So proud of my S.O.'s nonviolent solution

[Patiod]

We're sitting in the local pizzaria, looking out into the strip mall parking lot.

Bitch slams her shopping cart right into the grill of our car, then proceeds to unload her groceries, and walks toward the liquor store, leaving her cart on our front bumper. I got up to go yell at her, and SO signaled me to sit still.

He went out, unhooked the cart from our bumper (she hit it so hard it was wedged on there), and wheeled it around to her passenger door, where he laid it on its side on the ground, blocking her door.

She comes back to the car, looks at the cart, goes immediately to the front of our car, sees that the cart she slammed into us is gone, and puts 2+2 together. She angrily picked it up, shoved it, and sent it careening into the curb in front of the strip center where it sat, an accident waiting to happen. Once she left, SO moved the cart so no one would hit it (it was in the middle of the busy traffic lane).

I would have confronted her and cursed or yelled (good Quaker that I am). His was was more effective - no yelling, no violence, no further damage to property, but the message got across: People SAW her bad behavior.

Was she psycho, or are some people just that rude?

[Earth_First]

1. Unfortunately it seems to be a growing problem...

people being that rude, that is.

[DS1]

2. I'd have passive agressively ( or active ) ran it right along the side

of her car

[driver8]

11. Or...flip the cart upside down and put it on the hood of her car!

I wouldn't have been as nice as the original poster's SO.

[skygazer]

3. Except he's lucky she didn't bash it into your car AGAIN

I wouldn't be a bit surprised - people like that don't care if they're seen or not.

[Patiod]

9. In which case S.O. would have come in handy

He's the son of a Teamster, and LOOKS it. I've seen people cross the street to avoid him - he's that big and threatening looking. He's an actor, and he played a sociopath in one show, and I watched people in the seats around me cringe and literally try and back up in their seats to get further away from him - he's can do menace that well.

He and an equally disreputable-looking friend came into an audition once, and the director laughed and said "geez, for a minute there, I thought somebody owed somebody some money." He would have scared this woman out of her mind.

All the more reason I was happy that he handled things so calmly.

[flvegan]

4. Who's paying to fix the car?

That's what I'd have done differently. Otherwise, well played on behalf of your SO.

Sounds like the woman with the cart needs an intervention...

[Patiod]

7. well, fortunate (or unfortunately, it's not spotless)

There are already a few minor dings, so one more isn't that noticeable.

It's not a beater by any means, but not hot off the showroom floor, either

[EstimatedProphet]

5. Rudeness is on the increase

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=940224

[leftofthedial]

6. starting with reagan, the repukes have made sociopathy

fashionable.

[JVS]

8. I'd have jumped on her tail pipe to fuck up her exhaust system

Or just shoot her

[driver8]

10. I would have been pissed -- her car would get a key down the side

of it.

That isn't just rudeness...that is being a total f*cking asshole.

[Jazz2006]

12. After she moved the cart from in front of her door without acknowledging

what she'd done, I'd have probably pitched it on top of her car and said, "Oops, how did THAT get there?"

[NMMNG]

13. Some people are just that rude

Nowadays respect for other peoples' property is sorely lacking. A few years ago the kid of the guy across the street was riding her bike around and rammed it into my next-door neighbor's SUV. Her father was sitting on the tailgate of his SUV (ostensibly to supervise her) and saw the whole thing. Did he come over to see what damage had been done? Did he chastise her for her behavior? No, he barely looked up from the book he was reading to make sure his precious brat wasn't hurt, noticed that my roomie was standing in the front window and had seen the entire thing, then went back to reading his book. He didn't give a damn that his kid had just smashed into somebody's vehicle in full view of at least one neighbor!

That's just one of the lovely things that we put up with around here. :eyes:

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

15. It could be worse...

When I was a health food store buyer, we had these stupid kiddie shopping carts. Parents always let their kids run rampant with them. I mean, we once broke them in the hopes that the owner wouldn't buy new ones. It didn't work he replaced the two broken ones and bought an extra. Anyway, one day, I'm sitting on the floor putting away one of my orders. This kid comes charging down the aisle at top speed and rams her cart straight into me. It was hard enough to bruise me and push me back a bit. The father comes over, fully seeing what happened, and is very concerned if she's okay. No reprimanding, no asking if I'm okay. This sort of behavior was common in the store. My parents would've kicked my ass for doing not even half the shit these kids pull. Even if my ass wasn't actually kicked, they would have removed me from the store.

[NMMNG]

16. Indeed. I would have caught hell for pulling stuff kids today

pull (and wouldn't do half the stuff adults do today).

One time I was riding my bike and wasn't paying enough attention to where I was going. A car had to beep at me because I went too far into the road. My grandmother overheard and made me put my bike in the shed for an entire week to teach me a lesson about responsibility. I learned to pay attention.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

17. Another thing I learned working there...

if any employee told these kids to calm down or stop doing whatever (even a 16 year old cashier, who's like an adult to a little kid) that kid would listen. Then, either the parents would thank us or complain that they were parents and we were mere store help. It's not like we beat the kids or yelled at them, we just told them to basically be good. They listened. What parent could possibly have an issue with that?

[NMMNG]

22. The parents who have a problem

are the ones who are embarassed because someone is doing their job for them and essentially pointing out that they (the parents) are slackers.

[marzipanni]

25. LOL- the only tantrum I remember my son having

was when he was 2+ and he saw those kids' shopping carts for the first time. I thought it was cute 'til I saw how he was going to operate the thing...your description pretty much describes it, but I stopped him before he hit someone. I put the mini-cart back, he started sobbing, and I gave up the idea of shopping in favor of taking him home. As I recall, he was zonked out in his carseat several minutes later!

[tjdee]

14. She was obviously having a bad day.

This is what happens when we as a society don't teach people how to deal with problems/mental issues/etc.

Your SO's reaction was just right. If someone is out of control, yelling/getting back in their face doesn't help the situation. The kneejerk reaction is to do that, but I'm glad there are people like your SO who know to just... relax.

[Patiod]

18. My reaction exactly!!

I assumed she was having problems. But I still would have yelled at her.

SO's action let her know someone saw her and she was out of line, but wasn't directly confrontational and gave her an escape (since she we would not have been able to prove damage - the paint was chipped, but it was hard to tell if it was her fault).

He admitted today that his first inclination was to put the cart upside down on top of her car - which would have been a lot funnier. But what he did was much healthier for all. And not a bad example for the folks in the pizzaria, who were watching the whole thing unfold -- right actions do resonate.

[GalleryGod]

19. Hijack: Didja' Se Ryans' BLAST yesterday, Patti?

Yikes!

[Patiod]

20. That was incredibly cool - they're still waiting for it to land!!!!

Made me feel better about my recent real estate investment at Citizen's Bank Park. Especially after Friday night, when we left without even entering the stadium, because it was too cold. And our first tickets, which got rained out.

I'm hoping the weather and the hitting/pitching holds up for our next tickets on Wednesday v. Colorado

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=215&topic_id=36276&mesg_id=36276

[GalleryGod]

21. We're in for tonite-looking for my parka

My kid and her SO have the package after ours-she saw the game Madsen gave up 7 runs in the 50 minute 1st inning.

[GalleryGod]

27. Good Game. 6-5. Wear Something Warm.

[BikeWriter]

23. Murder sounds like a good option.

[Redstone]

24. Your SO's a better man than I. I'd have put it through her windshield.

Redstone

[Patiod]

26. Redstone - you may have been to that pizzaria!

In the shopping center catty-corner to where the bowling alley used to be in Plymouth Meeting (now an REI). Illianos III - been there since the shopping center was built...

If I understood you correctly, the house you used to rent is still where it was, although a few houses around it have been torn down. Word is, they'd like to straighten Flourtown Road where it doglegs at Butler, snarling traffic at two lights.

[Redstone]

28. Oh, yeah, I know Illiano's! And I know about them wanting to rip up

the intersection of Flourtown & Butler; they've been planning for thirty years, but some of the houses there are in a historical district.

I still can't believe how Plymouth Meeting has turned into a city. Ah, well, at least Pudge's will still be there in a couple fo months when I go down ther on business.

Thanks a bunch for the update. Good to hear news of the old place.

Funny, we have a terrific pizza place across the river from us here in Connecticut, also called Illiano's. No relation to the one there, though.

Redstone

[MissMillie]

29. Always, always, always

carry a disposable camera in your car.

It would have been great if you could have gotten pictures of the cart lodged on your bumper, a picture of her car parked right next to yours, and a picture of her license plate.

That way, if there's a claim to be filed, you can get evidence right then and there.