Fuming about directions woman

[HowardsWahey]

I live in a seaside town that, at this time of year in particular, is very popular with tourists. Therefore it's quite common to be stopped and asked for directions or local information. I never mind, but I think a bit of gratitude doesn't go amiss.

Some woman and her husband stopped me today and asked if there was anywhere nearby they could get some fish and chips. I started saying, "Yes, if you walk to the bottom of the road just behind us, you'll see a big retail park with Sainsbury's and Lidl..."

Then, when I'm mid-sentence, she cuts me off and says, "Oh that's lovely - but we just fancied some fish and chips", saying "fish and chips" as if I was a bit simple and needed them explained to me. I gave her a bit of a look and said, "And if you'd let me finish, I'd have told you which turning to take at the retail park for the fish and chip shop".

I thought she'd have the sense to realise she shouldn't have interrupted, but she made a sort of huffing noise and said, "Well THAT'S a bit rude! I was only asking." So I said, "And I was only answering - but you interrupted me. THAT'S rude. Enjoy your chips". And I walked off.

What the hell is wrong with some people?! Someone takes time out of their day to help them out, and they won't take two seconds to listen! I hope she and her droopy-faced husband are still wandering about desperate to find their cod and chips 😄

She should have apologised for interrupting OP then, that's the normal thing to do. Fish wife was very rude.

I hope the Just Eat guy has a perfectly erect face.

I thought you were very rude to the OP. Is she not allowed to stand up to you?

It sounds like a mis-matched interaction where both of you didn't get where the other was coming from. I agree with PP that as a tourist in a seaside town, being directed to a retail park probably isn't what they want. But the woman should have said "Is there one near the seafront do you know?" As it is, it sounds like she assumed that, whereas a local might not.

But people often interrupt to clarify things. She should have been more polite about what she wanted and you shouldn't have been so bothered about her interrupting.

Very obviously it was entirely relevant as it was ON THE WAY to the chip shop. Normally in life when you are giving people directions, you point out landmarks to follow. Had the OP said "go down Grange Road, then go down the High Street, then turn right into Watson Street" the woman and droopy husband wouldn't have a clue. But pointing to a retail park and saying head for there is pretty normal.

But we're not all wet lettuces.

Come on op. You mean you don’t offer to take them to the chip shop door and then pay for their meal 😆

I totally fail to see how you were being rude,

some on here seem to take exception to the fact you included Lidl in your directions. Now a Waitrose on the other hand!!!!

Honestly would love to know how the posters who said your were being unreasonable would have said anything different. This site gets more and more bizarre

YANBU, she was impatient and rude. I used to volunteer in a hospital and my first role was directing people to the correct dept. Often people would interrupt or just walk away while I was talking. They usually then ended up in the wrong place!

Posters on here love to be contrary, just for shits and giggles, it seems.

Well i guess wet lettuces are chill

Nah, good on you. I actually like your style….too many rude people around these days

Ooh I wish I were that quick witted. I would probably have apologised!

I thought this was going to be a thread about someone who had given OP directions that were completely wrong so she was annoyed!

Well, when you are giving directions to someone who's a stranger to the town, street names are generally of no use to them, so you direct by landmarks, e.g you'll see a big church with a clock tower ahead, turn left at The Red Lion, etc. I'd expect that "the big retail park with Sainsbury’s and Lidl" is quite the landmark with signs and everything. <rolls eyes>

Have you ever given anyone directions? Did they get to where they wanted to go?

Serves her right.
The irony of calling you rude for interrupting her when she had done exactly the same to you, when you were trying to do her a favour!

Maybe a seagull will nick the fish and another one will plop on the chips. She will probably tell them they are very rude too.

😂😂😂😂

Yeah but by then, OP had given her "a look" and had said "if you'd let me finish," which imo is a rude way to say "I wasn't done." Interrupting can be rude if it's done on purpose, sure, but people do it all the time by accident. It shouldn't have been a big deal and OP did choose to escalate it, let's be honest. It does just seem like a storm in a teacup and it's strange to be fuming about it hours later!

Who was quick witted?

I would have just walked away

And women ARE allowed to cut someone off, the same way men are. Why exactly was she ‘stupid’?

Because she asked for directions then wouldn't listen to them.

But is the new Lidl anywhere near the retail park? Or a fish and chip shop? Enquiring minds will want to know!

She only had to stop talking and walk off, it would have taken more of her valuable time to argue

‘If you’d let me finish’ was rude op- sorry, you were both rude

I agree but I suppose people wanting one 'on the front' explains why people queue forever to get into The Magpie in Whitby in a town where there’s many other fish and chip places that are as good or usually better as well as having shorter queues and are cheaper.