I got stuck in an impromptu queue leaving Whole Foods today. A woman searching in her purse had parked her cart diagonally in front of the small sliding doors. She remained oblivious as the stymied line of shoppers behind her grew. An older woman next to me was in a hurry, apparently. She fluttered her nylon grocery bags and clicked her tongue but never said a word to the woman rummaging through her purse. After a few beats, the line blocker realized she was in the way and moved her cart without a second glance to those she had impeded. Before leaving, the older woman looked at me and said, "Finally! You know, some people!" as she rolled her eyes.
The eye roll at a stranger to non-verbally express what you think is a shared sense of annoyance in your present situation is quite a leap of faith.
Presumptuousness often makes me uncomfortable. When I flew to California last, I offered up my seat so that an Asian woman and her two children could sit with her grandmother. Granted, the mother had been less than cooperative with the flight attendent about sticking to FAA guidelines (she kept insisting that her 3 year old could in fact sit in her lap the entire 4 hour plane ride and not become fussy). The middle-aged woman I sat next to after changing seats also tutted and rolled her eyes at me. She even told the mother, "You know, people gave up their seats for you. You could at least say thank you." After the mother smiled apologetically over her shoulder to me, the woman leaned towards me and added in a hushed voice, "You know how they are."
So for future reference, strangers, don't assume I'm as put out as you are. It just makes me feel awkward.
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