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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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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:
sewerrat · 27/06/2023 21:35

Veryverycalmnow · 27/06/2023 21:33

That's awful. I don't know how she would think that was ok. I presume it hurt. Are you still hurt or just still shocked? I would complain.

yeah I think she's got whiplash id be putting a claim right in for a chiropractor too for the strained muscle from being shoved out of the way. where there's a blame, there's a claim!

Augend23 · 27/06/2023 21:35

I think the (much more violent) analogue to this would be e.g. if you were sitting on a stool and someone hooked their leg into it and knocked it over - it's not assaulting you with an object like a stick but it is a similar thing to the trolley.

No idea if it's assault or not though, I think that is a legal question.

It sounds unpleasant OP, I can certainly see that. What difference does it make whether it is or isn't assault?

Original poster
trustyrustie · 27/06/2023 21:35

@Jifmicroliquid I didn’t have the opportunity to let go because she pushed it extremely hard and extremely quickly, and I wasn’t expecting her to do that.

OP posts:
FatAgainItsLettuceTime · 27/06/2023 21:35

Do you often over react and over inflate a situation.

There's so much hyperbole in your description 'shocked', 'disoriented', 'enraged'......

The cashier abruptly moved the trolley you were holding onto. She didn't assault you or cause you any form of grievous traumatic harm. She moved your trolley.

WhaleBlue · 27/06/2023 21:36

You’re overreacting

Cosycover · 27/06/2023 21:36

I don't think its an assault but its extremely rude.

I would have said something. Did you?

qwertyuiopasfghjklzxcvbnenk · 27/06/2023 21:36

100% overreaction here. Get a grip.

dinoice · 27/06/2023 21:37

But if she hit you with a stick it's the same as ramming you with a trolley. She didn't do that, she turned trolley around.

Request the cctv, lodge a complaints with store, pursue compensation, get them all sacked. But it's still not an assault

Jifmicroliquid · 27/06/2023 21:37

trustyrustie · 27/06/2023 21:35

@Jifmicroliquid I didn’t have the opportunity to let go because she pushed it extremely hard and extremely quickly, and I wasn’t expecting her to do that.

Her behaviour was awful and extremely rude, but I don’t think it was assault. It was a thoughtless action that unfortunately upset/hurt you.
Did you speak up at the time?

wildworldtumes · 27/06/2023 21:37

Do you mean somewhere like Home Bargains?

It doesn't sound like assault to me as she didn't attack you but I think I need more information. Do you have a disability / are uneasy on your feet and were you gripping the trolley for support?

BSTAMEX · 27/06/2023 21:38

trustyrustie · 27/06/2023 21:28

I am interested to know why you think it wasn’t an assault?

Because she didn't maliciously hurt or intend to hurt you, and she didn't touch you at all.

Yes it's not nice but you're being over the top to be 'shocked and upset.'

45 degrees isn't a lot and my toddler knocks the trolley all the time and it spins like that. No idea how you hurt your arms though.

IhearyouClemFandango · 27/06/2023 21:38

Wow, this is all very dramatic. I would have said something to someone about not being moved around by a member of staff, but assaulted? Disoriented? With all due respect, get a grip. (Or loosen one, perhaps)

honeycookies · 27/06/2023 21:38

I wouldn’t say it’s assault - this isn’t a criminal offence. I think she should have asked you to go to a different till and offered to bring the trolley for you instead of pushing the trolley though. But ultimately I don’t think it’s quite the threshold for assault.

Growlybear83 · 27/06/2023 21:38

Good grief - of course it wasn't an assault. The woman sounds very rude but I think you've over reacted massively.

CaroleSinger · 27/06/2023 21:39

I think you don't understand the definition of assault.

JudgeRudy · 27/06/2023 21:39

It was a rude but I wasn't there so can't judge if I'd class it as actual bodily harm or assault. Why didn't you respond at the time if you felt you had been assaulted?

sewerrat · 27/06/2023 21:40

keep receipts for all medicine, public transport, chiropractors. get yourself checked for whiplash too

Kitcaterpillar · 27/06/2023 21:40

I think she pushed it because there was some internal unrest going on between her and her colleagues,

It's not often something makes me laugh out loud on Mumsnet. It's good stuff.

BakedTattie · 27/06/2023 21:40

I’d be pissed off if someone did this to me.

did you say anything to her?

Dacadactyl · 27/06/2023 21:41

Well it wasn't great customer service but its not assault.

If it had happened to me, I'd have complained at the time if she'd hurt me.

However, I'd be wondering whether she'd already said to people at her till, "go down to customer services cos they're free" or words to that effect which you hadnt heard, because it seems drastic for staff to go round pulling trolleys.

But, its not assault. And I think calling it that is insulting to actual assault victims tbh.

Infusionist · 27/06/2023 21:41

trustyrustie · 27/06/2023 21:34

@Infusionist she pushed it very hard and very quickly with rage

Sure, but 45 degrees is hardly moving round at all. Unless she’s the Hulk there’s no way it could be fast enough to be painful or disorientating.

Original poster
trustyrustie · 27/06/2023 21:42

@BakedTattie no, I didn’t say anything to her because I was no longer facing in her direction, and when I turned around, she was well on her way back to her till. I also wouldn’t engage in an argument with somebody in that situation just because their behaviour was poor.

OP posts:
TheNameIsDickDarlington · 27/06/2023 21:42

trustyrustie · 27/06/2023 21:28

I am interested to know why you think it wasn’t an assault?

I'm fairly sure an assault has to cause fear of immediate and unlawful force. Or something like that, basically you have to be in fear that you are about to be hurt, which is why silent phone calls could be classed as assault even though the person isn't even in the same room as you.

I think Battery is when you're not aware of it or in fear of it. But in that case they do have to physically touch you in some way.

I agree that it was rude, aggressive and I can see how it would upset you. I would suggest emailing the company as I can't imagine this kind of behaviour is what they want their customers experiencing.

Bluelightbaby · 27/06/2023 21:42

Mountain out of a mole hill springs to mind ! I wouldn’t of given it a second thought tbh

MrsSchrute · 27/06/2023 21:43

Assault: An assault is any act (and not mere omission to act) by which a person intentionally or recklessly causes another to suffer or apprehend immediate unlawful violence.