I don't know what is coming over people this year. went shopping with my sister yesterday. this is something i no longer do by myself. anway, while trying to navigate those "narrowing" isles people were so nasty and rude i was ready to blow up. i got pushed, bumped, run into by carts, and the jerks acted as if it was my fault !!! it got to the point where i was actually rude to one man who demanded i get out of his way so he could look at something on the shelf that i was looking at. i actually told him "well, why don't you just go and eat sh-- and die" . he looked at me and went to another isle. not very lady like, but i was not only exhausted but in so much pain just then i could have knocked his head off with my cast. the bumpers and pushers never once said excuse me or anything. you know, when i walk in front of someone i always smile and say excuse me, and if someone moves out of my way i thank them. it's common courtesy.

maybe people are just in a foul mood because of the high gas prices and lack of good deals at the store, and money is a little too tight this christmas. i don't know, but i am not looking forward to another outing like that one.

then, as i was leaving there was a gal in a manual wheelchair, struggling to push a cart ahead of her. no one from the store offered to help, and the greeter just looked at her and walked in the other direction. so, my sister and i helped get her to her car in the handicapped spot. i went back inside and had a not so nice chat with management. lol

what a day. i hope everyone else's was better

hugs and prayers

That is just terrible!

my little vent-
I get annoyed at the people talking on their cell phones constantly while doing holiday shopping.

like- what shall I get sos and so , do you think they will like this, oh this is blah blah...
just a constant jabbering and so loud too.
i really aim for the less crowded times - I don't care for crowds at all.


of course the other day i was going in a store and a lady was in her car yelling into her phone "she's in handcuffs!" and when i came out she was yelling "what did you do!" her window was down and everyone could hear the drama.

I so feel for you. I try so hard to do my shopping in November. My RSD doesn't involved my lower limbs but in crowds people bump into my arms. I try so hard to stay away from crowds.

I do as much shopping on-line and have become the QVC-Queen! And for the fill in items I do be best to shop early in the day when the children are at least in school.

I'm normally an even tempered person, but I'm definately like you, can only take so much before rude people make us explode !!!

Good job by taking this matter up with management.

I hope that your shopping days will be brighter!

With aloha, Dana

UGH!!! I HATE THAT!

now, im a teenage girl, shopping basically my expertise. But lately, ive been having a ton of trouble with my leg and of course, its during the time majority of people are at the mall.. ick.

it just astounds me that SO many people are that rude. I used to go to a private catholic school from Pre-K through 8th grade. The first day of my freshman year in my public highschool i cried because people were so rude. I was on crutches, from a sprained ankle waaay before this whole RSD thing started, and i was a little 5 foot 90 pound girl. My school is on one level, but to get to the health classrooms i had to go down probably the longest and steepest steps of my life (i hadn't been informed about the elevator yet, its not even an elevator for people though, its for freight....). People actually pushed me to the side and ran down. I was like..."hello, im not trying to get in your way, chill out!" I also got plowed down by a 6 foot 6 inch Gothic kid in a hall that day too. i cried to my friends in the cafeteria. I said "I dont wanna be a big girl anymore!"

One of my best friends recently broke her foot and is using a boot thinger. She actually said to me the other day "i finally get how its so hard for you to get around and stuff". We were in American Eagle its kinda like an abercrombie or hollister, way to loud of music and to many skinny itty bitty girls in mini skirts in december... at the mall. But anyways, we were trying to navigate through the store, and well, we couldnt because we couldnt fit in the aisles. And we arent big girls, my friend is actually really tiny, but everyhitng is so packed and people just plow through like its not big deal. Or they walk right in front of you when you are looking at some merchandise, and stop and start looking. I dont know about all of you, but i usually wait until they are done, which takes usually less than a minute.

people these days....

yahoooooooooooooo mtn dewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

FW quote:
"i actually told him "well, why don't you just go and eat sh-- and die"
End quote.

I loved it. Sounds exactly what I do in the same set of circumstances...........
I don't take $ it off of people anymore who are RUDE to me. I even ask if they were raised in a farm barn with no manners. or I bet your Mother is quite proud of you. And I am sorry one time this guy said well my Mother has passed. I said well so has mine but she is definitely looking down proud of her daughter. Could yours same the same?????
I don't like being slammed into when I am in my chair or store cart. It makes me quite irritable & I am a pretty easy going person when out in public. I know people are oging to rude. But there is 'rude' & then there is "RUDE"

DebbyV

It's so sad that people forget to be kind to each other. I live across the street (directly) from a reasonably busy mall. It has a great grocery store, hardware store, fitness outlet, and smaller clothing stores. I have always enjoyed going over there when I need something.... Well, not today. I went over about 9:00 am but it's really cold up here so I decided to take my scooter and not push the walking. I go over and first thing I get really "dirty looks" for using my scooter. People walk in front of me all the time and I get so frustrated! I should not have to explain or make excuses for why I have a hard time walking. I'm young (I think so!) at 43 but RSD has made some things harder for me to do. I just don't have the time of day for nasty behaviour from others. What is this all about? Christmas is supposed to be a time of sharing, enjoying family and friend connections. It's really disappointing that the "feeling" of the Season is lost on so many -- just feeling overwhelmed, obligated, etc.? Truly a shame!

Oh Joan...
I am so sorry. What a cruddy day. Don't feel like The Lone Ranger or that it is only in your area, or anything like that. Rudeness such as that is happening all over.

‘Tis the Season, and all of that, you know....LOL

Yesterday, I asked Meghan if she would run to WalMart to pick up a couple of things, one of which was a very heavy box (30 lbs!!) of Kitty Litter. She was nice enough to go for me, instead of saying "I'll go WITH you", which is what the kids usually say, because at least they know that I can't handle or carry such things.

Anyway...I didn't think that she would go in there and get this think without a cart. But that is what she did. Not that it would have mattered with what happened anyway....but it just made it worse, in my opinion.

So, Meghan goes and gets the Kitty Litter first. The other item was very light weight, and something that she could pick up on her way back out, so I totally understand why she did this the way that she did. Makes perfect sense to me...I would have done it that way, even with the cart. Anyway, Picture Meghan coming to a point in the isle, along the back, as she was cutting down towards where the next item was, out of the greater flow of traffic, that was blocked by two ladies. One that had her cart poking a little bit out of an isle into Meghan's path, and another that was stopped IN the isle with her cart on one side, and her self on the other while she examined some product or another. So, Meghan pauses for a few seconds, giving them both time to notice her. The didn't. So, she then says "Excuse me". All that this produces is that the one lady with her cart poking a little bit into the isle pulls it more towards her..so she isn't a problem. But, Meghan still can't get around Ms Totally Blocking the Isle In All Directions.

Now, she knows that there are some people that have troubles hearing her voice. It is a thing that she has inherited from me, and me from my Mother, and her from hers. It is something about our "tone", or "timbre" or something. If we pitch our voice either higher (which none of us have what anyone would call a low voice in the first place..LOL) or lower, people will hear us better. Usually it is better to go lower, because some folks (usually men, but sometimes women too) have lost their High Pitched Hearing. So, that is what Meghan did. She pitched her voice lower, got a little bit louder (no one can say that ANY of us are "Quiet" ROFL), and sad again, "Ahem! Excuse me!". The lady didn't even flinch or twitch or glance in her direction.
Now, remember that this WHOLE time, Meghan is holding this 30 lb box of Arm & Hammer Kitty Litter (for multiple cats. LOL), and holding it by the strap, because it would slip when she tried to "hug" it to her. So, it is totally KILLING her hands, as she keeps swapping it back and forth. The child had horrible red marks on her hands that lasted for HOURS last night. In fact, I meant to check her hands this morning before she left for work, (but forgot to...sluggish reptile cold and rusty brain, that cold weather has TOTALLY messed up! LOL), because I was and still am worried that she might have done some damage, or at least some bruising to them.

Anyway, she again waits a few seconds with no acknowledgment from Ms Block the Isle Because I Am Queen Lazy *** Of The South, and then she EXPLODES! (Afterall, she IS her mother's daughter...LOL) "EXCUSE ME!!!!!" she HOLLERS at the woman. The woman finally turns to face Meghan and says, "You can go around".

Well...Meghan is fit to be tied. "Go around WHERE?" she says. "Do you not see me standing here with this box of kitty litter? You want me to go around WHERE? Walk all the way up this other isle here, and over two, and then back down one, to get where I need to get, when all YOU need to do is move over and let me pass?"

The lady says "You can get around. There is room. I don't have to move."

Well..Meghan is livid. She has been brought up to respect her elders...but she has also been brought up to respect those who also show HER some respect too. This lady was doing nothing of the sort. Meghan had been polite. She had tried, and tried. She had done everything...and she had tried to be patient. The woman was "a stupid head", which in Meghan's book is pretty damn bad...and I am sure translates into something much worse that she isn't comfortable saying in front of her mother. LOL. To make everything MUCH worse, she hurt. Her hands felt like she was trying to hold a knife that someone was pushing down on ( a very apt description that she gave me..or at least I think so). And, we can't ever forget that she most certainly IS her mother's daughter, and her grandmother's granddaugher....and so....

"Well. You know, YOUNG people are NOT the only ones who are expected to be POLITE. I Was brought up to be Polite and to be CONSIDERATE of others...no matter WHAT age they are...OLD WOMAN! MOVE YOUR STUPID CART, AND LET ME PASS BY! THIS BOX IS HEAVY AND IT IS CUTTING INTO MY HANDS, ALL BECAUSE YOU HAVE MADE ME STAND HERE AND WAIT ON YOUR IMPOLITE SELF!!!!!!!", and she grabs a hold of the end of the lady's cart, and pushes it out of her way, and STOMPS on past, looking like one of those Xena or something, just without the leather armor. ROFLMAO! If looks could kill, well...I am sure that Ms Got Bawled Out By My Usually Very Quiet Daughter Who Got Fed Up and Rightful Blew Her Top would have been left lying dead by her shoved aside cart right there by the make up, shampoo and other such stuff in WalMart. Shoot. Meghan said that there was "Some Guy" with her, but even HE didn't dare utter a word, or do anything as Meghan blew up and stormed on past. The only one that did anything was the lady who had had her cart poking out in the isle at the start, but had moved. She laughed when Meghn chewed the lady out (I think at the "Old Lady" thing...LOL).

I asked Meghan how "old" this "Old Lady" was, and she said "I don't even know. Older than me anyway." ROFL..at 19, that could be anything. I asked her if she was my age or older, and Meghan just shrugged. So, for all I know, this woman could have been 25, 35, 45, or 95. Although, I doubt she was super old....I don't think that Meghan would have totally lost it if she had been, as flashed of her beloved Mamaw would have flashed through her head. So, that would knock out from the 70's on up. I am betting that she was much younger than that, though. LOLOL.

Anyway....I just wanted to let you know that you aren't the only one that has had yucky experiences happen so far this Joyous Christmas Shopping Season. I think that folks are just getting Ruder and Ruder....and that they are so very self absorbed that the don't stop to think about anyone else but themselves. Of course, if someone were to inconvenience or be rude to THEM...well, that would be a totally different matter all together. Shame on everyone or anyone else for abusing them. Just as I am sure that Meghan was cursed and shamed and talked badly about for her "rude" and "ill mannered" and "bad behavior" that she rained down all over that "Old Lady's" head so uncalled for.....at least in that lady's eyes.

I do think that it was awful that no one helped the girl that you saw, and did help, in the wheel chair, while you were out. That everyone, including the employees who are supposed to be "oh so helpful" made such a studied practice of looking the other way, and letting her struggle all alone and unassisted. I am glad that you went in and talked to management....but I am wondering if it will do any good? Maybe, if you see that again, a news station getting wind of that kind of behavior, and doing one of those "Fighting for you" expose things would work? I don't know...it just seems like something should be done, as this sort of behavior and not caring about people has gotten totally out of hand. What does it say about what people in general are becoming?

I am glad that there are people like you in the world.....and that I have taught my kids to lend helping hands when they see they are needed...AND to stand up for themselves and let stupid "Old Ladies" know when they are behaving badly (even though it probably fell on deaf ears..LOL). That is all we can all really do...right?

Here's hoping that we all survive this Happy Holiday Season! Ho ho ho.

Ba-Humbuggy (Almost...at least with the getting out and shopping with yucky people around part! LOL) ((Hugs))
Jose

joan,

i am so sorry to hear that u had to put up with all this garbage from people.....i don't understand why this sort of thing happens, but i do wish it wouldn't happen to peple i care about!.....however, i applaud your complaint to management about the wheelchair person, and i'm raising flags about your "eat s--t and die' remark to a man who earned it.....actually, i laughed like a fool when i read it, but if i had the right kind of flags, i'd raise them!

jose,....tell meghan i said "u go girl!"....and i agree about the respect.....MOST people who r older have earned some respect simply because they've learned some wisdom from daily life or they've accomplished some valuable things....but let's face it -- a 49-year old jackass is still just a jackass!

i hope the upcoming week is better for everyone.

Hi Joan, and merry Christmas,

I think I told this Christmas shopping story at BT, but some people haven't read it.

My son Sean, a cop at the time, had driven me to K-Mart to push me around the store while I did my annual Dec 24 shopping. I'm not too imaginative and knew I hadn't bought my wife a watch the year before, so I had him push me to the jewelry counter; which was packed 3 deep.

I finally made it to the counter and was looking for a watch I could afford when this jerk grabbed the handles to my chair and pulled me backward. I figured Sean had wandered away, but he hadn't; instead, in barely a moment he had his fist around the jerk's tie (near the knot), his badge in front of the guy's face and both feet firmly planted on the toes of the jerk's shoes.

He told the guy that in Kansas, forcibly moving someone from one place to another -- even just a couple of feet -- was felony kidnapping. He said that since the victim in this case was his father, they probably wouldn't prosecute the jerk for kidnapping, but he was a sure bet to be convicted for battery and the guy's lawyer would leave the court with "...more money than you can afford".

He added that he thought if the guy apologised to me nicely, the incident could probably end right there, but if the guy wanted, he could call his lieutenant and let him decide what to do. The jerk mumbled an apology, Sean released his tie and stepped back off his feet, but quietly followed the man to the parking lot and wrote down his license number.

"I don't think he will," Sean told me, "but if I ever see his car parked in a handicapped parking space he'll get a $75.00 ticket every half hour until he gets back".

He added that he knew I didn't want to spend Christmas Eve filling out forms, but the guy would have been convicted of battery and would have had to pay his lawyer several thousand dollars.

"Besides, it's Christmas"

He was right, of course. and when we finally left the store we were filled with the Spirit of Christian forgiveness. Plus, the guy would still have to pay to get his shoes shined...Vic

Oh...Vic!

Your son is my Hero! For Real! He is, and so is anyone and everyone else that stands up to the **** holes that don't have manners and treat people in the manner that that crap head did! I can tell that he is a chip right off of the old block!

While I am lucky enough to not yet have to stay 24/7 in a wheelchair, I do use one sometimes. In fact, I will be using one very shortly, when I am in Vegas visiting my Folks (and hopefully my Brother! I wish we could chat...we have so very much to catch up on, my dear old friend! I have missed you so very much!!!!). I will use one for several different reasons; (1) the trip out there it's self will cause a pretty dramatic rise in my already high pain levels, and other symptoms (I have awful problems with swelling....that really gets bad a day or so after we get there), (2) I can't keep up with everyone any other way, and there is so much that we all want to see and do...and I don't really want to be left behind, or feel that I am holding anyone back, or miss out on being able to spend as much time as I can with everyone, (3) I can use the chair when I need to, and not when I don't. I do get some weirdo looks when we are out and about, and I get UP and OUT of the chair to walk around with my crutch for a bit (I always have my crutch there with me....I even use it kinda like a "jousting lance" to help open elevator doors, and the handicapped-easy-open-type of doors, by holding it out in front and aiming. ROFL, that is when my old Fencing Training comes in pretty handy, as I still have pretty good point control, and very rarely miss my target! Heh).

One of the things that troubles me the most about being in the wheelchair is how you all of a sudden almost become a "non-person" down there. Bubba (remember Bubba? LOL) used to call me "A Cart" when I was in a chair...and that is about how I feel sometimes. Folks just kinda ignore you. Either that, or they stare, or treat you like you are some kind of a nuisance.

In Vegas, it is such a mixed bag of folks visiting and living there, that you have all kinds of different cultures almost clashing, and trying to mix. When you are on the Strip, it is worse...and when you are there during Peak Tourist times..well..you can imagine. It is nothing to be making your way down the strip, or cutting through one of the casinos, and hear several different languages being spoken in the span of only a few feet. Pretty cool. But, the thing that maybe isn't quite so cool...or that is a little harder...is some of the different cultures (not sure if this is the right word here? My brain isn't working this morning....my back is killing me; had to stand out in sub-freezing weather last night to watch Jay in his last Christmas Parade. At least this year, I had some company, as Meghan was there with me, wither her bad cold and all This was after she tortured me {don't ever tell he that I said that!} for the second time at her Cosmetology Class....for hours...lol) that are very used to dealing with small and cramped spaces? Or, with having lots of people to cram into limited spaces? It seems that this is mostly people of Asian Persuasion that do this cramming and jamming, and don't have much of a "personal space" thing...or a very teeny tiny one.

I have had folks (not just Asian people, either...I don't want to make it sound like I am picking on any one ethnicity, because I am not!), literally STEP OVER me, or my feet/legs which makes me very worried/scared/tense (pick a word, LOL), because of my lower body RSD, and my poor right foot sticking out there. So, I kinda try to hide it..but that causes problems all of it's own. I have had people JUMP over me, while a member of my family is pushing me, which has totally freaked me out, and caused my Dad (who looks like a typical Absent Minded College Professor, LOL) go on a cussing fit that has even impressed my TEENAGERS! ROFL.

I had a little Asian family try to stick their kids right in between my feet, and almost sit on my friggin lap (this was at the Treasure Island pirate show, when it was cool, and not the stupid singing sluts that they have now. LOL). I didn't mind the little kids getting right up close to my chair, so that they could see ( we had gotten there early, so that we could have a good place on the gang plank, since I have to get right up front, or I can't see *****, just like a little kid), but when the mom was trying to get them to climb OVER me, into the place between my feet? I was shocked. My Mom realized what was going on a split second before I did (she goes on "Super Sensitive Hyper Over Protective Mom Alert"...most times, it is very exhausting, but sometimes, it is helpful. LOL), and SHE went off on them. A little TOO hard, I think....and a little too colorfully, since she matched my Dad in impressing the Kids with...erm...."Grandma's More Interesting Vocabulary", ROFL. Especially since I don't even know if the poor people even understood English or not, and if they did, they DID have little kids there. Whatever the case, they got the point really quick...and we got dagger looks for the rest of the show.

I have been cut in front of in all sorts of lines, or had folks "race" to beat me there...like that is a big accomplishment. I have had people that work in stores not want to wait on me, or even take the time to help me out by answering a simple question....but if I send Meghan or Jay or my Mom back, the are more than Happy to help them. ROFL, if they have the misfortune of getting my MOM, they usually get an earful from her. Sometimes, a sly comment from one of the kids, and ALWAYS a dirty look from me, and a comment to their Manager. I have been pushed out of the way when trying to get into elevators. I have had people run in front of me after I have been waiting the longest and was first in line for an elevator, making me have to do it all over again, sometimes (usually) with the same results. Like I said...it is like other people do SEE you, but in a non seeing way? If that makes sense? They see you, because you are an obstacle or nuisance that will cause some problem for them, or slow them down, or just get in their way a little....and then once they do something to get around you, they make a studied effort to NOT see you, I guess to make themselves look better to everyone around them (How could I have done anything wrong, if I didn't SEE her there in the first place?), and even make themselves FEEL better about themselves? That probably didn't make sense, how I wrote it....maybe you understand what I am trying to say anyway...

I just don't understand people these days. I was brought up to be helpful to people. Not to stare, but also to not treat folks like "Non People" too, because all People are People, no matter what. Period. I don't understand people like the man Joan told to eat *****, and all of the others, who must have relations here, and everywhere else, that push and bump and do other such things when they SEE that someone has problems (like a crutch, or a cast, or a wheel chair, or whatever!), or the people that work in stores and DO NOT help (what happened to "The Customer Comes First"? That is what was drilled into my head when I worked retail...?), and the people like your man that your son grabbed up, or any of the other listed here, or the others that hare not, but that folks have dealt with. I don't understand.

And they all think that something is wrong with US. HA! Double HA! TRIPLE HA! I think that what I will start to do, when people act like crap heads to me, is say something like "I am so sorry for you. How long have you had YOUR affliction?" See what happens next. I bet nothing but some weird looks.....but hey! I get those anyway! ROFL!

Anyway...I am so glad that you are back...and that you are posting...and that you found this new place here. I hope that you like it better than BT. I really think you will, as the Moderators are much nicer, and actually HUMAN! The rules are understandable, and don't change as the wind blows, and folks don't get banned at the drop of a hat. Or without warning. The mods will actually TALK to you! How COOL Is that??? The talk to us, and NOT just about BAD stuff!

Ok...I know that you can do your own Long Posts...but I also know that you can't sit at the computer all day reading AND writing...and I know that I ALWAYS right long things, no matter how hard I try to do differently. I know that you and I have LOTS of catching up to do....and I know that there are some more posts of yours on here that I need to go and look at. I am just kinda slower these days...I know that you understand. II am glad that you are back!

Love and ((Hugs))
Jose