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Original poster

Just how bad was my behaviour?

43 replies

abitsheepish · 08/12/2004 15:41

I am a bit embarrassed about this - hence hiding under temporary name.

Picture the scene:

Christmas shopping with toddler in tow. Toddler getting hungry and tired. I go to restaurant area of large department store which is a big restaurant area - almost like a food court with several different serveries. Its packed solid.

Decide to speed things up by skipping lunch myself and getting toddler a sort of take out style lunch (its a pick and mix lunch where you choose 5 items like sandwiches, raisins, biscuits etc - you know the sort). Go to hatch with the shortest queue - only 5 people in front of me (as oppose to about 15 people in all other queues). They are all waiting to be served food, which is being prepared for them (it was a stir fry counter).

I ask politely:

"Excuse me, is it possible for you to just ring this through the till? I am not waiting for any food"

In reply I get a contemptuous sneer from the woman at the counter and (delivered in a hostile tone):

"You just have to wait your turn - there is a queue"

Now I don't know where this came from. I wasn't unduly stressed at the time, but I don't like to be spoken to rudely. Also didn't like the insinuation that I was trying to push in - as I felt my request was reasonable. So before I really knew what I was doing I reacted and tipped the contents of my toddlers food box over her hatchery, and said "It's okay, I don't want this any more!" and stormed off.

I'm a bit red as I write this now Blush. But just how bad was my behaviour and how much should I beat myself up over this?

OP posts:
MarsselectionboxLady · 08/12/2004 17:42

You go girl. Fantastic stuff. Haven't had a shopping incident for ages but have become decidedly rude to people who question me incessantly about the dts and want to find out all the details of my sex life and my ancestory. Have been known to ram people who push past me and babies in pram. Not a gentle ram either. Just enough to hobble them.

NoMoomAtTheInn · 08/12/2004 17:43

LOL dickwhittingtonscat - that wasn't a Books etc by any chance? Sounds just like the kind of excuse I used to give... Grin Grin

Original poster
abitsheepish · 08/12/2004 22:25

Blimey, it seems I'm in the company of lots of feisty people!. Yes, sorry about the 'hatchery' non-word, I was over excitable (re-living the moment)when I typed this Grin.

I have been haunted by thoughts of the other people at the counter making me the topic of their after dinner conversation:

"Do you know Edward, there was this deranged woman at the shop today - quite mad you know, and you'll never guess what she did......"

I think snowvary has it right - if I had said nothing rather then let it all out, I would have been brooding on it worse than the mild discomfort I feel at perhaps over stepping the mark a bit. Note to self though, to perhaps try to be a bit more 'sensible' in front of impressionable 2 year old in future.

OP posts:
Crystaltips · 08/12/2004 22:29

Ha Ha Ha Grin
Way to go girl!!!

moondog · 08/12/2004 22:40

IMO there are too may women (partic. British women, smiling politely and going 'Yes,sorry, sorry, oh don't mind me, no sorry sorry')
I pride myself on being v polite to people but if they are rude to me then yes, the 'red mist' sometimes descends and sadly people often respect you more for it
I have done it recently on the following occasions:

Snooty furniture shop demanding a 50% cash deposit for chairs they couldn't deliver for three months. Bought my chairs elsewhere.

Estate agent assistant who couldn't be bothered to look at me when I ran in panting, wanting details of a hose I'd seen having left the kids on a double yellow line in the car (nowhere to park)Bought my house elsewhere.

ANOTHER estate agent ignoring me (one who we were apying a fortune to to rent out our house) and who,when I asked politely to see someone, said 'We ARE very busy you know!) told her that Iwas too, having left a 2 week old baby and toddler at home to drive a 30 min round trip and that I neded to see someone NOW.

Lufthansa telling us 7 weeks ago on our trip back to Turkey that no, the four of us couldn't sit together. Wasn't having that.

Itreat people with great courtesy in my job, and have done however shitty the job I've had (and I've worked in dive pubs, cleaned toilets, grafted in cafes, alsorts).

More mum power Isay!As someone pointed out, the power is in your pocket. Let them know if things aren't good enough, and you'll have them eating out of your pocket (if you can be bothered to fire off the shitty e mail that is!)

JanH · 08/12/2004 22:47

hatchery is too a word - only it's normally where little baby fish grow up, rather than a place to get your lunch...

abitsheepish, I think you are great.

Am currently engaged in an email argument with 3 (phones). Doing my best to keep up the standard. Will let you know!

moondog · 08/12/2004 22:57

Three what janh? Phones? Companies? People?
Have you come out with some crackers?!
Details please!!
(My very best stroppy moment was collecting all the rubbish festering in the car park of the big boys steam train play ground under my house (Pixiefish will know the one!!) that they couldn't be arsed to collect, and stomping into the ticket office and dumping it on the counter.
Dh seriously thought they'd have the police onto me!)

JanH · 08/12/2004 23:06

moondog, how long have you been gorn? 3 is a mobile phone company!

DS1 had a new phone 2 months ago, it has died, 3's best offer is "stay in between 9 and 6 one day and we will collect it, and then 9 and 6 another day and we will bring it back mended!" I said stuff that, I want a new one, so I have cancelled my DD. ATM we are at stalemate.Grin

colditzcolditzcold · 08/12/2004 23:07

I did this in macdonalds once. They tried to charge me an "eat-in" price for a salad, which wasn't mentioned anywhere in the place, and their salads are pitiful anyway.

Flounced out huffing "I will not have my order corrected by someone who shouldn't even be up this late!"

Dp just sighed when I told him ("oh god, another place we can never visit again")

heavenlyghost · 09/12/2004 00:46

Ha ha ....
I did this the other day. In NZ there is a chain of shops called 'The Warehouse' where everything is bargain basement cheap cheap. I hate the place as it is like a warehouse but sometimes needs must.

I went in to get all the party gear for DS's party (plates, napkins, hats, party bags etc ... all Shrek 2 like he wanted). I asked the nearest sales assistant where the party stuff was. She didn't even look up and said "3 aisles up". I said, "Thankyou so much for your help" and went off to find the stuff.
After I had filled a trolley with all sorts of party crap I remembered that DS wanted a Pinata and that they sold them. I couldn't find them. I spotted a friendly looking assistant and approached him but he said, "It isn't my department, better ask her!" and pointed to the grumpy hag that had dealt with me earlier.
She was so rude to me it was unbelievable. She told me where they were, I went to find them only to see they were hanging 12 feet up, so I went back and asked her to get one down. She sighed very heavily and said, "You want me to get a ladder and get one down NOW?" So I said (I was getting hysterical by this time, baby crying, DS being naughty) ,"Yes please". So she had to get a ladder and climb up. She made so many complaining noises that when she was half way up I said, "I tell you what, forget it!" and walked straight to the customer service desk and made an official complaint about her.
I got $10 voucher but no apology!
Your behaviour was perfect IMO, abitsheepish!!!

xmashampermunker · 09/12/2004 00:49

I'd have done the same (or worse...). I get the red mist in situations like this Blush

merrymarthamoo · 09/12/2004 07:24

Fanbloodytastic, abitsheepish. I wish wish wish I was brave enough to do things like that!

And Thomcat - you always seemed like such a nice lady Shock!

Caligulights · 09/12/2004 09:06

Some brilliant stories here. Shopping rage is the way to go! Grin

miam · 09/12/2004 09:14

Shock at the terrible attitude of MNers towards poor shop staff!!!!

Grin only joking! lol at your stories! I once saw red mist when our local shop refused to give me my money back for a bag of carrots which were so soft they would not peel. I threatened to report them (don't know who to...) and told them I would boycott their shop forever and tell the entire village to do the same. I got my money back (the huge sum of 53p) and stalked out shaking with rage. However, I have had to skulk in recently to use the post-office and have had to swallow my pride so that the assistant would post my letters and not burn them.

Caligulights · 09/12/2004 09:17

Hope you asked for proof of posting MIAM!

miam · 09/12/2004 09:19

lol Cali - you've got me thinking now.... Grin

moondog · 09/12/2004 13:59

Thanks for putting me out of my misery JanH!
I have NO IDEA about mobile phones-think I'm the only person in the world without one!

moondog · 09/12/2004 14:00

Thanks for putting me out of my misery JanH!
I have NO IDEA about mobile phones-think I'm the only person in the world without one!

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