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Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Who's the Biggest Jerk?

Have you ever done something that made you want to crawl in to a hole and never come out?  This happened to me on Saturday.


(Google image)
It was the day for Bountiful Baskets, a co-op where you pay $15.00 and get random vegetables and fruits.  My time to pick up my goods was 8:00 a.m.  The next group was at 8:15 a.m.   I was running late and was concerned that I'd have to forfeit my basket if not on time.  (Those are the rules)  As I pulled up to the site, I noticed a large group of people all standing in lines that  puddled together towards the back.   I grabbed my basket and headed to what looked like the end of the line.  Some other people came behind me and questioned which line they should be in.  Someone said that there were signs further up that determined the line to be in according to your time and last name.  I got out of line and went closer to the front to see.  I found the sign that had the right information and went to the back of that line.


I stood for about 15 seconds when I heard a man say to me. "So you think you can just cut in line?"
I looked at him, wondering if I knew him since he was about the same age as my sons, and thought he was teasing. I said, "Yeah, is that OK?"  
"So you think you can just go where ever you want!" He said, a little more forceful.
You would think by then I'd realize that he was serious, but he was standing in the other line so why would he be so upset?  I continued with my joking, ha-ha voice and said, "I usually do!"
He stared at me and with venom in his voice said, "How do you think everyone ELSE feels about this!"  
OK, now I finally caught on.  I didn't know this guy, he wasn't teasing, I obviously was standing where I shouldn't have been and I must have sounded like a real jerk!  I told him that I thought I was in the 8:00 line and he said, "Yeah, so are WE!" 
Remember how I said the end of the line puddled together?  Well, I ended up in the middle of that puddle instead of at the end.  I apologized for the misunderstanding and the indescribable stress I must have caused that poor guy and quickly moved to the end of the line, which was where I was standing in the first place!


Maybe I should wear a sign that says, "I'm really not this obnoxious, I'm just confused!"


20 comments:

Valerie said...

Aww. I hate that feeling when you've done something to upset someone on accident and completely unaware. He sure could have been polite about helping you instead of jumping down your throat. Geesh!

Grandma Honey said...

When people act like that I always tell myself, "at least I don't have to LIVE with him." How can people be like him anyway and then just go happily along their day??

Susan R said...

To err is human, this guy was out of line and furthermore rude about it. When someone makes an obvious mistake, if others are going to go out of their way to point it out, then it should be done in a curteous way. It can then be determined that you were not "cutting the line" intentionally and his remarks could be taken in humor, but understood. He is the jerk in this case and you should in no way feel "obnoxious". He is the obnoxious one.
This kind of thing just burns me up. I lose all control when confronted by people like that and he's lucky he was speaking to you and not me. I would have had to put him in his place.

Anonymous said...

It's happened to all of us; he could have been more helpful to just explain.

Kelly said...

I made a similar mistake the other day. I went to what I thought was the end of a long long line. It wasn't until 30 min later that I realized I had gone to the front of the line. I wondered why no one was getting behind us... duh! Why didn't someone speak up?

Nana said...

Been there. Done that. I hope he felt sort of stupid after you apologized though!

gigi said...

RUDE! What was wrong with saying something politely? No manners. Oh, Connie, I am so sorry. I might have just crawled back to the car with out my veggies.

Vicki @ Grams Made It said...

Oh my goodness, I hate that feeling. I had a similar experience at a movie theater recently. We stood in a line in the lobby until the teenage ticket taker told us we could go in. We didn't realize that the line in the hallway we were sent down was for the same movie and they were all ahead of us. They all started yelling at us. We all thought we were doing what we were told to do.

Momza said...

Ouch. It's just a basket of vegetables...it's not like you were in line for a kidney transplant and butted in. That guy was a jerk.

Teachinfourth said...

Well, it's a good thing you're just so darn likable then, isn't it?

I did BB with a friend in Green River a few weeks ago...it was pretty cool. I just might have to do it up here for myself.

Natalie said...

Sorry he made you feel so bad. He should have been nice. Try not to be so upset. You didn't purposely do anything wrong.
In fact, I was in the wrong line for BB and all of the people just said to go to the front of the other line and everyone was so nice about it. That's how people should act.

Valerie said...

I thought you were starting a new Reality Show!
Sounds like Bountiful Baskets is...brutal! :)
Too bad for him~ he doesn't know how awesome you are!!!

Tracy said...

Seriously, it's just a basket of food, the guy needs to get over it.

I feel for you though, I hate feeling embarrassed in front of everyone!! I'm sure everyone else was embarrassed for the rude man!! :-)

Welcome to the Garden of Egan said...

Wow!
The guy was getting fruit for pity sake! RUdE!

You weren't obnoxious.

Hopefully he feels stupid for acting like such a jerk.

It's not like it was a line for the Superbowl or something (I could sorta understand that).

karen said...

Well, you're not that obnoxious, but he was. All he had to do was inform you where the end of the line was. No need to be nasty. I hate people who get on the offensive right from the start. Try being nice - it works a lot better.

Julie Harward said...

Too bad, I hate confrontations. I think the Saviors way always works though and you followed that. :D

Yvonne said...

I can't imagine you being obnoxious at all.

I'd say he was a little rude--well, more than a little.

He could have politely told you, he didn't have to be so mean about it.

I know me, I would have started to cry and left.

wendy said...

ha ha....that is a good sign for sure.
Seriously....
that guy sounds like a BASKET case

mCat said...

Wowza - seriously, it was an honest mistake and he certainly reacted much more strongly than he needed.

You handled it well, once he started getting rude, I'm afraid I would have dished back.... and then left never to return to the co-op again out of sheer embarrassment

CB said...

That is an awful feeling, especially when it was so unintentional.
BUT on the flip side of that I always wonder why it has to matter so much to somebody. It wouldn't have killed him to say nothing.