An open letter to teenagers who rolled their eyes at me in the line at the Subway

[Miss Inga Depointe]

Oh, man! Such good advice from you all. Well, I guess I'm glad you like your new titles, Captain Obviouses, but for the last time:

I know I was looney. I know I made a mistake at the Subway, and I am sooooooooo darned full of remorse about it!

My point was that when someone was like that, maybe you should remember that there might be more going on than you realize, but now thanks to the Captain Obvious crew, I've learned that I should just be like them and never make a mistake again and thus eliminating the need for anyone to roll their eyes at me in the first place. Thanks!

 

[MzDiz]

I dunno. I can't say that I remember being such a brat when I was a teen. Don't get me wrong here, I did plenty that I shouldn't have (skipping school, drinking, etc) but blatant eye rolling at an adult wasn't one of them. I'd be too afraid my mother was lurking somewhere, waiting to slap my across the mouth.
What happened to common courtesy? It's not like she was standing there for five minutes on the phone, was it? If I read correctly, it wasn't even her turn yet when she went for the phone. A little patience and understanding would be nice about now in this thread. For a happy Disney board, this is one of the meanest places on the planet.
Now watch, I'll get flamed now. Some of you people need hobbies.

 

[Bob Slydell]

I dunno. I can't say that I remember being such a brat when I was a teen. Don't get me wrong here, I did plenty that I shouldn't have (skipping school, drinking, etc) but blatant eye rolling at an adult wasn't one of them. I'd be too afraid my mother was lurking somewhere, waiting to slap my across the mouth.
What happened to common courtesy? It's not like she was standing there for five minutes on the phone, was it? If I read correctly, it wasn't even her turn yet when she went for the phone. A little patience and understanding would be nice about now in this thread. For a happy Disney board, this is one of the meanest places on the planet.
Now watch, I'll get flamed now. Some of you people need hobbies.

How did a simple turn this Subway worker into a brat?

 

[NeverlandClub23]

maybe you should remember that there might be more going on than you realize,

This seems a bit hypocritical. You wanted all of the other customers (if any) waiting behind you and the employees to understand that you have problems but it seems you failed to realize that there may be more going on in each of their lives than you realize.

 

[Miss Inga Depointe]

How did a simple turn this Subway worker into a brat?

It wasn't even the Subway worker, it was the kids in line in front of me. Believe me, I know I looked crazy, and I know I might have done the same thing if I had seen me.

Like I said, I picked on teens because in the same day I had them swearing at me in traffic and rolling their eyes at me while I was in a vulnerable state.

 

[Bob Slydell]

It wasn't even the Subway worker, it was the kids in line in front of me.

See, this is why I awaited the Cliff's Notes version you promised Pop Daddy I'm confused as to the players in this drama.

 

[Maleficent13]

I didn't realize they were in front of you, as well. So they had already ordered and you weren't affecting them in any way.

 

[mickeyfan2]

I'm sure it was more than that. It was also the not hearing people calling out, "lady it's your turn" and the papers flying out of my purse too and the way my voice sounds like when DH is saying things like, "What do you mean you can't find it. Did you lose it???"

But according to this post you were holding up the line.

 

[Miss Inga Depointe]

But according to this post you were holding up the line.

No, there was no one behind me, just a Subway employee trying to get my attention to get my order.

This story is getting more fascinating by the minute, isn't it! I should write a novel about it!!!

 

[gina2000]

brain blip

 

[gina2000]

Some days it's just difficult to feel old.

 

[Miss Inga Depointe]

Some days it's just difficult to feel old.

And believe me I feel alot older after this thread!!!!

 

[Wishing on a star]

I'll have to chime in here about that Subway worker....

I have had the same kind of rude 'rushing' treatment at a Subway recently!!!

We were going thru line, and I was helping DS order his kid-pack, and deciding if he wanted cookie, roll-up, whatever... (no big delay... just handling the momentary decision/ordering.) Well, my DH is behind me, ordering the foot long that we were going to share.

Low and behold, the lady was rushing him, and I did not even get a chance to let her know what I did or did not want on that sandwich. The moment I turned my attention from the lady at the register back to her, she was rolling that sandwich up! She was rushing my DH, (who by the way is not the one who is good at ordering food... it took him a year to remember to get ketchup for the fries!!!)

Needless to say, we were NOT holding up the line. The Subway worker was rushing us and was distant and rude.

IMHO, That Subway employee was rude to try and 'push' a customer who was very obviously having some kind of momentary 'issue'.

If anyone else had walked in, then perhaps they could have gone ahead of the OP... It does not sound like the OP was jockeying to be the next one in line. It sounds like everyone in the OP's situation was rude.

Okay, that rant being over with. If the OP was not holding up these teens in any way, they should have minded their own business. They were definately over the line with their bad insolent-teen behavior.

 

[Keli]

How did a simple turn this Subway worker into a brat?

Apparently it was the teens in line ahead of her that rolled their eyes. It is rude for a teen to roll their eyes at an adult like that (not that it ever stopped me unless my Mama was around, she could sense an eye roll at 50 yards!). And I guess I do think rude teens are brats. Not terrible ones, just a little bratty if you will, LOL.

 

[mssocks]

In my family, eye rolling from those under age is a major offense. It shows disrespect to their elders and can hurt feelings of those of the same age.

So I do not agree that the kids "did nothing wrong" and "congrats to the teens for keeping it together". There seems to be a portion of the kid population ( and I say kid deliberately because that's how they behave ) that think it's ok to be vocal with unkind verbal abuse. That they can say anything, laugh at anyone, roll eyes at anyone.....hhhmmm, kind of sounds like the school bully mindset doesn't it? I have several teen friends who when they act like that, I let them know it is not acceptable around me. And they respect that.

Anyway - being totally truthful since I will be flamed anyway, I am an eye roller. I admit it. HOWEVER, I know the rules!! You NEVER let the "rollee" SEE YOU! Who is teaching the proper technique these days - no one?

And for the OP - I do not think you looked like a loon, I think you are being gracious under fire here. If I had been there, I would have thought, "Oh that poor woman! I've had days like that!" THEN I would have rolled my eyes back at the office.

 

[cardaway]

This seems a bit hypocritical. You wanted all of the other customers (if any) waiting behind you and the employees to understand that you have problems but it seems you failed to realize that there may be more going on in each of their lives than you realize.

The latest batch of OP drama is too much even for Captain Obvious #2. Looks like the story is even getting changed.

 

[Wishing on a star]

THEN I would have rolled my eyes back at the office.

 

[Bob Slydell]

How does the OP even know they were rolling their eyes AT her? Seriously, they could have been discussing something completely unrelated to her situation and not even been paying attention to what she was doing.

I think it's easy to just assume that they were just another set of rude teens. I mean, that's all teenagers are these days, right?

 

[Jennasis]

I hear you MID. It's hard for people not to judge when they're wrapped up in their own world. But I think your advice can be applied to everyone, noit just the punk, eye-rolling teens.

On the other hand, how are the punk teens supposed to KNOW what is going on in your life, and how rough things have been for you? How do you know what's going on in their lives that have caused them be so impatient?

All I'm saying is, apply your advice to all, not just the Subway teens. And remember, the world is full of people wrapped up in their own space.

 

[chobie]

I kind of know how the OP feels. Though I've never had teens roll their eyes at me, I have had adults roll their eyes. I can remember a few bad days when my children were little and I was trying to finish up whatever chore I was in the middle of and get the kids home when some grown up walked by and clucked their tongue, rolled their eyes and shook their head at me. I was not inconvieincing them in any way and they had no idea if I had just gotten news of a death in the family or my husband had been laid off form work...no all they saw was a haggard young mother who, for those couple of minutes anyway, did not have her toddlers under control. Rather than assuming that maybe I was just having a bad moment, they assumed the worst: I was a bad parent who could not control her kids who would be raising ill-mannered youngsters who will infringe on others rights.

Maybe adults and teens a like should be a bit more empathetic towards others and not so quick to roll their eyes, make snarky comments, or rash judgments about people they have only seen for a few minutes.