Was I being unreasonable to comment on trolley?

[queenthequeen]

A lady and I were in the same aisle or the supermarket and I made what I thought was a friendly comment about her trolley.

She got really angry and asked what the duck it had to do with me.

I'm sure your intentions were friendly, but people can say the oddest things sometimes and when your on the receiving end of it from a stranger, sometimes at best, you just find the comments just weird.
I had a customer trying to be friendly once, he said "your looking tired love, you ok? you're looking really stressed "
Up until that point, I felt fine, and thought I looked ok, was being pleasant and attentive etc and clearly felt a bit annoyed after he said it. my reply "oh I'm, fine thank you, or at least I was until you kindly told me I looked otherwise, now I worry I look worse than I thought I did"
He apologised for any offence caused and subsequently when he comes in he simply says "Hi how are you" I find it much friendlier, and genuine and he gets a much more genuine reply.

Less is more on the friendly front with strangers, to much and it can come across wrong.

We often have comments about our trolley. One time it was an entire trolley of offal-got lucky at Morrisons. Another time it was a whole basket of pig trotters-dog's favourites, another time it was hundreds of polos for the horse. Sometimes I'll smile and engage, but mostly I don't have time or the desire to engage in trolley banter and I'd rather not chat. I don't see the supermarket as my social go to, maybe I will when I'm a sad lonely old dear. (Not even joking, I'm dreading the time)

I can share my experience with Pass-Remarkable, our local friendly Lidl checkout operator. I had in my trolley about 50 cans of beer, one packet of toilet roll and one loaf of bread. On scanning said loaf of bread, Pass-Remarkable commented that the bread must be for soakage. If I could have decked him I would have.
I always try to avoid Pass-Remarkable now.

Oh no!

That's the sort of thing my over bearing (but lovely) MIL would say to someone.

Always trying to be friendly but can also come across as nosey, judgemental, FAKE, highly annoying.
It's embarrassing to be out with her... talking to anyone about anything!!

I would interpret your comment as a judgement tbh

Good god, for years my only socialising took place in shops with shop keepers and other shoppers. I have no qualms about asking someone what that vegetable is and how you cook it. I ask our butcher how tocooka particular cut of meat if we've not had it before, I get asked how dh or dd is etc etc.

Well.. Op I think you were very rude but I still wouldn’t have answered you like she did!

I’ve been very ill (still am) and Coke Zero & water are the two only drinks that I can drink and don’t have any effect on me so obviously I buy a lot of Coke Zero (our fridge has a water dispenser so I don’t buy it). I would have felt you were really judging me and not ‘just trying to be friendly’ if you’d commented on my trolley.
Although I guess part of that is embarrassment that I buy so much of it!

Luckily, I do online shopping so don’t have anyone just one of the Tesco delivery men commenting on my Coke Zero habit!

Dr Pepper is carbonated prune juice isn't it? Originally to keep you regular?
So replace your comment on Dr Pepper with the same comment on a trolley full of ex-lax and imagine how that would have gone!

I actively avoid a certain check out woman at my local Sainsburys who just can't seem to stop herself commenting on what people are buying 'ooh, these are a good price, ooh I like this wine, ooh I might treat myself to some of these chocolates' etc. It's said in a friendly fashion but I find it quite intrusive. There's actually no need. I'm always polite and as friendly as is necessary but find it so stressful to have to acknowledge every statement she makes, 'Yes, good price, Yes, nice wine' when all I actually want to do in a Supermarket is buy my shopping and go home. I don't want to discuss my purchases and I don't want to make friends

orangeisnothenewblack

I said something like oh you must like Dr Pepper as she had a lot of them)

In fairness, that sounds like a pretty innocuous comment. I'd have thought "friendly" too

Surprised by these type of responses. It's totally rude to comment on what people are buying. OP basically said "you're a sugar guzzling fat fuck, aren't you?" to a complete stranger.

InsomniacAnonymous brilliant, Yes just like that!

Orange can yu not just ignore her while you're busily packing/repacking/checking your purse/checking your list? Squint into the distance at the end as if you're just going through a mental checklist, then an abrupt "mm" will do as a response followed quickly by "how much" as you were too busy thinking important things to listen to her witterings.

andtheresaw, I never knew that Dr. Peppers had prunes in it. Haha I am.in charge of setting quirky questions for a charity table quiz. Thanks for setting a question for me.