For being rude to an old lady

[ThePerkyCoralPoet]

Doing my food shop at m&s, I was rushing to pick someone up after. I needed some jam. Lady was in the way. I said “excuse me sorry can I just grab that” she just stood there so I proceeded to reach for the jam.

She gave me the most disgusting look I have ever recieved.

So because today has been a long day I said “ I did actually say excuse me and I did actually ask you to move out of the way” to which she responded “it’s such a me first attitude” I said “you do realise you’re in a supermarket. And you don’t own the supermarket. We all have places to be and people to see darling” and I walked off.

am I missing something here. Have I not used correct supermarket etiquette

Quite. We should just go somewhere and quietly die.

Absolutely. I mean it might be worth it for black cherry.

You were really rude.
How do you know she hadn't just lost her partner or was taking a break for caring for them.
Perhaps you shouldn't go shopping at a time you can't wait 15;seconds for someone to move.

Only if you don't go to die there using a free bus pass!

You would have had a verba slap from me for the sarcastic 'darling' followed by a "now fuck off, I don't put up with idiots."

This. ^ This is an 'aiming for classics' thread, and it hasn't gone how the OP wanted. 😬 She has gone off to lick her wounds now after getting her arse handed to her on plate.

Better luck next time @ThePerkyCoralPoet 😆

Any reasonable person would apologise and move slightly to the side when they realised they were in the way.

I only ever ask people to move if there trolley is in the way of a section of the aisle, not if a person is still browsing the section I need. If the latter I will wait for them to finish.

I think you were rude.

You were rude but sometimes you can't win. I was patiently waiting last week for some old people (at least late 70s, though age is irrelevant as it would have been the same if they were 20) to look at the fruit and get what they needed. I wasn't in a hurry and quite relaxed, so happy to just wait my turn. When they noticed me they quickly took a piece and moved on. The old guy muttered, "You can just say excuse me." Being happily patient doesn't help either. I was happy to not hurry them up and just wait and got grumped at anyway.

If they'd heard OP.
If they didn't have poor peripheral vision
If they were steady enough on their feet to move quickly.

Sometime last year Jeremy Vine did a segment in his show where he wore equipment which gave him the impairments someone twenty years older than him might have. It was brilliantly illuminating. His reactions slowed right down.

Probably because they've matured and reached the stage of giving no fucks and decide to not take crap service anymore..

Lol. You do realise you've just described yourself in a few years time, don't you? The sort of person who comes out with 'move out of my way and let me get my shopping' is the exact type who will become that 'aggressive and bitter old lady', as all that's missing is the 'old' part, and that'll be here before you know it.

You were rude. Did you even wait for a response when you said excuse me? Sounds as if you just pushed in front of her and said excuse me simultaneously and then when she didn’t excuse you, you took offence,

Agreed. It sounds like your tone was rude. Sometimes 'excuse me' can sound Like f off.

They are places to select and buy things, which is what this poor woman was doing. Nobody is obliged to shop in person if humans being human offends them, or if they can't understand that their wants don't always come first.

@farmlife2 ". I was patiently waiting last week for some old people (at least late 70s, though age is irrelevant as it would have been the same if they were 20)"

So if age is irrelevant, why did you mention it?

She wasn't "in the way". She was shopping.

Yes you are unreasonable, rude, entitled and ageist.
You are also a supermarket snob.

You'd have been quicker to get out of there if you'd not felt the urge to do a patronising monologue.

Because the title of the thread is about old people. 🙀

Having shopped in the M&S for my parents since Covid, then yes the place and the age is relevant as this behaviour is very much a thing I have seen in there more than anywhere else, from the same age group as my parents so 70's plus. Its actually one of the reasons I go for them, as they dont like going due to the rudeness of the other customers. So if it ageist for a 74 year old woman to call another 74 year old woman a "rude old woman", then my mother is ageist!

Sounds like he was a bit embarrassed.

It doesn't matter really though, does it? You behaved civilly and I presume you're not going to take it out on the next slow and elderly person you encounter shopping.

Definitely the strawberry conserve.

'Being pleasant is great but what would be actually helpful is stop faffing- supermarkets are not places to have a natter or Sunday dander.'

@Bababear987 you must have a terrible time if you go on holiday to France or anywhere where people shop daily at markets. Chit chat, ca va? Checking the produce.

We don't have those of course -
We have supermarkets, which are the nearest thing we have to everyday communal spaces. Heaven help if anyone should try to connect with anyone else and have a natter eh?

There's work being done in my supermarket and the fruit and vege section is really tight to get through at the moment. It's pretty awful. So extra patience is needed from everyone. I think we're all a bit slow in there at the moment.