Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

This man was rude or am I being an idiot

317 replies

Queenie6655 · 22/05/2021 20:05

So walking out of shop today with my 3 year old DD a man was walking close behind us
It was a narrow walkway so we both sped up as he was indicating he wanted to get by
As he rushed past us my DD fell and everything in her hands fell onto the ground
She hurt her hand and knee
He stood watching
I had to drop everything in my hand to help her up
Everything was on the ground
He got in his car
Sat watching us
I rushed her to my car to get her comfy
Ran back to the pavement to gather up everything (shopping - fruit , veg, etc)
He sits in car still staring
So I stop and look over at him And threw my hands in the air
He prob thinks I'm bonkers
He's an idiot
Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Ugh 🤦🏼‍♀️

OP posts:
BlaBlaSmthSmth · 24/05/2021 18:31

@GreyhoundG1rl

How would walking single file not have solved that? I can't believe that the entrance / exit from a shopping centre is designed for one person at a time, with no room for a second person to pass. There was room; the toddler was walking in it.
But who cares if she didn't walk single file with her daughter? They were walking there, using the path as they are allowed to do and this bloke should be able to understand that he has to share the pavement with other people of all ages. If someone is in your way then ask politely to pass by, it's not a big deal, but people aren't mind readers and mothers don't need to feel bad about letting their 3yos walk alongside them (wtf?)
GoldenOmber · 24/05/2021 18:33

@GreyhoundG1rl

How would walking single file not have solved that? I can't believe that the entrance / exit from a shopping centre is designed for one person at a time, with no room for a second person to pass. There was room; the toddler was walking in it.
Because toddlers take up less space than grown men?

I mean, you can believe that the pavement was narrow, or you can believe that the pavement wasn’t that narrow and also that the OP acted in a bizarre way by rushing ahead while also lying about how wide the pavement was. One of those explanations seems more likely to me than the other.

SchrodingersImmigrant · 24/05/2021 18:36

How is this still going. 😂

Is he a serial killer or something yet?

GreyhoundG1rl · 24/05/2021 18:37

mothers don't need to feel bad about letting their 3yos walk alongside them (wtf?)
Wtf? indeed! Has anybody suggested that besides you?
Op wasn't obliged to speed up either, but she chose to 🤷🏻‍♀️

Original poster
Queenie6655 · 24/05/2021 18:42

Oh my gosh some of the responses

Glad I was right after all 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

OP posts:
mainsfed · 24/05/2021 18:44

@SchrodingersImmigrant

How is this still going. 😂

Is he a serial killer or something yet?

No, but apparently OP is a ‘man-handler’ of her own daughter.
33goingon64 · 24/05/2021 20:13

Not read whole thread but he could have had dementia or similar.

BlaBlaSmthSmth · 24/05/2021 20:19

@GreyhoundG1rl

mothers don't need to feel bad about letting their 3yos walk alongside them (wtf?) Wtf? indeed! Has anybody suggested that besides you? Op wasn't obliged to speed up either, but she chose to 🤷🏻‍♀️
Yes, which was why I'd said it obviously.
BlaBlaSmthSmth · 24/05/2021 20:22

@GreyhoundG1rl

mothers don't need to feel bad about letting their 3yos walk alongside them (wtf?) Wtf? indeed! Has anybody suggested that besides you? Op wasn't obliged to speed up either, but she chose to 🤷🏻‍♀️
No OP wasn't obliged to speed up but she said she felt flustered and then came here to get it off her chest 🤷‍♀️. Doesn't make it any less rude for someone to step at your heels while you're walking though does it.
Slippy78 · 24/05/2021 23:54

I'm a single male in my 40's. A couple of years ago I instinctively reached out to try and help a child that had started falling over.

The mother started pointing and shouting 'watch out for the peado' at me in the middle of the shopping centre and then rang the police.

I never want to end up in that situation again, that's why I wouldn't have helped you.

Sophiethegiraffe1 · 25/05/2021 05:34

@Slippy78

I'm a single male in my 40's. A couple of years ago I instinctively reached out to try and help a child that had started falling over.

The mother started pointing and shouting 'watch out for the peado' at me in the middle of the shopping centre and then rang the police.

I never want to end up in that situation again, that's why I wouldn't have helped you.

Wow! That’s a bit strong! But I can definitely see this happening and definitely the reason why I think the OP is being unreasonable. @OP would you have been happy if this guy had picked up your kid after you rushed them to the ground? @Slippy78 Hope all is well and that nothing came of that incident. Sounds like a really horrible situation
annie335 · 25/05/2021 06:08

@33goingon64

Not read whole thread but he could have had dementia or similar.
I thought that too or perhaps some other disability.
ContinuousMonotoneBeep · 25/05/2021 06:24

I'm intrigued by the narrow passageway.

I am now envisioning a passageway with 80ft walls either side about a metre wide, that's so long that, like a long narrow country lane, it widens at certain points to allow people to pass.

Some mad shop this!! Can't get a bag there, only a long narrow passage out of it and, more usually, no rude men - only one's with disabilities, dementia or with capricious social distancing.

Billandben444 · 25/05/2021 07:27

Yes, the narrow passageway... what if someone was coming the other way?? Would he have been arse as well?? I think the bloke should have said 'excuse me' to give OP time to move child in front of her; and I think he wasn't sitting in his car staring at her but lost in his own little world staring into space/listening to the footy results. I think we must all be very bored.

SchrodingersImmigrant · 25/05/2021 08:30

@Slippy78

I'm a single male in my 40's. A couple of years ago I instinctively reached out to try and help a child that had started falling over.

The mother started pointing and shouting 'watch out for the peado' at me in the middle of the shopping centre and then rang the police.

I never want to end up in that situation again, that's why I wouldn't have helped you.

Sad times that this actually is believable. As i said earlier, that's why my dh wouldn't go close to strange child. 😔
mainsfed · 25/05/2021 08:46

@Slippy78

I'm a single male in my 40's. A couple of years ago I instinctively reached out to try and help a child that had started falling over.

The mother started pointing and shouting 'watch out for the peado' at me in the middle of the shopping centre and then rang the police.

I never want to end up in that situation again, that's why I wouldn't have helped you.

This is irrelevant to what happened unless you were also breathing behind the mother's neck? If yes, keep your distance!
BlaBlaSmthSmth · 25/05/2021 09:11

"Sad times that this actually is believable. As i said earlier, that's why my dh wouldn't go close to strange child. 😔"

Lmao that is not believable in any way 🤣🤣 women don't generally shout at strange men. Most women wouldn't feel safe doing something like that. As for phoning the police...I don't know it's all a little far fetched.

mainsfed · 25/05/2021 09:17

I agree @BlaBlaSmthSmth . I don't believe a word of it.

BlaBlaSmthSmth · 25/05/2021 09:18

"This is irrelevant to what happened unless you were also breathing behind the mother's neck? If yes, keep your distance!"

That would certainly explain all the shouting 😅

mainsfed · 25/05/2021 09:21

Honestly, do they think we were born yesterday?! Grin

BlaBlaSmthSmth · 25/05/2021 09:34

Exactly @mainsfed 😅

SchrodingersImmigrant · 25/05/2021 09:43

@BlaBlaSmthSmth

"Sad times that this actually is believable. As i said earlier, that's why my dh wouldn't go close to strange child. 😔"

Lmao that is not believable in any way 🤣🤣 women don't generally shout at strange men. Most women wouldn't feel safe doing something like that. As for phoning the police...I don't know it's all a little far fetched.

Not every women is meek as on mumsnet. Yes, I would believe it.
mainsfed · 25/05/2021 09:49

Not every women is meek as on mumsnet. Yes, I would believe it.

I agree many women on MN are meek, but I’m very used to standing up for myself against aggressive men (because I learned from a young age that no one else will).

Try advance searching that poster for an insight into them.

GreyhoundG1rl · 25/05/2021 10:44

@mainsfed

Not every women is meek as on mumsnet. Yes, I would believe it.

I agree many women on MN are meek, but I’m very used to standing up for myself against aggressive men (because I learned from a young age that no one else will).

Try advance searching that poster for an insight into them.

What poster?
GreyhoundG1rl · 25/05/2021 10:46

The narrow passageway is a load of hooey. There is no way there is a one person only way in/out tunnel to a busy shop.

If there is; they wouldn't have been allowed to open under the social distancing rules.

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.

Join Mumsnet Log In

This thread is closed and is no longer accepting replies. Click here to start a new thread.