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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Eye hospital dickface

154 replies

Helenahandkart · 10/05/2022 16:09

I’ve just come here to rant.
I had a five hour round trip to the eye hospital today, which involved waking up at 5.30am and receiving some upsetting news.

When I came out after my appointment I could hardly see anything due to eye drops/dilation. I rushed to the bus stop. I couldn’t accurately read the small clock on my phone but there was either a bus due any minute, or I might have to wait in the rain for half an hour in which case I may as well start walking home.

I politely asked a passing man if he had the time. He didn’t. My phone was in my hand so I held it up and said ‘Please could you read this? I’ve just been to the eye hospital and I can’t see it’. Before I’d finished the sentence he looked me up and down contemptuously and said with a sneer ‘I don’t have time for this. I’m in a dash’ and walked off.

What a dick.
It would have taken him one second to glance at my phone and tell me the time.

OP posts:
Vikinga · 10/05/2022 16:10

What an absolute prick. Hope you're ok op xx

DoNotGetADog · 10/05/2022 16:23

Being realistic, the man just had a random stranger with massive pupils come up to him in the street and ask him to read the time off her phone. He probably thought it was done kind of trick and you would rob him or something, or that you were a drug addict.

Obviously it would have been nice if he’d helped you, but I can understand what he may have been concerned about and that he decided to have nothing to do with it.

SirChenjins · 10/05/2022 16:30

Horrible though it is, I have to sort of agree with @DoNotGetADog Sad I've been on the receiving end of a couple of things over the years which make me quite suspicious of reading things from a stranger - it's horrible to admit but I think I've have been v wary too.

Otoh, he might have just been a dick.

gobbynorthernbird · 10/05/2022 16:33

If a stranger asks me for something on the street, and I've politely said no (the time, for change/a ciggie) but then keeps on with something else, I'm moving on as swiftly as possible.

Sirzy · 10/05/2022 16:34

He might have been a dick but at the same time he might have been cautious like above posters said. You knew your intentions are good but he didn’t.

Cheesechips · 10/05/2022 16:36

Sorry that happened to you, but I agree with the majority. You have to be careful when being approached by strangers.

bloodywhitecat · 10/05/2022 16:40

What kind of world do we live in where some people are so scared of telling someone the time.

BaaMoon · 10/05/2022 16:41

Sirzy · 10/05/2022 16:34

He might have been a dick but at the same time he might have been cautious like above posters said. You knew your intentions are good but he didn’t.

I agree with this, for all he knows you were trying to distract him while someone nicked his wallet. It is a sad state of the world I know.

Matchingcollarandcuffs · 10/05/2022 16:42

I had this, is was still, DH was messaging me and I had to ask strangers what three message said and what buses were coming. I did preface any requests with I've just had eye drops and can't see a thing please could you help. People were kind and did. Sorry they weren't for you

BaaMoon · 10/05/2022 16:42

I wouldn't have automatically lept to "dickface" but then I wasn't there.

Antarcticant · 10/05/2022 16:44

Yes, my guess is that he might have thought it was a distraction scam.

Original poster
Helenahandkart · 10/05/2022 16:48

@DoNotGetADog I’m a 5’ neatly dressed middle-aged woman. He didn’t look at me long enough to see my pupils. There’s no way at all he thought I was a drug addict or a thief.
He was just far, far too busy and important to be bothered with any basic kindness.

OP posts:
BaaMoon · 10/05/2022 16:50

Helenahandkart · 10/05/2022 16:48

@DoNotGetADog I’m a 5’ neatly dressed middle-aged woman. He didn’t look at me long enough to see my pupils. There’s no way at all he thought I was a drug addict or a thief.
He was just far, far too busy and important to be bothered with any basic kindness.

You have no idea what he was thinking or what was happening to him and instead have lept to the conclusion he is a dickface.

BaaMoon · 10/05/2022 16:51

Ps. Hope you got home ok

Tree543 · 10/05/2022 16:52

I walked through my city after an eye appointment having had eye dilation drops. A young woman started to ask me something (possibly begging), I looked at her and said sorry i can't help at the moment. She looked at my eyes and said really quickly "No thats fine don't worry about it" I realised later that my eyes must have freaked her out.

Ameliarosethistle · 10/05/2022 16:53

DoNotGetADog · 10/05/2022 16:23

Being realistic, the man just had a random stranger with massive pupils come up to him in the street and ask him to read the time off her phone. He probably thought it was done kind of trick and you would rob him or something, or that you were a drug addict.

Obviously it would have been nice if he’d helped you, but I can understand what he may have been concerned about and that he decided to have nothing to do with it.

I voted YANBU because you're not and it sounds like you had a horrible day and a difficult time BUT I honestly would just avoid making eye contact or going near anyone who tried to call me over for similar reasons.

Sirzy · 10/05/2022 16:54

Helenahandkart · 10/05/2022 16:48

@DoNotGetADog I’m a 5’ neatly dressed middle-aged woman. He didn’t look at me long enough to see my pupils. There’s no way at all he thought I was a drug addict or a thief.
He was just far, far too busy and important to be bothered with any basic kindness.

How do you know what he thought?

MrsReeves · 10/05/2022 16:57

If my vision was so blurred I couldn't even see my phone, I would be asking someone at the hospital to please call me a taxi. There is no way I would even think about trying to catch a bus.
How was it a 5 hour round trip, but quicker to walk home than wait half an hour for a bus?

YousirNames · 10/05/2022 16:59

I agree, he was a dickface. It's fine to ask someone the time in the street, he was just rude. Good grief.

zingally · 10/05/2022 17:00

I also agree with @DoNotGetADog , a squinty, massive-pupiled stranger asking for something to be read off a phone would probably get short shrift from me as well. You knew you were normal and well-intentioned. He didn't.

BrunoMadrigal · 10/05/2022 17:02

BaaMoon · 10/05/2022 16:50

You have no idea what he was thinking or what was happening to him and instead have lept to the conclusion he is a dickface.

Show quote history

This.

As I read your OP, I thought you must have seemed strange to the man and therefore he questioned what you were really up to. I would have walked away too.

zingally · 10/05/2022 17:03

Helenahandkart · 10/05/2022 16:48

@DoNotGetADog I’m a 5’ neatly dressed middle-aged woman. He didn’t look at me long enough to see my pupils. There’s no way at all he thought I was a drug addict or a thief.
He was just far, far too busy and important to be bothered with any basic kindness.

How do you know what he was doing? Thinking?
Maybe he'd just had his own upsetting news? Or late for an important appointment of his own? And didn't much feel like talking to some randomer.
YABU.

almondbran · 10/05/2022 17:04

if You couldn’t see enough to read your phone screen how did you think you’d manage to walk home safely?

ladydimitrescu · 10/05/2022 17:05

I'd have ignored you op - I'm not a rude person, but if someone held their phone up to me and said read this, I'd assume it was a scam or you were off your face.

KermitlovesKeyLimePie · 10/05/2022 17:07

If you couldn't see how do you know he had a face like a dick?