Saturday

5 December 2009

Yesterday, I caved into a moment of blatant unkindness, but I don't feel particularly sorry for it.

It also happens to be this years holiday make-a-person-feel-bad moment, something at which I apparently excel.

In search of a particular gift, I went to several stores, including Sam's Club. The parking lot was surprisingly packed for a weekday afternoon (don't you people have jobs?) and one lane was jammed with oversized trucks crammed into compact car slots. Because really, who wants to walk that extra 15 feet when there's a perfectly good, way-too-small place to park right there?

I left Sam's empty handed; walking in the same lane in the parking lot as I was a much older couple. They shuffled along slowly, pushing a cart, probably going as fast as they could. They weren't walking down the middle; they were reasonably close to one side, just shy of the ends of all the vehicles parked there. Between them and me was another woman. An extremely obese--beyond morbidly obese, we're talking pushing 500 pounds here--waddled behind them.

No, waddling is mot my unkind contribution to this holiday season. It's an observation. Her legs moved in a static motion that didn't allow for the bending of knees and I was actually surprised she was mobile at all.

She was not a nice person, at least not yesterday. She was in a hurry to get to her van, and the old people were in her way. She berated them angrily: "Move the fuck over. Get out of my goddamned way, you're too fucking slow."

By then I was close enough to pass her up, and said as I went by, "Just go around them."

There's the rub.

She couldn't.

Between the trucks parked in the wrong places and her sheer physical size, she couldn't go around them. And the suggestion that she do just that pissed her off and she turned her ire to me.

"I can't, and they need to speed the fuck up or get out of my fucking way."

And then it came out, that which 1) probably embarrassed her and 2) made her want to deck me--I'm 99% sure she wanted to slap the hell out of me.

"It's not their fault you can't get around them."

By then the older couple was at their car, and I hope they didn't really hear any of that. Neither of them said a word or acted like they heard anything going on behind them, and if they did hear they were good about not showing it.

But Miss Congeniality certainly heard what I said.

Yes, it was mean. No, I don't feel all that bad about it. If she'd just been walking along and minding her own business, I wouldn't have said a word. If she'd been in my way, I just would have slowed down. But the way she sniped at that couple, her choice of words, pissed me off to no end. They couldn't have walked any quicker than she could have slipped around them, and didn't deserve the venom spit their way.

Hopefully, that's the only Feel-Bad holiday moment I'll inspire this year...but I am awfully good at it.

17 comments:

Roses said...

Santa will SO not give you coal for that one.

kenju said...

You did/said the right thing. She was definitely in the wrong. I'm glad you said something.

Shari said...

My DH would of, in a sort'a polite way, told her what he thought and to leave the elders alone.
Then I would worry if he would be smothered and die a horrible death if she fell on him. (sorry, couldn't help myself, evil grin)

She could of been polite and not harassed the elders but people like that get away with it. No manners at all..,,, Can't stand people like that.

Angel, Kirby and Max said...

I know what the implied insult was, but you could have been talking about the creeps that parked oversize trucks in Compact spots which was also a factor! I think I would have said something to her too. Especially about her potty mouth!

Lone Star Purrs said...

I'm not sure that I would've been able to keep my mouth shut either! At least you didn't stoop to her level of language!
~LSP Momma Becca

David E. Francis said...

Thumper, you did and said the right thing to do. There is no reason for you to feel bad. There was no excuse for Obese woman's verbal abuse of the elderly couple. Christmas is supposed to be a time of compassion and love for our fellow beings and creatures. Obese woman just does not get the idea behind Christmas.

Dee

The Whiskeratti said...

I think you did the right thing, too. She was just an ::insert very bad word here:: But can you imagine what MAX would have said???? LOL She was lucky HE wasn't there!

Unknown said...

Some people just simply have it coming.

Didn't she know fat people are supposed to be jolly? (Yes, my tongue is very far into my cheek, which is much better than a stash of oreos).

Just Ducky said...

No Thumper you were OK on this one, there are some people, no matter how little they are inconvenienced need to mouth off.

I have to walk slower when I with my Dad, we just stay to the side and let the faster people pass by.

Thumper said...

Now I want Oreos...

invisible said...

Good for you! Lardo was projecting her self-loathing on innocent people who were unlikely to fight back.
I don't like getting stuck behind slow old people either, but they are old people. Suck it up buttercup, be nice to those who lived their lives working hard to build our society.
A a matter of fact, I give the old people a smile and politely say excuse me and wish them a nice day.
Maybe if Lard-ass wasn't so weak, she coulda said no to that last dozen bacon filled jelly donughts.
Way to go! You get Brownie points from God.

MMmmmm....Brownies.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like she deserved it. I hate people that mistreat old people, animals and children.

Pam

Shaggy and Scout said...

Way to go Thumper!

kat4 said...

Perhaps if someone had insinuated before that she take responsibility for her own actions she wouldn't be pushing 500 lbs. That said, the simple thing is to wish her long life so that she will one day know what it feels like to be a mistreated old person. Unfortunately, people like this woman rarely see the light even when karma shines it right in their eyes.

Lsamsa said...

Thumper...in no way were you 'mean'!!
The woman with the 'mouth' was mean & aggressive & downright rude!
Whatever her issue...she quite simply thought that she was more important than the other people.
None of us are more important than anyone else...we all have 'issues', some small & some more serious...that still doesn't 'trump' someone else's right to be.

utenzi said...

So you're saying she was as big as a truck? Wow. That was fodder for a People of Wal-mart photo.

Marti said...

500 pounds?

She was the mean one, not you.