I'm going to *bleeeeeeeping* ruin your day

Is that right!

So, yesterday's post about umbrella etiquette was sparked by an incident on the way to dropping J off yesterday morning.

I was walking down the street, minding my own business. It was drizzling, but not a lot. If you were driving, you wouldn't even have your wipers on intermittent, it was that light.

A few blocks from J's daycare, I see a woman and her giant umbrella clobber another person in the face. This girl was clearly hurt and not about to say anything to the giant umbrella lady. I wasn't impressed, but hey, what do you do...right?

Then, as we continue down the street, I watch this lady barrel her way though the people under the awnings - some trying to get in or out of the shops, some waiting, some trying to stay dry without an umbrella or hat - and almost do the same thing to two more people.

That's when I surprised myself. I'm not usually someone who will speak out in public, but I found my legs marching down the street to catch up her. I did and I said excuse me, I wasn't sure if you knew your umbrella is quite wide and you just caught someone in the eye. I was calm and polite and the lady was like I DID NOT. WHY WOULD YOU ACCUSE ME OF SOMETHING LIKE THAT. I responded by saying I was sure it was an accident, I wasn't actually accusing her of anything, but I wanted to let her know so it didn't happen again...I can't remember exactly what I said, but I wasn't angry and I was trying very hard not to be accusatory because I was positive she had no idea what her umbrella was doing (hey, pay attention people)...The whole time the little voice in my head was going, hey, what are you doing? are you crazy? why are you doing this? just go back to being invisible!

Then it started...

I have not heard that kind of language come out of a person for a long time...I just kept walking and I heard her stop at a bus stop I just passed.

Then...well, I heard her behind me again...

And she had this to say to me:

"If you're going to bleeping ruin my bleeping day, then I'm bleeping going to make sure I bleeping ruin yours."

She continued along the same lines as I crossed the street...

I was stunned and I don't know that I'll ever call someone on their behaviour again, but strangely she didn't ruin my day. I wasn't impressed that J had to hear that kind of language, but the woman's reaction and rant made me realize that there must be some very unhappy things in her life right now and that my life is pretty good.

So, rather than ruining my day, in a strange way her little tirade almost made my day.

I just hope the girl with the eye is okay...