There are books. Old school readers that are indeed old, but in very used condition, but that's kind of what makes old school readers cool, right?
Let me reiterate - there are only seven books and no more books anywhere. SEVEN. The seven books are on the ground and you are standing over them with one of them resting ON your toe because you just picked it up to look for a price. They are all ON the ground, right in front of your feet. You are still in the 'shopping for things on the ground' mode - hands on you knees, bent at the waist, looking at the books.
You look up at the man running the sale and you ask, "How much are the books?"
"Those are $1.00 each," the man says.
So you bend down to pick up one book with one hand and the one that is on your toe with the other hand. BUT! A hand swoops in from the other side of your LEG and grabs the book that is ON YOUR TOE that you are five inches from picking up. And you hear a woman say, "Here's my dollar! Here's my dollar!" as she walks towards the man and then goes to her car.
What would you do?
I just stood there with my mouth agape like "Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?"
If I see something and someone is hovering or looking at it already - I DO NOT intrude in their space. Sometimes they are in the general area, but looking at something else, so I ask, "Were you looking at that?"" and then I take it if they say, "No."
It would have been different if there had been piles of books or boxes of books. But there were SEVEN books and one was on my toe.
I'm still mad.
Plus I missed out on a cool old gumball machine at the Super Cheap Thrift because a woman would NOT move her cart so I could get down the aisle.
Then a woman passed me in a NO PASSING zone because I was doing 46 in a 50 mile zone. (THE HORRORS) Plus - she flipped me off. What is wrong with people????
*I still found some good stuff, but how about some MANNERS, people?????
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*Taken at a yard sale on Friday. I resisted. :D
I have this thought about manners EVERY SINGLE DAY. This is why I struggle with estate sales at times -- I seem to be a magnet for rude/aggressive shoppers. Maybe my refusal to run through the house grabbing stuff infuriates them. I hope so. Is it really worth over a $1 book, Grabbing Lady? (just came from an estate sale and I'm a little wound up...) :)
ReplyDeleteWhen I learned about shopping from my mom she always said if you might want something pick it up because you can also put it down later but if you wait it may be gone. I don't always remember her advice and have often regretted not doing it. It might seem rude to you but the other person can wait and see what you end up doing. When rude people flipped me off, I often shake my finger at them. It makes them think about their action and attitude while replying in kind seems to make them feel justified in that behavior. Well since I'm not your mother that's the end of the advice. Carry on.
ReplyDeleteIf you move something off my toe, you had better be ready for my toe and the associated foot to be headed for your hindquarters. I do believe in good manners, and would never swoop in to grab something that another shopper had claimed; but I don't have any problem with defending what's mine (even if haven't paid for it yet)
ReplyDeleteI am constantly amazed at the lack of manners that some people seem to have these days. I always seem to think of something clever that I should of said in situations like that way after the fact. It's probably good that I actually never said anything rude back to them. Why stoop to their level? Since there is nothing you can do about it now, you just have to think that there has to be something WONDERFUL waiting for you just around the corner.
ReplyDeleteDanielle
I do like someone else suggested - if I even think I am interested/need to know the price/want to think about it/etc I hold that shit in my hands. You might remember (it was years ago) I got into a big fighting match with someone who claimed I had stolen something out of her box at a church sale. (When it was sitting on a damn table at a rummage sale). Fool me once...
ReplyDeleteYou can absolutely bet money that I would have called that lady out. I can already tell you exactly what I would have said ..."Seriously? Wow. Unbelievable how rude and oblivious some people can be. Or you just might not care that you acted that way, which in that case, I feel sorry for you. Enjoy your book!"
ReplyDeleteYep, that's what I would have said.
As for people who block aisles with their carts? Don't even get me started. Brian has threatened to quit going to the grocery store with me. I am normally a very patient and kind person but grocery shopping is number one on my list of most hated chores.
Hope you have a better rest of your weekend!
Erica
Erica
Wow.
ReplyDeleteEven if you DIDN'T have the book in your hand, and even if it WEREN'T touching your toe, you are obviously the shopper of those books since they are in your stratosphere AND you have asked about them.
If you ask a price on something at a yard sale AS YOU ARE STANDING OVER SAID ITEM you have first dibs on the item. Everybody knows that.
That woman was beyond rude and the seller should have given you right of first refusal. I don't like to get into confrontations but I think I would have said something. Probably wouldn't have been quick enough to step on her hand or kick her as she entered my personal space, but called her out on it for sure.
It would be totally ironic if this were the book she swiped.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.amazon.com/My-Little-Golden-Book-Manners/dp/0307021564
I would have been furious but what could you do?? It happened so quickly that like you I would have been stunned. Manners are gone in this world and it's sad.
ReplyDeleteyou are not as mean as me, I would have put bad juju on that particular book as she hauled it off...........Wait, I just did it for you, hope the pages are fragile and it falls apart in her hot little hand. Oopsy, was that too mean?
ReplyDeleteI know she took you by surprise but I would have yelled excuse me you must of not seen me looking at those books first.
ReplyDeletePeople are so rude and that why we have some of the issues we do in the world.
Cathy
My first two words would have been a very loud (audible for a couple of blocks) "EXCUSE ME!" complete with what Keith calls "The Tone" and what my students call "The Look." My next word woould have rhymed with ri-otch. I think I would probably also say "I know you just didn't grab that off my foot."
ReplyDeleteYes, indeed, price your stuff people! Nobody likes pinata-style yardsales. Sandy in PA
ReplyDeleteE.B.O.R. - you are due for MUCH better things to come your way ;-) !!
ReplyDeleteMade me think of The Bins where they remind shoppers, over the PA system, to only shop in front of themselves.
ReplyDelete"excuse me miss...I'd hate to kick your a@# over a book!" lol...let them have it... karma has a way of taking care of things!
ReplyDeleteWell Excuuuuuuuuuuse Meeeee!!! Remember the old Steve Martin comic routine? Or is that before your time?
ReplyDeleteOMG THE RUDENESS. I don't know what I would have done. Depends on the mood I was in, I guess. My problem is, saying something to someone SO RUDE will often escalate it to the point where you're both yelling at each other in middle of a yard sale and then I would feel part of problem -- like I was as rude as she was. I guess the only way to avoid that is with a friendly "Wow! I guess you didn't notice I had that book on my toe and was about to buy it!" which is a little passive aggressive I guess. I don't know. The biggest problem is we're not rude so we're ill-equipped to deal with rude people. I hate that happened to you.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I wouldn't have said anything....unless I had pms! I probably would have been so taken back like you, it would have happened before I had time to respond. I basically try to avoid confrontations too, it's usually not worth it to argue with a fool.
ReplyDeleteI was at the thrift once and I found a nice wooden chair with a great woven seat and back. $5 and it was gonna be mine! Stood in line to pay for it when this lady comes up and starts hollering at me, saying it was her chair and she put it there on hold so she could look for more items and I had better put it back or she was going to kick my ass. I was shocked and the other people in line all looked at her and me like they were ready for a fight. I told her I didn't see a hold sign or a name on it and I was going to buy it then turned around to face the cashier. She grabbed the chair but I had a firm grip on it and she then proceeded to yell and curse at the workers behind the counter. I paid for my chair and left, but I was so worried she was going to follow me and try to hurt me. She didn't. But I never could enjoy that chair. I ended up selling it because it had bad juju on it. If it had been near the cashiers counter then I could believe that it was on hold, but it was still in the furniture section mixed in with other chairs. I was afraid to say anything to the woman, but I wasn't about to give up my prize so easily.
ReplyDeleteKarma! And if she acted like that over a simple book, she for sure acts rude and inconsiderate in other areas of her life. So you don't even have to worry about it. One day, she'll piss off the wrong person. ;)
ReplyDeleteLooks like you found lots of good stuff this weekend!
I love that little piece of green pottery!
Erica :)
Trying out a little something.....
ReplyDelete