

If I'm not mistaken Tinsel OP said she was tempted to swear at the woman caller and then said what would she do if she bumped into her again in the street?

Indeed what would she do? Engage in a fishwife shouting match?! I'm sure her employers (eg school) would not look too favourably on reports of a slanging match between OP and woman caller in a small village. But again my personal point of view.

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DoNotGoSoftly · 23/11/2016 23:40

How are things in Dibley? Wink

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SuperFlyHigh · 23/11/2016 23:40

Don't worry donot have already reported you for name calling.

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FastWindow · 23/11/2016 23:41

Quite Navy

'thanks for being so arsey at the door. Won't you come in so i can help you even less than with the original info that i didn't have in the first place. It'll be awkward. Or dangerous. Or inconvenient '

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TinselTwins · 23/11/2016 23:43

Superfly are you seriously suggesting that even if she did say "fuck off and leave me alone", given all that came before that point, you think it's the OP in this scenario who would be the one who would be embarrassed?

Seriously?

No employer would expect their employees to put themselves in danger on the off chance that a cup of tea might cure whatever's up with the random woman. I think most bosses would just sympathise with the OP and be glad she's okay!

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DoNotGoSoftly · 23/11/2016 23:45

SuperFH.

Your post back to Tinsel. What a joke.

What if she met her in the village? SO WHAT. The OP doesn't want the confrontation....you assume far too much.

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DoNotGoSoftly · 23/11/2016 23:48

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

SuperFlyHigh · 23/11/2016 23:49

Meeting my mum tomorrow will ask her what she'd do after this incident if she met the woman in the street. Mum avoids confrontation anyway and hates swearing. Like mother like daughter I guess. Halo

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SuperFlyHigh · 23/11/2016 23:51

Wow what charm school did you attend Donot?! At least I'm not throwing insults at your family members!

Equally sad person you are, right back atcha.

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DoNotGoSoftly · 23/11/2016 23:52

Oh dear. Confused

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CherryChasingDotMuncher · 23/11/2016 23:52

When her DH explained to her that the woman was "highly strung" he is slightly out of order just saying that with no prior proof or knowledge (in my opinion) because unless he knows her medical or MH state she could be bi polar or have any other sort of MH/SN etc.

Good grief I've heard it all now. We can't make observations about people's personalities unless we have their full medical history laid out before us Hmm I genuinely dont believe that if these posters' husbands said "isn't Kathy from next door highly strung" they respond with "actually that's out of order and you cannot make that judgement unless she has a MH issue Peter, and you don't know if she does do you?"

Oh well this thread has been entertaining to say the least. Disclaimer: by my use of the word "entertaining" I'd like to ensure people are aware that I am NOT making fun of court jesters or using my non-jester privilege to make a point. Thought I'd put that out there now

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DoNotGoSoftly · 23/11/2016 23:54

sorry. you said your mum was a teacher and you write 'atcha'.

I don't approve of that. 100 Lines and no Daily Mail for a month!

That'll learn ye!

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PortiaCastis · 23/11/2016 23:55

The woman was trepassing so should have fucked off when asked
en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/trespass

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DoNotGoSoftly · 23/11/2016 23:57

Cherry....

That was boss!

Meaning: excellent.

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Luckster · 24/11/2016 00:00

Geez super, projecting much?! Who said anything about a slanging match in the street? What I'd actually do is walk away as I hate confrontation and am a huge scaredy cat really.

And may I say one more. I did NOT FUCKING SWEAR!

Really should be asleep by now.

OP posts:
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AskBasil · 24/11/2016 00:02

I wouldn't invite a ranty woman into my house and give her tea.

How d'you know you'd get rid of her? What if she wants dinner too?

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DoNotGoSoftly · 24/11/2016 00:03

Can you ask a person to fuck-off?

I thought it was more of a command. But then the english langwidge is so flexible.

Can ye fuck-off? It's a sort of question and a wish at the same time and yet if you say it with true grit it is a command.

Etymology of the phrase?

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