Whatever Happened to Being Polite?

Grocery shopping with three very small children is always an adventure, but today it almost turned into a bloodbath.

An older woman–whom I will politely nickname Grouchy Grandma–whipped around the corner and clipped my three-year-old with her cart. Instead of helping my little girl up, Grouchy Grandma said, “You should really watch where’s she’s going.” Then literally tapped her foot while I picked my child up and moved her out of the way.

Grouchy Grandma didn’t say she was sorry, didn’t ask if my daughter was okay (she’s fine, didn’t even cry), and blasted past us like we were slowing her down.

Honestly, I’m so sick of this crap. I’m sick of rude people. Can’t we all just try to be nice again?

28 Comments

Jess

January 13, 2012 at 7:42 pm Reply

Aw man, that would irk me like nobody’s business…I feel like I always err on the side of being overly apologetic during accidental grocery store cart clashes (not to mention if the cart hits a PERSON. Geez.).

Carrie Butler

January 13, 2012 at 8:01 pm Reply

Ugh! That woman had a lot of nerve! I’m glad your daughter is okay.

Becky Wallace

January 13, 2012 at 8:09 pm Reply

Something as simple as “I’m sorry, I didn’t see here there” would have changed the situation completely.

I’m trying to give Grouchy Grandma the benefit of the doubt. Maybe she was just embarrassed.

prerna pickett

January 13, 2012 at 9:23 pm Reply

Old Ladies scare me. I know generalizing isn’t good, but they’re pretty bad. And never to blame for anything. Taking three kids to the store is a nightmare, which is why I only go when the husband either stays at home with the three, or if he comes with me. Or I just take the younget two when my oldest is at school. I think sometimes people forget how hard is to have little ones.

Becky Wallace

January 13, 2012 at 10:03 pm Reply

@Prerna: I really try not to take mine as well, but sometimes it’s so unavoidable (like when your husband is say…never home:)And it’s not like she was running around or being naughty. We’d just walked into the store. Ugh.

Laura C.

January 14, 2012 at 5:24 pm Reply

Sounds like Grouchy Grandma was havng a bad day — or maybe years of them. Lord knows what she did to her own kids when they were growing up…
I’m glad your little one’s all right.

Gina Blechman

January 15, 2012 at 10:25 pm Reply

I’ll tell my people here to be nicer if you tell your people by you to be nice and maybe then everyone will be…nice? Maybe?

<3 Gina Blechman

Becky Wallace

January 16, 2012 at 6:30 pm Reply

@Gina: Maybe 🙂

E.J. Wesley

January 17, 2012 at 10:41 pm Reply

Maybe she’s blind and thought you’d rolled a watermelon out in front of her? Even if your kid had gone all haywire and jumped in front of her, blaming you for the spontaneous actions of three-year old is like blaming a lion for eating a wildebeest. It’s just in their nature.