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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

To call this an assault?

374 replies

trustyrustie · 27/06/2023 21:21

I was shopping in one of those supermarkets, that isn’t actually a supermarket but sells all the stuff that you know that you don’t know you need until you walk in today. When I finished, I approached the till area. There were a few tills with one woman on one till. the other tills were empty. I joined the queue for the till and there were three or four people ahead of me.

I had a trolley with two items in it, and I was holding the trolley with both hands. At some point the cashier left her position at the till to walk towards the customer services desk and look at two ladies working there. I didn’t realise she had done this until she yelled over aggressively to them “I’m sending some customers down to you because I’ve got plenty of them here” or words to that effect.

Without me expecting it she then aggressively physically pushed my trolley while I still had hold of it with both hands so that it spun 45° to the right in the direction of the customer services desk. My arms were pulled and my body was spun around as it went. She then turned around and went back to her till.

I think this was an assault.

I was shocked and upset… A few people that I know agree with me, and a few don’t

AIBU?

OP posts:
Original poster
trustyrustie · 28/06/2023 00:01

Well im going to Bed now thanks for the comments I will catch up with any new comments tomorrow

OP posts:
Livelovebehappy · 28/06/2023 00:03

Were you injured? If not, I think that rules out compensation if that’s what you’re after. Doesn’t sound like assault, but definitely rude. I would maybe complain on that basis, but wouldn’t accuse her of assault…

ToxicBiennial · 28/06/2023 00:03

Nighty night.

Ilovetea13 · 28/06/2023 00:04

Wow I can't believe some posters on here!!
To downplay this as a overreaction by the OP, if this happened to me in a shop I would be very upset as I'm sure most of you would of been.
The OP was obviously NOT expecting her trolley to be launched whilst still holding on to it so is bound to of been in shock and wasn't able to fully balance herself or comprehend what happened.
Whilst not an actual physical assault per se, it was most definitely an act of aggression.
Disgusting behaviour from the shop assistant I would definitely lodge a complaint against her(hopefully there will be cctv) .
Your definitely not overacting OP.

TheDinosaurDuchess · 28/06/2023 00:05

I mean having deciphered more of the information available.

It really was an "acute" situation. But I definitely wouldn't want to be "optuse" about it.

I think, what we really need to do, is look at this situation from all "angles", and really look at the varying "degrees" pertaining to the definition of assault.

Caramelsmadfuzzytail · 28/06/2023 00:24

G'night

CrumpetsBeotch · 28/06/2023 00:25

I'd call a lawyer right away, OP! No win, no fee.

BlackeyedSusan · 28/06/2023 00:44

trustyrustie · 27/06/2023 21:30

I think she pushed it because there was some internal unrest going on between her and her colleagues, and she felt that she was serving more customers than they were. In the act of her spinning my trolley, unexpectedly, very quickly and hard because she was enraged, it jerked my arms forward and spun my body around and I was left feeling quite disoriented

If she'd done it to me I'd have fallen over.

If she'd done that to DD she'd have fallen over and subluxated a shoulder.

BlackeyedSusan · 28/06/2023 00:45

She's lucky she got away with not doing you and injury.

Makemyday99 · 28/06/2023 00:49

Is this a genuine question? What tf is the world coming to. Drama queen

truthhurts23 · 28/06/2023 01:03

I wouldn’t say it was an assault but she was being physically aggressive and what she did was very unnecessary, I would’ve called her out on it but you didn’t so you’ve just got to let it go
she sounds like she was pissed off and took it out on your trolley without thinking about how it would effect you and that is wrong
alot of people d9 this when they are angry, they might throw something in anger and not consider they might hit an innocent by stander

WhoHasTimeForThat · 28/06/2023 01:06

Why were you “gripping” the trolley if you were in the queue? Where did you think it was going to go? Usually in a queue people either let go of the handle until they can move forward a space or just rest a hand on it. No need to grip it if you’re not pushing it.

Orban · 28/06/2023 01:17

Civil unrest

Thedogscollar · 28/06/2023 01:23
laugh out loud lol GIF by Macmillan Kids

Crying laughing at this thread.

Betterlatethanontime · 28/06/2023 01:26

I don’t know if it it’s assault or not, but if you fell while she did this she would have lost her job.

Chasingadvice · 28/06/2023 02:20

I'm assuming you've never actually been assaulted op and have lived a very plain life.

Avondale89 · 28/06/2023 02:56

well this thread has almost made my insomnia worth it tonight.

I’m not sure if the OP is more entertaining, or the odd lunatic who keeps popping up attempting to prosecute the trolley spinner for assault.

MichelleScarn · 28/06/2023 03:50

Chasingadvice · 28/06/2023 02:20

I'm assuming you've never actually been assaulted op and have lived a very plain life.

Yes, how many on here have actually been assaulted at work, punched, kicked, slapped, spat on etc and NOTHING is ever done because the person says they were stressed/upset!

Caramelatt · 28/06/2023 05:28

Quiverer · 27/06/2023 23:58

The fact that Mumsnet's massed non-lawyers have jumped on a bandwagon does not make their views in any way accurate or conclusive.

Show quote history

If this really lis an assault, why would you tell op it's not worth reporting to police?

Wineisgreat · 28/06/2023 05:34

You clearly don't have enough going on in your life if you spend this amount of time talking about this! 🙄

Worrieddmum · 28/06/2023 06:52

Anyone saying it's not assault is wrong.

There are three forms of assault in England and Wales:

There are three basic types of assault offence set out in law – common assault, actual bodily harm (ABH) and wounding / grievous bodily harm (GBH). They are primarily defined by the harm caused to the victim – with common assault at the lower end of harm and GBH at the upper end.
They cover everything from threatening words to a severe physical attack that leaves the victim permanently disabled.

This would likely fall under the remit of a common assault:

A person is guilty of common assault if they either inflict violence on another person – however slight this might be – or make that person think they are about to be attacked.

They do not have to be physically violent – for example, threatening words or a raised fist could lead the victim to believe they are going to be attacked – and that is enough for the crime to have been committed. Other acts like spitting at someone may also classed as common assault.

The offence covers both intentional and reckless acts. For example, the offender may not have intended to cause the victim to think an attack was imminent but if they behaved in way that was likely to make the victim think they were about to be attacked, and they didn’t care what effect that behaviour would have, the offender is guilty of the offence.

@trustyrustie did you make a complaint in store or to the police?

ProfessorXtra · 28/06/2023 06:55

Worrieddmum · 28/06/2023 06:52

Anyone saying it's not assault is wrong.

There are three forms of assault in England and Wales:

There are three basic types of assault offence set out in law – common assault, actual bodily harm (ABH) and wounding / grievous bodily harm (GBH). They are primarily defined by the harm caused to the victim – with common assault at the lower end of harm and GBH at the upper end.
They cover everything from threatening words to a severe physical attack that leaves the victim permanently disabled.

This would likely fall under the remit of a common assault:

A person is guilty of common assault if they either inflict violence on another person – however slight this might be – or make that person think they are about to be attacked.

They do not have to be physically violent – for example, threatening words or a raised fist could lead the victim to believe they are going to be attacked – and that is enough for the crime to have been committed. Other acts like spitting at someone may also classed as common assault.

The offence covers both intentional and reckless acts. For example, the offender may not have intended to cause the victim to think an attack was imminent but if they behaved in way that was likely to make the victim think they were about to be attacked, and they didn’t care what effect that behaviour would have, the offender is guilty of the offence.

@trustyrustie did you make a complaint in store or to the police?

How does moving a trolley, firmly, make someone think they are going to be attacked?

Worrieddmum · 28/06/2023 07:02

Grabbing the trolley and turning OP 90 degrees, jerking her round, against her will, is an act of violence, however slight.

MrsSamR · 28/06/2023 07:08

What did I just read??