to be slightly disturbed in fighting with an OAP in M&S

[TabithaTwitchett]

Another post has made me remeber this (I had tried to block it out). On New Years Eve I met my mam and Granny at the food section of M&S in order to go back to the car. My mam had waited near the cash machine where there was a big bench nearby. I stood there and waited with my mam for Granny when this nasty old man came and started throwing food and tins on the bench next to us.

He was muttering "are they going yet' and had an accomplice with him. My mam walked off and I ended up having a slanging match with him as he accused me of taking up space, using my mobile and being a bastard in his food packing area. I am normally mild mannered but started arguing and my mam had to intervene. I was fuming!!

Just remembered this and had to get it off my chest!

You are obviously Liverpudlian

It sounds as if he was what s technically known as a "nutter". Don't worry about it.

I once lost my rag, very slightly, with a traveller couple who had taken a colossal (eighty quid's worth) trolley through the "ten items or fewer" line at my local Co-Op, then very slowly packed before even starting to look for money to pay. "Oh for heaven's sakes, you've held us all up long enough. Can't you at least pay quickly? (points at sign) Can't you read?"

Huge explosion. Ranting, raving, threats of violence and then they disappeared in a huff, leaving their food and patrolled outside in their white van for twenty minutes while I lurked and was thanked by the cashier, the manager and several other shoppers.

It took me a while to work out why the reaction was so extreme, but I think I got it ...

They couldn't read

Hence the wrong queue (no "handbasket" symbol on the sign, just words) and the stalking off (they couldn't read the total on the till, and after the rant had forgotten and were too embarrassed to ask again).