Lisa, Your effort and the young lady's response are great! Thank you for speaking up!!
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I would not be too annoyed at the young woman. It was rude, but being stuck behind a slow-moving individual, or a group of people walking three across, makes many folks meshuggener. It can be hard to bite your tongue sometime.
However, her time will come Lisa, and sooner then she might expect. It will not be long before someone behind her complains about her pace. Blonde buds will soon be hoisted on her own petard, although coiffed head will not be standing there to witness and enjoy it.
PS--I smile at the term "rush hour". It s much like "happy hour" in a bar. Neither lasts anywhere near an hours duration. I'm driving to work at 4:30 AM and WINS radio is giving the bridge and tunnel report, advising on the traffic and how many minutes delay. Lol.
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Can't help but wonder what would've gone down if all three participants had been men instead of women.
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No doubt the "youngster" was from the hipster set they think they invented everything and know everything. Thankfully you set her straight. Good on you.
3
It takes a village.
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You must be very very nice person! A young one cursing an elder , yet got hugged ! Even her sorry was described as with a “genuine grace”? . Good for you. Take care .
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Great story and a lesson definitely learned.
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I say something sometimes. The trick is to say it in a pleasant tone, but not smile--and avoid making eye contact.
But I try to choose my battles wisely. Sometimes I think, "Move on--nothing to see here."
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How lovely, and how fortunate, that your admonishment was met with “genuine grace” Lisa, and how lovely that you responded to the young woman’s apology with equal grace, warmth, and civility. Thank you for a splendid lesson on the importance of remaining aware that we all share our public spaces and for getting the Diary off to a very good start this week.
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Beautiful. Inspiring! Thanks for sharing.
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As I was reading today's Diary, I had visions of a fist fight developing on PRESIDENT STREET, of all places. But the young woman said, "I'm sorry. I was wrong."
If only our government officials--on all levels and in all parties--could utter the same words. "What a Wonderful World," as Louis Armstrong used to sing.
Please vote in November.
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Dean - Treasury Secretary and Mrs. Mnuchin had been "honored" last September (with a vocal by my neighbor, cabaret singer Sheree Sano) with a YouTube parody take on that classic,
"What a One-Percent World"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzMi9umls0g
and in the months since then, Secretary Mnuchin (who has recently bucked the D.C. trend and developed public relations common sense, even if I don't tend to agree on his policies) seems to have mostly figured out that government perks are not as bountiful as corporate-world perks.
I'm sure my thoughts and homemade video didn't cause that, but it surely couldn't have hurt, right? :)
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Freddie I am going to go to that link tonight and watch. Now I've got that song in my head.
2
Thanks, Freddie. Great parody! And as Margo Channing said, I've got that song in my head.
Frm NY born and raised and have always held doors for people, men included. Not all NY'ers are rude, we just walks and talk very quickly. I found out just how quickly when I visited Florida. The woman behind the register didn't understand what I was saying, I realized I was still in NY mode.
14
Ah. This happened to me in Jefferson Missouri. I had a quick errand across the street from the restaurant where I was having lunch with my colleagues. A man observed me coming and going and on my returned admonished me: “you are walking too fast”. I too was in my nyc quick, purposeful walk mode.
9
When I walk with my sister I have a tendency to walk fast I don't like to dawdle, she will often admonish me at a not so low voice saying and this has to be said as one word. "whattayagotabustocatch? I often have to slow myself down both when walking and talking. And I pardon my above comment a couple of typos and an added "S" that just shouldn't be there. My computer has a mind of its own, either that or perhaps I type too fast as well. I go for the latter. :)
4
How nostalgic. In the early and mid-eighties, I would make trips to Manhattan for visits to my employer's headquarters, a money-center bank. In the first few days, I would get pushed out of the way on midtown sidewalks, even by little old ladies (I was about 6-2 and 200 lbs.) Finally I would acclimate and adopt that disinterested, imperious and aggressive local walking style. In one episode, I held open a restaurant door giving way to an exiting couple. They appeared shocked. "Sorry" I said "but I'm not from New York." "We're not either." was the retort.
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Frm NY born and raised and have always held doors for people, men included. Not all NY'ers are rude, we just walks and talk very quickly. I found out just how quickly when I visited Florida. The woman behind the register didn't understand what I was saying, I realized I was still in NY mode.
8
In my experience it is not NYers, especially not native NYers who are so aggressive on the streets. That aggression comes from people who are tourists in midtown trying to be like the NY stereotype they have heard apocryphal tales of.. or from those who have recently moved here from elsewhere and failed to learn basic street manners and subway manners.
1
This was scary as I was reading it, and I was a slightly-nervous wreck as I scrolled past the ad that my Mac inserted in the middle of the story, but brought a tear or two by the end. (I knew deep down that if it had turned violent, you wouldn't have sent it to the Diary.)
I'd never have had the nerve to say anything, and I'm going back and fourth between hoping you'll be careful in the future and hoping you never need to take a stand like this again.
PS Was this President Street before the 2016 Presidential election, or after? (just wondering)
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I think it's President street in Brooklyn, which has benn around long before that.
6