Your just going to make this longer and longer AIBU

[RoastedParnsip]

Was walking to the shop this morning, kept myself to myself. wasn't taking up the entire path or anything. Had my scarf up over my face and wasn't coughing or anything.
Walked passed a middle aged man who suddenly shouted at me "your going to make this longer and longer, you need to give me space two meters!"
I looked at him and asked him what he meant as I was distanced from him. For him to tell me it's my fault young people like me are spreading covid and going to put us all in lockdown!
For starters I'm in my 30s so I'm not young. I don't go to the pubs, I don't go clubbing or really socialise with anyone bar my kids and partner. I'm also jabbed.
Was I unreasonable telling him to fuck off and go lock himself in his house if he was that concerned?
I'm sick to death of all this covid bullshit now, It's like people are using it as an excuse to be rude now.

YABU because although he was aggressive about the social distancing, he was in the right about people not giving the full 2metres

It's not a rule though. Personally i'm very careful about giving people, particularly strangers, space to the point where i've had people complain "I haven't got Covid you know". So you can't do right for doing wrong with some people.

I would have said something but not fuck off

Patriarchy Chicken - Coronavirus version.

If random men get aggressive and shout at women they meet, it should be reported via 111.

There are no circumstances which "excuse" men from aggressive behaviour - it should be zero tolerance.

@sst1234

On a non-serious note OP, how did you resist the urge to go up to him and do a ‘Carol Beer’ cough and say ‘computer says no’.

Ffs. 🤣😂🤣😂🤣 I should of!

He sounds both rude and bonkers.

Did you really tell him to fuck off though?

I generally find people who are happy and confident enough to swear at strangers, don't generally tend to ask others if it was ok.

Why were you supposed to get out of his way and give him space?

There was nothing preventing him from moving away from you. So on that basis, he can fuck off.

I would just either pretend I did not hear him or look at him quizzically. This will rile him no end and give you the high moral ground (in case there are others about) but thinking f_ off in my head.

No point engaging with loonies. You don't know the extent of their looniness. I agree with the poster who said not to step into their nightmare.

Sorry for your experience. It was uncalled for and I agree he would not have done it to a man.

@WorraLiberty

He sounds both rude and bonkers.

Did you really tell him to fuck off though?

I generally find people who are happy and confident enough to swear at strangers, don't generally tend to ask others if it was ok.

It can be a reflex thing when someone treats you like that. It's not a usual occurrence to be barked at by strangers, so it's an impulsive reaction.

Yep, saw a man yell at a woman on the sine the other week. She informed him she was exempt and he went off on one about how she was lying...

Why would she lie? She can be fined if she's not and some people are in fact exempt.

A lot of people are frightened, depressed and angry.
And don't tell men to "fuck off" in the street for asking for distance - unless you want to risk being hit. Not every man is a gentleman any more - there is a lot of savagery on our streets.

A reflex thing to tell other people to fuck off?

@ilovesooty

A reflex thing to tell other people to fuck off?

I know 😂

If that was the case, one would hope the OP could keep that under wraps at work or when the kids are playing up!

Reflexes can be retrained

YABU to not be wearing a scarf and YABU to swear Fuck Off to him. He was being very very unreasonable to lecture you.

Life is too short to get angry and shouty for stiff like this. I’ve no time for road rage / COVID rage or any rage tbh. It just goes to make the world more hostile and unpleasant.

@tttigress

Personally I blame the media, they seem intent on publishing only negative news about COVID.

While I appreciate you are annoyed with this man, you should also think he probably now has some mental problems caused by Covid lockdowns/the media, that will be with him for the rest of his life.

Is there positive news of Covid? The news reports things which affect people (trace opening up, new variants etc). What good news do you want? They reported cases going down due to vaccinations, holidays being allowed, clubs opening etc. They were all good

YABU to have sweared at him. What if he had become violent. Not worth the risk.

He's not wrong, but he's wrong to say it to you. There's no need to think he needs to lock himself in his house, that's just bs when people are shielding and still aren't safe.

I think we've got huge huge problems when people are still so angry and scared that not giving someone a 2m space on an open air pavement for a momentary passing warrants that reaction. With vaccines, improved treatment and everything else, it simply is not the same threat as it was 18 months ago to all but the v v few and I'm sorry but no, 70 million people should not have to dance a bloody tango in the street forever as a result or be subjected to abuse if they don't.

@HugeAckmansWife

I think we've got huge huge problems when people are still so angry and scared that not giving someone a 2m space on an open air pavement for a momentary passing warrants that reaction. With vaccines, improved treatment and everything else, it simply is not the same threat as it was 18 months ago to all but the v v few and I'm sorry but no, 70 million people should not have to dance a bloody tango in the street forever as a result or be subjected to abuse if they don't.

Yes, it would have been rude but understandable in March or April 2020. Now there is no excuse.

I’m not sure to laugh at these people all feel sorry for them cause it’s not normal to shout at anyone regardless if it’s outside or not , the lunatic !!.

@ilovesooty

A reflex thing to tell other people to fuck off?

Was a reflex. I'm not normally sweary but I had a rubbish nights sleep, went to get a coffee this morning and DC11 left the milk out on the side over night so had to go get some milk and I just was not in a people mood much less being preached out by a random miserable stranger. 😂

I should of just carried on walking but he provoked me not the other way round.

Well done for telling the entitled manspreader to fuck off. Ignore the handmaidens.

How did he react?

@emuloc

YABU to have sweared at him. What if he had become violent. Not worth the risk.

*Sworn.

So OP is supposed to just take this sort of shit? Shut up and put up with unreasonable behaviour?

She may have shocked him in to keeping his mouth shut next time.

Walked passed a middle aged man who suddenly shouted at me "your going to make this longer and longer, you need to give me space two meters!"

I wouldn't even have known what he meant.

Was I unreasonable telling him to fuck off and go lock himself in his house if he was that concerned?

A touch, yes. I'm not sure Nancy Mitford would have approved.

Mind you, I got severely chastened once by a middle-aged man for a supposedly aggressive and dangerous piece of undertaking.

We were both pedestrians on a pavement.

I'd have told him to fuck off, too.

I was in a shop yesterday and a woman was walking round with a trolley, getting in everyone's space and taking over the whole place, whilst moaning loudly about how 'shops need to start limiting the amount of people allowed in again'. I didn't see her more than one metre away from anyone!