Yes--this morning at
WalMart, of all places. I always try to avoid confrontation if I'm able to help it--I hate it--but this morning as I was heading for the Express checkout with just a birthday card and a Diet Pepsi, a woman with a full cart rushed to get in front of me. Now of course I was thinking to myself, "It's the Express Lane, go somewhere else!" but I didn't say it. She checked out, and as the cashier was ringing up my card, the cashier apologized. "No biggie," I smiled. Well, the customer overheard the cashier, and turned her cart around and laid into her--I couldn't believe it! She went on about how the cashier should just keep her mouth shut, or she'd talk to the manager and get her fired

blah, blah, blah, and the cashier just stood there and took it. I felt so bad for her, so I said to the irate woman, "She was just trying to be considerate, she doesn't deserve to be spoken to that way." So, the customer looked at me and said, "What do you care, you skinny b****?!"

Then I, who never says boo to anyone, got so angry, I said back to her, "Skinny b****!? Well, what are you going to do if I don't shut up? Sit on me?" (she was overweight). It was the nastiest thing I've ever said to a complete stranger, and I felt horrible as soon as it came out of my mouth. She shut up, the cashier was nearly in tears, and I gave her my name and phone number in case she needed any backup if she was reported. As soon as I got to my car, I cried--you know, that kind of crying where it's a combination of anger and shakiness and feeling really, really sad? I used to weigh 235 pounds, but lost 110, so I know what it's like to be called out on my weight--it can be a terrible feeling.
I have no idea why I snapped and was so nasty this morning, but I still feel badly about the whole thing.