AIBU to think this man's comment was unnecessary and rude.

[AmberStClare]

Having a Sunday afternoon stroll by the river locally and passed a man then drew level with two women with a couple of dogs. One of the women turned and started to say something to me then called back to the man laughing saying she thought I was him. He shouted back 'Good lord no, I am better looking than that'. I stopped, turned round and glared at him and said to watch it as I might feel tempted to push him in the river. Why are some men so pitiful?

Outrageous!

You should have Head-butted him then shoved him in the river.

Or, alternatively... you could have taken it as the joke it was clearly intended to be and just smiled politely.

Oh come on. So obviously a joke. 99% of people would have had a chuckle at that, especially given your description of the two of you. Chill the fuck out.

The man didn't know the OP. So best to keep his jokey insults to himself unless he knows the person who is the butt of his joke will find it funny. I would have ignored it though OP, because if he is genuinely a twat, he would have enjoyed knowing he upset you.

So you're a tall, blond WOMAN and he was a short bald man....when I read your post, I thought you were a bloke!

If it had come from one of the women then fair enough but I don't really get how you could be so offended given the difference in gender, height, looks - pretty much everything!

I think he just his words the wrong way round op.

He's bitter and twisted, obviously his life has been marred by women like you.

Only joking. Or am I?

Krusty - the man was the butt of his own joke, it was irony!

krustykittens - it was clearly an obvious joke given the difference in height, hair status etc.

Some people...

Learntoflyagain

**

I think it was a joke on him, not you. It sounds like a back handed compliment. I don't get the aggression.

As I am 5'9'' and blonde and he was 5' and bald assume was a joke. Debatable if I looked gorgeous as my hair needs a wash!

You have some stereotypical views about what constitutes beautiful.

The man knows these stereotypes.

He made a joke at his own expense.

You failed to recognise irony and got aggressive.

You reinforced the stereotypes on MN.

He sounds quite quick witted to me.

Nothing 'pitiful' about that.

He didn't actually instigate that situation did he, OP? You've responded as if he had gone out of his way to create a scenario in which he's able to be insulting toward just for the fun of it. In reality, one of the women he was with has mentioned you to him and done it in a way which leaves few choices in terms of a response. He can either say, deadpan, "no you made a mistake" which is fucking absurd or he can diffuse it with a joke and he had at most a split second to think of one before it gets a bit awkward. As it happens he made a self effacing joke which isn't a bad way to handle being backed into a conversational corner like that. Your response was daft and they probably thought you were a bit weird. YABU.

Dunno about looks but on personality I would say that yes, he seems more attractive than you.

It was a joke. Not intended to be rude or mean. Just glossing over the mistake your friend made. Certainly less offensive than threatening (jokingly I assume) to push someone in the river.

He was rude, I quite agree to be honest...and the women with him obviously thought so too...
Don't take any notice, he's obviously an idiot and beneath contempt...unfortunately there are a lot of people like him about, who now think it's acceptable to be publically rude to people.

Sounds like a joke, I don't think it would have registered much with me tbh. Apart from a bit of a titter or knowing look to the women I'd have jogged on.

silverychicken - such nonsense!

The man made a joke against himself.

End of story.

I would just laugh because it's funny. It's nothing agait you. I think you're making a fuss about nothing. They'll be dining out on the story of the miserable woman they passed on their walk.

I don't know about him being pitiful, but you threatened to push hi in the river?

How ridiculous you sound.

It was really was just a joke, no need to give it a second thought, surely! A stupid joke for sure, but against him for certain, in view of the fact that the man was short and bald.
Chill out.

Does it matter wether he meant to insult her or not?! Drawing attention like that knowing it could embarrass a stranger is a wanky thing to do. He probably says “cheer up love it’ll never happen” to passing women too

It's a self-deprecating joke. I thought the British excelled at irony. Evidently not?!

Actually, I think I might have enjoyed OP's cats-bum face in response.