Rude old man shouted at 4 year old DS

[ThisOldThang]

I was walking on a quiet residential road with both my sons (7 and 4). I was pushing the empty buggy. My eldest son was walking next to me and my youngest son was had fallen behind by around 10m.

I heard a man shout 'GET OUT OF MY WAY'. I turned around and an old man (65-70 years old) had passed my youngest son and was walking towards us.

When he passed he said 'You need to control your children.'

I replied 'He's 4.'

The rude old codger then started going on about how my son had been in his way, so I told him that he should have said excuse me, rather than shouting at a 4 year old.

Anyway, there was a bit more back and forth and I called him a rude old man and we went on our way. When I looked back, he was on the phone. Who to, I have no idea.

AIBU?
No and he's lucky that I'm not the sort of person that kicks off in front of my kids.

Yes. He's old and allowed to shout at young children in the street.

It is the point of what the poster was replying to though… which was someone stating that 65/70 was not old.

I understand that. I am asking the poster I quoted what 65/70 is, if not old.

If she had three children, they would be referred to as 'eldest' or 'youngest'. As she only has two children, the correct terms are 'older' and 'younger'. Comparative and superlative - grammar.

What a shame - you might even learn something if you were not aware of this grammatical comparison.

That's unnecessarily rude. Children shouldn't be playing on pavements. A 4 year old should absolutely be in sight of their parent.

I think the person behind you is you in about 10 years time you’ve had a glimpse of your future.

I mean I typically go to parties to have fun, not to be educated on pedantic grammatical rules. Plus, I've already learned now. It's a win win. Did you

*He - reading the OPs posts

It is really annoying when parents let their kids stray - the young ones have no spacial awareness, common sense etc of course - because they're young. Everyone has to side step this way, that way, back again, hold back, do a dance to get round the erratically moving buggers.

I had reins when i was a kid!

And I dont let my dog stray away too far - she would get in the way of other people. Same thing. Yes i am making the dogs and children comparison and I make no apology for it. It is appropriate for this context.

ETA - he should not have shouted rudely at a four year old but you shouldnt have let him stray so far either. I disagree with both voting options

Why should they not be playing on pavements? Why don't children have the same rights as anyone else to use the pavement as they wish?

@ImImmortalNowBabyDoll pavements aren’t playgrounds, should they be able to play in the road too?

No, because the road is for cars. The pavement is for people. People can use the pavement however they wish as long as it's not obstructed and people can get past- which the man could easily have done by saying "excuse me." For children who don't have gardens , the pavement is exactly where they should be playing.

@ImImmortalNowBabyDoll a park is where they should be playing not a pavement

Pavements are for pedestrians, like roads are for cars or other modes of transport

Don't be ridiculous. You don't own the pavement any more than children do so you have zero right to try to decide what they do on it.

The op is a bloke not a woman.

No one has the right to use the pavement as they wish. Footpaths are to allow pedestrians to safely get from A-B.

Forgetting about the man for a moment. I know it has been said many times but you should never let a small child out of your sight, never let them walk behind you unless you are in a large field, never on a pavement.

Yeah, who wants that in their life?

And why is being six foot one of any relevance? Presumably because OP can bash old codger (who might be training for a Marathon) into a pulp. What weirdness.

OP may have reacted differently if he'd come across Madonna...

👌

Yes, there is a point to be made about age and possible cognitive decline, but I find more and more when I'm wandering about outside, some random man or woman (of any age) will appear and start screaming their head off at nothing and to no-one. I this point I always do a risk assessment: are they armed, have they seen me, are they seeing anything, where is the nearest exit?

Where on earth did you get the idea from that a pavement can be used as you wish?

YABU. A 4yr old needs proper supervision, not allowed to lag behind unseen.

I remember my mum telling me about when she saw a little kid suddenly run into the road and was killed by a car, when the mum was dealing with her other child.

My poor mum was fairly traumatised by it and this has made me very vigilant with mine, especially if I was supervising a play date in the park.