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 😄

@HowardsWahey

You lost any moral high ground by being so nasty about her husband.

What a vile comment, calling him 'droopy faced.'

I'm shocked that you have such a high % of YANBU. They can't have read your post fully, and the nasty comment you made. Hopefully, the next time this couple stop to ask someone directions, they meet someone more affable and pleasant than you.

.

They still won't listen to the directions, though

‘Fish Wife’? What a nasty, misogynistic insult. Was there any indication she was brash or loud? And if so, could you really not have come up with a better insult?

Your comment, op, "if you'd have let me finish I'd have told you" , was uncalled for. You might as well have said "well you're a shit listener so now I'm not telling you" That's basically why she said you were rude. Because you were. You could have continued with the directions and she'd have realised for herself that she hadn't listened. She'd probably have added "Ah sorry.... of course, thanks".
To me, you come across as uncharitable, oversensitive, and impatient in communication, especially as you continue to wish them ill in your subsequent posts. Why does such a throwaway exchange with strangers warrant all the head space?!
You're thinking of them still, far longer than they will be thinking of you, because it didn't go as you'd have liked and because she called you out on your rudeness. Correctly.

oh please

The woman was rude. Not everyone has to smile meekly and accept rudeness.
CF only get away with because too many people don't dare calling them out.
The OP wasn't rude, she made a point.

You have A LOT of feelings about a very small interaction between 2 strangers though, are you the woman or something 😂

You can have retail parks AND a beach in the same location you know! Where do you think people actually living in seaside areas buy their groceries? For all you know that shop was the closest one to the beach, and, if it wasn't, if she was so specific about wanting to eat chips on the beach (which there is no evidence to actually indicate, but is something you have completely made up) then perhaps she'd be better off walking to the beach and then asking someone?

Most people would assume that someone wanted directions to the nearest/a good "chipper"(?) not one in a completely different place.

I'm laughing at all the posters getting so offended on behalf of the poor bassett hound husband. It's not like OP said it to his face, what he doesn't know can't hurt him (whereas spending his life tied to a rude impatient twat can and probably does!)

So is interrupting
The women asking for directions deserved it
It's bad manners to interrupt

The joke just went flying (stolen by a seagull?) past your head babe....

I assume the poster used fish wife as a pun because she was asking for fish and chips...

Eh? You called her lairy. Hypocrite 😂 ETA it was actually a pun.

Some people are like that though. She may have misheard or misunderstood or just been lairy

People like that are too stupid to realise that they haven't been using their listening ears or comprehension skills

No you weren’t rude, I live in a similar place - tourists can often speak to people just going about their daily business like they’re there to facilitate their holiday

Impatient rude woman. I hope they didn’t find the fish and chips place!

We have a retail park right next to the beach where I live. 😱😱

I once gave directions in under one minute and at the end I saw the person had no idea. So the next time someone else asked and again there are several twists and turns (where are their Google Maps by the way?), I said to walk 100 metres down that way, and it was not the full direction but I think they would stop and ask someone else at the next part. It wasn’t a seaside village though, just a city area and at midday with lots of workers out getting lunch.

Fuming?

It's a bit hypocritical of you to criticise OP for how much headspace she's given the incident, given you have written 13 lines of text rambling about it when you weren't even involved!

Kind of? It's like a cross between a retail park and industrial estate, although I'm miles from the seaside! We don't have a Sainsbury's here either, much to my chagrin, although we do have a Tesco, Waitrose and M&S food shop.

Because clearly she thought you’d misunderstood her so she thought she needed to stop you.

It’s a perfectly normal thing to do.

No need for your snotty reply.

How on earth could she have thought that when OP was literally telling her where to go? she didnt even let her finish - thats rude

Look, the woman interrupted because she didn’t fully get that fish and chips by the sea entailed passing a retail park. Technically, yes, she was in the wrong to interrupt and not hear you out. But had you really wanted to be helpful, you could have explained and she would likely have apologised. Or maybe not, in which case you would have cause for grievance. Instead, you upped the ante. And you’ve posted on here because you want to be let off the hook. Own it. Learn from it.

It's not perfectly normal, at all. Such weird replies on here. The normal thing would have been for the woman to apologise to OP.

Look, the woman interrupted because she didn’t fully get that fish and chips by the sea entailed visiting a retail park.

They dont. The retail park was a landmark to indicate which road to go down.
If she had allowed her to finish instead of interrupting it would have been obvious it was part of the directions but she couldn't bear to wait even a few stupid seconds before butting in. Stupid woman

The woman just processed too quickly. Not ideal, but it happens often enough. She wasn’t intentionally rude.

Then she should have apologised - but she didnt do that either.

RUDE.