Who is in the wrong here?

[worm761]

Feel free to be honest.
A post on the family board got me thinking of something that happened Friday night. We went to Target. I was standing in a back aisle with the buggy. You know the the one that all the others butt up to but isn't a main aisle. Anyway, I was looking at something or other. Minding my own business. When I finished looking I started walking up the aisle. That is when I hear some woman VERY loudly saying how rude some people are not letting you through the **** aisle. Now, I know that I tend to live in my own world and not really take too much notice of the people around me but I tend to be pretty polite. These women never said excuse me, can I get by. I didn't know they were there. If I would have heard them I would have moved out of the way for them to get past and apologized for being in the way. But to my knowledge I was the only person in the aisle.
So, who was more in the wrong? Me for being in the way and not realizing it. Or the loud ladies who didn't bother to try to use the words excuse me? As you can see, I think they were more in the wrong. I know I am flighty but I can't help it so I apologize when my flightiness effects other people. I am curious to know what other people think.

 

[jazzielady]

when I come across people not paying attention or just talking to their shopping buddy or long-lost friend i just say excuse me an smile.

More often than not they apologize and move out of the way.

This lady could have been more polite.....just sayin'......

 

[dicar123]

Your "wrong" action was accidental. Their wrong action was deliberate. Pretty easy call.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Given the situation as described - they were wrong, on two counts. They were wrong for not making you aware they were waiting to get by, and the one woman was wrong for talking about you as if you weren't there.

You were only a little tiny bit wrong for not having yourself pressed up against the shelf with your cart pressed up against the shelf next to you or parked around a corner while you looked at items which you considered purchasing, aka shopped.

Oh, wait - they were wrong on a third count. It sounds like there were more than one of them? They could have passed you single file. This would have alleviated any space issues, not that there are any in the aisle you described.

Fourth count: if the other customer feels so negatively about the aisle, what's she doing in it in the first place?

 

[myhouseofmouse]

dicar123I: I could not have said it any better...perfect

 

[C.Ann]

If they didn't bother to say "Excuse me, but could we please get by?", they created their own problem - and then chose to get nasty and all in a huff about it..

My vote is "them"..

 

[FlightlessDuck]

My vote is for the department store, for making the aisle so small. This drives me nuts. Especially at the grocery store where you try to have people go both directions and people stop at the same spot (or close) and they block off the entire aisle.

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

I say both. They definetly could have been more polite, said excuse me to you if they wanted past, but you also could have pushed your cart to the side so people could get through.

 

[bumbershoot]

Are you sure they were even talking about you?

 

[Ceila]

I don't think you did anything wrong at all, and I think they were very rude. If nobody else is in the aisle, I don't see the need to push my cart all the way up against the shelf just in case someone else happens to come along.

If someone does want to get by, I either hear them and move aside or, if I don't hear them, it's quite simple for them to say "excuse me," at which point I quickly move aside.

 

[lacrosse_lady72]

I say both. They definetly could have been more polite, said excuse me to you if they wanted past, but you also could have pushed your cart to the side so people could get through.

I agree. Both were wrong, but to different degrees. Maybe you could help yourself avoid these kind of situations by you know, paying attention.

 

[Skywalker]

That happened to me too!

I was shopping in the toy department, probably for a birthday party or something. Now usually, I am very aware of what's around me but for some reason I just did not hear or sense someone coming alongside me (must have been some fascinating Lego box I was reading, lol).

Next thing I know I am startled by this exaggeratedly loud SIGH and then I hear this lady say, "Come on we'll go to the OTHER aisle since some people don't move."

I looked around bewildered for a minute and then realized what had happened.

Part of me felt bad and part of me felt like yelling after her "You just could have said excuse me, you grouchy old bat!"

She had a kid with her too. She had a chance to show how normal adults interact in the world, (Excuse me, please) but instead she modelled how to be an entitled-drama queen-jerk.)

In other words, OP I think you did nothing wrong, lol.

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

Given the situation as described - they were wrong, on two counts. They were wrong for not making you aware they were waiting to get by, and the one woman was wrong for talking about you as if you weren't there.

You were only a little tiny bit wrong for not having yourself pressed up against the shelf with your cart pressed up against the shelf next to you or parked around a corner while you looked at items which you considered purchasing, aka shopped.

Oh, wait - they were wrong on a third count. It sounds like there were more than one of them? They could have passed you single file. This would have alleviated any space issues, not that there are any in the aisle you described.

Fourth count: if the other customer feels so negatively about the aisle, what's she doing in it in the first place?

I agree all the way around.

 

[agnes!]

Feel free to be honest.
A post on the family board got me thinking of something that happened Friday night. We went to Target. I was standing in a back aisle with the buggy. You know the the one that all the others butt up to but isn't a main aisle. Anyway, I was looking at something or other. Minding my own business. When I finished looking I started walking up the aisle. That is when I hear some woman VERY loudly saying how rude some people are not letting you through the **** aisle. Now, I know that I tend to live in my own world and not really take too much notice of the people around me but I tend to be pretty polite. These women never said excuse me, can I get by. I didn't know they were there. If I would have heard them I would have moved out of the way for them to get past and apologized for being in the way. But to my knowledge I was the only person in the aisle.
So, who was more in the wrong? Me for being in the way and not realizing it. Or the loud ladies who didn't bother to try to use the words excuse me? As you can see, I think they were more in the wrong. I know I am flighty but I can't help it so I apologize when my flightiness effects other people. I am curious to know what other people think.

Well, did you tell sweetly then tell them you'd move your rude **** self out of the **** aisle just as soon as you could get your sorry **** in **** gear?


agnes!

 

[luvmy3]

Your "wrong" action was accidental. Their wrong action was deliberate. Pretty easy call.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

If I needed to get by I would have spoken to you. Perhaps these offenders lack simple social graces to talk to strangers.

So I would say you are both "wrong". You admit you do not notice your surroundings & blocked the aisle for others and the offenders lack the ability to communicate with others in a normal fashion.

 

[Metsfan520]

My vote is for the department store, for making the aisle so small. This drives me nuts. Especially at the grocery store where you try to have people go both directions and people stop at the same spot (or close) and they block off the entire aisle.

I agree, the stores just fill up the aisles with all the extra stuff, and you can't shop anymore.

 

[mjkacmom]

They were wrong not to say "excuse me," but I personally will never leave my cart blocking an aisle - if I stop, I put it out of the way. I always wonder why people will leave a cart blocking an aisle, assuming that no one will want to get through (our grocery store is about 75 years old, with very narrow aisles, we have lots of seniors here, so I'm wondering A LOT!).

 

[snapppyd]

I think they were more wrong. My only thought is maybe they did say excuse me and you didn't hear it? You did say you tend to me in your own world. I'm not excusing her rude behavior, but I know there are many times even my husband gets annoyed at me for not paying attention or hearing him ask a question.

 

[Pugsley]

I know I am flighty but I can't help it so I apologize when my flightiness effects other people. I am curious to know what other people think.

Yes, those ladies were rude, but the comment above kind of bothered me. Can you really not help it? I just don't understand I guess because I'm always thinking about what is going on around me and how it affects other people. It would never occur to me to leave my cart in the middle of an aisle (although I'm not sure that's what you did) instead of pulling over to a place where I wouldn't be in the way. Just like it would never occur to me to stop in the middle of a walkway at Disney World to look at a map, or butt in front of a line of traffic. But I have to admit that seeing people do these things every day does get frustrating and I find it hard to believe that they just "can't help it."