Thursday, October 24, 2013
Overreacting Strangers in the Night
This evening, after the Arvo Job, I was walking to the train station when a car that was obliged by law to stop and let me cross the road actually stopped to let me cross the road. Since that was both nice and courteous of him/her, I looked at the driver, tipped my head in acknowledgement, and mouthed a distinct thank you as I walked past the front of the car - as you do in such situations.
When I'd passed, the driver opened his side window and shouted "You should say thank you, lady" in an outraged voice. I checked to see whether he was speaking to me. He was. And then he was gone in a vrooming rush. 'I did say thank you,' I thought, 'But now I really wish I hadn't.'
What did he expect? Maybe I should have given him a thumbs up? Shouted my thanks? Done a song and interpretive dance of gratitude on the pavement? I'm not sure. But I don't think his reaction was terribly civil. Maybe he'd had a bad day and felt unappreciated and neglected? Again, not sure. But it was a lot of commotion for a such small thing.
Ah well, it's been that kind of a day. Nothing to do but move on.
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3 comments:
That's the sort of poisonous little encounter that spread unhappiness in modern 'civilisation'.
I wonder why he misunderstood your gesture.
Bogans can't lip read and don't get body language.
You're not wrong, Catherine. With a little distance, however, I think it's a case of him not needing my imagined slight that evening for some reason and feeling he had a right to vent his unhappiness. Still, the fact remains, I was having my own iffy kind of day and likewise could have done without his snippy remark.
And yes, Anon, I think he missed my communication, but as much as they can annoy me, especially with their doof doof music, I don't think bogans have a monopoly on this kind of rudeness.
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