Hey, asshole, I'm talking to you. I've never met you, but you must be an asshole.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How can you be so angry at someone, when you say that she's right?

She doesn't have to understand your inner workings. And maybe it's not her goal to be liked but to keep someone from making a stupid, life-changing mistake.

A car running you over isn't going to brake extra hard because they understand you had a bad day.

I think the bottom line is that you are embarrassed to have someone call you out, and you are working through those emotions. She told you what you needed to hear. Maybe she's the lady who keeps your kid from doing a dangerous thing, too.

I guess I'm just saying, there is no need for rudeness. Sure, I was embarrassed, definitely. And I felt bad, and stupid. But actually, I was never in any danger. I took one step off the curb, because I sincerely thought the nice traffic cop was waving us all forward. Realized he wasn't, then stopped. No car had moved. It was a huge intersection, the car turning right could not have hit me had I kept going at a leisurely pace and not have stopped. There was absolutely no danger.

Really, she was being rude. I was in the wrong - and she may have been right, but did it really serve a purpose to hurt my feelings and call me out? If she wanted to help, she could have said, "miss, you know too many people get hurt on those cell phones, you should be more careful." Lots of other ways to help.

In any event, I may have been in the wrong, but I try very, very hard not to hurt people's feelings. At least I have that going for me!

Yes, she hurt your feelings. But look at the impact. You are really going to think twice about talking on the phone when you enter an intersection. And a bunch of other people who read this thread will remember it enough to be a bit more aware. I know it's tough medicine, but it's still medicine.

[Anonymous]

Really, none of you ever talk on your cell phone and walk/drive/shop/whatever at the same time? REALLY? Because I sure do, and so does everyone that I know. I try to be quiet, but there are not enough hours in the day for me to sit in a quiet place and listen to my mom drone on about her problems and still finish all the tasks I have to do.

[Anonymous]

And, welcome to one of the top reasons why people say negative things about this area.

Yes, OP was temporarily being an asshole (for valid reasons). And the other woman was way rude. I guess I just don't see what the woman was trying to accomplish by pointing out that the OP was on her phone, other than to be superior and bitchy.

OP, try to grow a thicker skin. There are assholes out there, and when someone does that, just give them the stinkeye and move on.

[Anonymous]

Things are not always what they seem. Some ass in the whole foods made a similar comment to me when I had a phone to me ear and was getting a cart. I was listening to a voice mail and the hold up was the buckle had been smashed and I had a hard time getting the toddler buckled in. I had to pry apart the part that holds the insert to get it in. When I was walking away, he said something about me being too busy on the phone to get a cart. I yelled out "fuck you!" and kept walking. He could not see what I was bent over doing and just assumed I was standing there because I was on the phone. He didn't need to say anything, it was done and over and he just wanted to be a dick. Even if I was taking too long for him, there was another row of carts for him to choose from.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Really, none of you ever talk on your cell phone and walk/drive/shop/whatever at the same time? REALLY? Because I sure do, and so does everyone that I know. I try to be quiet, but there are not enough hours in the day for me to sit in a quiet place and listen to my mom drone on about her problems and still finish all the tasks I have to do.

Haha, snap

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Really, none of you ever talk on your cell phone and walk/drive/shop/whatever at the same time? REALLY? Because I sure do, and so does everyone that I know. I try to be quiet, but there are not enough hours in the day for me to sit in a quiet place and listen to my mom drone on about her problems and still finish all the tasks I have to do.

Haha, snap

Yes, and some of them are completely oblivious to what's around them. Nearly every single time someone tries to merge straight into my car, or wanders back and forth across lanes, or steps off a curb without looking, there's a phone involved. When I was rear-ended the woman actually hung up her phone as she was knocking on my window to ask me if I was hurt. I used to live over by GW and it would scare the crap out of me because kids would just jump off a curb right in front of a moving car.

[Anonymous]

It's rude to scold people. Period. No matter how rude or dangerous you think the other people are being. If you really feel it's necessary, there are polite ways to alert people to danger or offense that don't involve snippy judgments. In this case, that woman could have safely assumed that the first man's caution and the fact that OP jumped back to the curb had gotten the point across.

What if OP had been on the phone getting devastating family news? I always try to remember that I don't know the whole story. If a driver is pissing me off, I try to think, that could be my grandma driving, and how would I feel if someone honked or yelled at my grandma? What if that distracted mom at the store just found out her sister's cancer had come back? You just don't know the whole story, and so you shouldn't make judgments that assume you do, and that you're better.

And yes, of course OP should just let it go. But I've been there, and sometimes it's just crushing after a long, miserable day, to have someone pile on like that. It can be hard to let it go, even when you know it shouldn't matter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Things are not always what they seem. Some ass in the whole foods made a similar comment to me when I had a phone to me ear and was getting a cart. I was listening to a voice mail and the hold up was the buckle had been smashed and I had a hard time getting the toddler buckled in. I had to pry apart the part that holds the insert to get it in. When I was walking away, he said something about me being too busy on the phone to get a cart. I yelled out "fuck you!" and kept walking. He could not see what I was bent over doing and just assumed I was standing there because I was on the phone. He didn't need to say anything, it was done and over and he just wanted to be a dick. Even if I was taking too long for him, there was another row of carts for him to choose from.

Wow, PP, talk about rude!! And you shouted "fuck you!" to a stranger in front of your toddler? I would sympathize with the man you shouted at and stay far, far away from someone like you if I ever saw that interaction in public.

[Anonymous]

Maybe Ass has been in an accident because someone else was on a cell phone? Maybe THAT day Ass had a family emergency that involved someone being careless on a cell phone, hence the anger??

To your point OP, we all have our story.

[Anonymous]

I think the point is, when we see someone on their cell phone, not paying attention, etc., it is easy to interpret that the person thinks their time is more important than everyone else's, when actually, it could be they are distracted and flaking out.

One deserves a little sympathy and human understanding, the other is just an asshole. But we are quick to judge sometimes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Things are not always what they seem. Some ass in the whole foods made a similar comment to me when I had a phone to me ear and was getting a cart. I was listening to a voice mail and the hold up was the buckle had been smashed and I had a hard time getting the toddler buckled in. I had to pry apart the part that holds the insert to get it in. When I was walking away, he said something about me being too busy on the phone to get a cart. I yelled out "fuck you!" and kept walking. He could not see what I was bent over doing and just assumed I was standing there because I was on the phone. He didn't need to say anything, it was done and over and he just wanted to be a dick. Even if I was taking too long for him, there was another row of carts for him to choose from.

Wow, PP, talk about rude!! And you shouted "fuck you!" to a stranger in front of your toddler? I would sympathize with the man you shouted at and stay far, far away from someone like you if I ever saw that interaction in public.

100% agree. to do that in front of your child you simply are creating ANOTHER generation of assholes for this miserable city. the other guy might have been in a hurry and no matter what you were doing, having the phone stuck to your ear wasn't helping

[Anonymous]

Things are not always what they seem. Some ass in the whole foods made a similar comment to me when I had a phone to me ear and was getting a cart. I was listening to a voice mail and the hold up was the buckle had been smashed and I had a hard time getting the toddler buckled in. I had to pry apart the part that holds the insert to get it in. When I was walking away, he said something about me being too busy on the phone to get a cart. I yelled out "fuck you!" and kept walking. He could not see what I was bent over doing and just assumed I was standing there because I was on the phone. He didn't need to say anything, it was done and over and he just wanted to be a dick. Even if I was taking too long for him, there was another row of carts for him to choose from.

LOVE IT! Way to model anger management and conflict resolution for your child. Can't wait until another kid grabs your child's toy in the sandbox and your child turns and screams "Fuck you!" Just like you taught him.

[Anonymous]

I'm not sure I understand... OP was walking on a sidewalk while on her cell phone? If that's the case, the old scold was definitely out of line. I'm utterly intolerant of anyone who talks on the phone while driving (and no, we don't all do it, 4:45) but I definitely use my phone while walking down the sidewalk. I swear, some people won't be happy until we legislate every single moment and activity of everyone's day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm not sure I understand... OP was walking on a sidewalk while on her cell phone? If that's the case, the old scold was definitely out of line. I'm utterly intolerant of anyone who talks on the phone while driving (and no, we don't all do it, 4:45) but I definitely use my phone while walking down the sidewalk. I swear, some people won't be happy until we legislate every single moment and activity of everyone's day.

Well. If I were the car that hit the distracted pedestrian I'd be rather upset. And not about my own negligence.

No one is talking legislature here. Just common sense.

Yes, the Ass was probably out of line. But OP is forgetting that we can all have a bad day. Not just her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Things are not always what they seem. Some ass in the whole foods made a similar comment to me when I had a phone to me ear and was getting a cart. I was listening to a voice mail and the hold up was the buckle had been smashed and I had a hard time getting the toddler buckled in. I had to pry apart the part that holds the insert to get it in. When I was walking away, he said something about me being too busy on the phone to get a cart. I yelled out "fuck you!" and kept walking. He could not see what I was bent over doing and just assumed I was standing there because I was on the phone. He didn't need to say anything, it was done and over and he just wanted to be a dick. Even if I was taking too long for him, there was another row of carts for him to choose from.

Wow, PP, talk about rude!! And you shouted "fuck you!" to a stranger in front of your toddler? I would sympathize with the man you shouted at and stay far, far away from someone like you if I ever saw that interaction in public.

Totally agree. You need to up your meds with that level of free-floating hostility.