explain this one

[rm]

A story in which while I don't exercise the best judgement, I am not the crazy one:

I'm on line at the Duane Reade.

A woman cuts in front of me to ask a price on something. Rude, but whatever. The guy checks her prices and then she says "okay, I'll take the green one" and he proceeds to ring her up.

At which point I say to him, "hey, doesn't my being on line count for something?"

He says sorry, sullenly, and I'm like whatever, I can shop elsewhere. Of course though, it's not that easy up here, so I get off his line and go to the other register. As the woman walks by me I say, "Rude."

At which point, she whirls on me, points in my face and starts shrieking about how she didn't do nothing to me and how dare I even talk to her.

I take a step back. "You cut in front of me, and it was rude. I didn't go attacking you and you don't need to go attacking me."

She closes. And at this point I'm not talking, I'm just trying to stay safe.

This continues through the front of the store.

You would thinkk someone might intervene at this point.

But no.

I put my things down in time to get shoved, and thank Christ for fencing I know how to put arms coming my way out of my way without punching or grabbing or really using my hands at all or doing anything else that could be taken as an assualt.

ANYWAY. Eventually I jogged it over to the supermarket waaaaay watching my back.

I'm fine. Shaken up. Still need shampoo.

CAN THE MERCURY RETROGRADE END NOW PLEASE?

Comments

[wyrdwriter.livejournal.com]

You did WAY better than I would. I wouldn't have been able to post about it until my lawyer came and bailed me out. ;O)

I hate Merc Retro. There are no words to say how much...and it SUCKS that it comes twice a year...kind of like a REALLY BAD case of Aunt Flo with horrendous cramps.

[beemerbike.livejournal.com]

This retrograde habit of Mercury is the only time of the year that i feel vindicated because people really ARE out to get me.

[rm.livejournal.com]

That's the thing, I'm Sicilian enough to feel like I can't run and give someone else hand. But I also know I've had enough training and have enough of a temper now to fuck someone up, and that is not something I want hanging over me legally or i this neighborhood, and it's very hard to know what to do when:

a) I have no patience (which is what started it more or less)

and

b) I hate being a coward

but

c) some of both would have defused the whole thing faster.

[ldybastet.livejournal.com]

Eeep! That is both rude and scary behaviour! So sorry that you had to live through that. :-(

And you just reminded me it's Merc retrograde! *smacks forehead* Perhaps that's why the landlord gave me the wrong keys to my new apartment! Suddenly, all is so clear.

[nickelchief.livejournal.com]

HOLY EVIL FUCKING DUANE READE SMOKE.

Duane Reades have always been dens of ineptitude and terror, but this story takes the cake.

You were involved in an encounter that nearly happened to me many times, but the spark never quite ignited. I started shopping at Rite Aids instead with no better result.

I'm so sorry! All Duane Reades have an inherent purple vortex of violence and dismay, and it's NOT RIGHT that you got sucked into one. AIIEE!

[mobobocita.livejournal.com]

Wow, you did much better than I did, I'd have probably screamed for help the second I had to take a defense stance.

[raaven.livejournal.com]

Crap. I'm sorry you got caught up in that, and I'm glad you came out of it unscathed. I hope you consider writing a letter of complaint to the store.

[ladypeculiar.livejournal.com]

Oy vey . . . just what anyone needs after a visit to the Realty Company de Shadey. That sucks!!

[wyrdwriter.livejournal.com]

Don't ya'll have Walgreens, CVS, Walmart or Target?

[rufus.livejournal.com]

we have some of those, but they are not so ubiquitous as Duane Reade. The only Walgreens I can remember seeing in NYC is on 14th st., and there's no Walmart or Target in the city proper. (Actually, I think there's no Walmart at all.)

[rufus.livejournal.com]

yikes. glad you're okay.

[rm.livejournal.com]

There's no Walmart.

There is a Target in Brooklyn and one in the Bronx, but there's no reason anyone would do that type of destination shopping for household items here.

[wyrdwriter.livejournal.com]

OMG! No TARGET! I thought NYC was the epitome of civilization! NO WAY you do not Tar-jay! EEK! Folks, I live in FARM COUNTRY (literally surrounded by fields and livestock farms) and still have a Target within 25 miles!

[rm.livejournal.com]

Well that's less than 25 miles away from us (probably 5 from me, at most), but unless it's a Target only product there's no real reason to go.

[wyrdwriter.livejournal.com]

My friend, Gia, who lives in Brooklyn, tells me it is very Different living in NYC...
for me to drive 25 miles for something (don't get me wrong, I combine several errands into ONE trip) is not unusual, but she must carry all her groceries, etc on the bus or subway or via taxi and so things are Different.

Honestly, I am intrigued and horrified by life in The City.

[rm.livejournal.com]

Well by and large was have grocery stores in neighborhoods, but for me, because of my health situation, I have to shop at specialty stores and do in fact carry groceries on teh subway all the time.

And I'm 35 and have never learnt to drive. garaging a car here can cost more than rent lots of other places.

[upstart-crow.livejournal.com]

Scariness! I'm glad you're okay. I'm not a very physical person, so I'd have probably just let her get away with it - because I wouldn't know what to do in a physical confrontation.

[pecunium.livejournal.com]

Shoved...

Depending on just how annoyed/threatened I felt, well I've been doing Aikdo for years (as well as lots of time with weapons) so I might have put her on the floor.

Probably not, unless she shoved me twice, but I'm a a lot less sanquine than I used to be, and having someone follow me, well that's likely to make me less than kind in my level of expectation.

TK