Instant Karma from The Soup Nazi

[CuppaJoe]

On my way to work, hobbling around with a cane, heavily medicated, I decided to stop in for some soul food, meat lasagna with coke. Real nice place run by a family, nice tables with city/business view. At the entrance I noticed people getting their Pepsi's (no cokes) from a cooler, I thought they had paper-cup cokes at the cashier, hesitated then decided to get the canned Pepsi. Meanwhile three people got in the food line ahead of me, I decided not to let that bother me when an obnoxious women (OW) cut in, still I thought, this is not going to become an issue.

She ordered vegetable lasagna to go, I ordered meat lasagna for here. Then, out of nowhere, she layed into me, "you eat meat!, you're not going to look like me (slim) when you are 71!" I wanted to do a variation on Jack Benny's response to "Your money or your life," something like I'll take a shorter life over spending any of it with you but all I could get out was, "I should live so long." Then OW got louder, "meat says in your system 72 hours!" I've seen people at this point turn the conversation around and get friendly, I wanted to bash her and was proud of myself that I did not.

Guy behind the counter took a spatula and put what looked like meat lasagna on a plate, OW said, "is that my vegetable lasagna," He said, "no, it is not your vegetable lasagna. Hey, what are you doing with a tray, you don't need a tray for to-go food." "Yes, I do, I'm going to eat some of it here but need the to-go box to take the rest home." Clearly her attitude was "I'm healthier than thou!" I was thinking for all i know that meat lasagna could have been ordered by one of the other people who cut ahead of me.

She paid for her food but it was not ready, my meat lasagna was waiting at the cashier.

What do you make of this, "don't sweat the small stuff"? Sometimes the tortoise does get there first? Ever w*rk behind a counter?

 

[73ss454]

I'd get the lasagna, ask for extra sauce, some crusty bread and sit down and eat it. End of story.

 

[brewer12345]

I would have either ignored her or said somethingto the effect that while you may not be as slim, you would surely not be so obnoxious, either.

 

[HFWR]

Oh, the woman on our party line's the nosiest thing
She picks up her receiver when she knows it's my ring
Why don't you mind your own business (Mind your own business)
Why don't you mind your own business (Mind your own business)
Well, if mind your business, then you won't be mindin' mine.

...

Mindin' other people's business seems to be high-toned
I got all that I can do just to mind my own
Why don't you mind your own business (Mind your own business)
Why don't you mind your own business (Mind your own business)
If you mind your own business, you'll stay busy all the time.

Hank Sr.

 

[dex]

I think this incident stayed in your system too long.

 

[haha]

Nayway, she has her facts screwed up.
It's the pasta that makes you fat, not the beef. They don't call those older hefty gals in Italy "Beef Mamas".

Ha

 

[Alan]

If vegetable lasagne makes you that obnoxious I'm staying well away from it.

What a weird experience, thanks for sharing, I hope that getting it off your chest helps you feel a litlle calmer. (I don't suppose you can get the meat lasagne off your chest so easily, that stuff sticks to your ribs and clogs up your arteries )

 

[bbbamI]

I work behind a counter...not food related....a police department counter. Everyone sweats...except me.

 

[Notmuchlonger]

I would have stuck my tongue out at her.

 

[W2R]

Sounds like she never heard of civility. This bitter old woman and the incident are not worth your time or the slightest anguish or concern. But of course, letting it go is easier said than done.

 

[Texas Proud]

I would have said... well, since I am already 74 I guess you don't know much do you

 

[Notmuchlonger]

Then I would have said..nyah nyah stick a finger in your eye..tell ..ah never mind..

 

[TromboneAl]

I was going to think of a snappy answer, but Texas already got the perfect one.

 

[CuppaJoe]

Thanks, there's a lot of truth in the humor in this thread, it did stay in my system too long. One thing that sticks with me is that "the guy behind the counter" handled the situation in a unique way, picking on OW about the tray and then making a point of getting my food ready first. I think they charge more for food eaten in.

Another thing is that in that brief incident, he improved the good will of the business for me and anyone who overheard it. In my j*b the subject of good will comes up often because it is difficult to value it. Also, a successful businesses can pick and choose the customers they want to keep.

I thought of eating there again today but it really is a place to go to rarely to eat comfort food and I only have coke when I know I will have trouble staying awake, the caffeine and sugar do it every time. BTY, I think veggie lasagna has just as much cream and cheese as the meat kind, no wonder OW likes it.

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

what a mean old lady; she should be made to wait for her food.

what a kind old woman, taking time to help me with my nutrition requirements.

such a buttinski; why doesn't that old hag just must mind her own business.

such a sad lady, she has no one to talk to.

such a sweet lady, reaching out to strangers for conversation.

what a control freak. she has no control over events in her own life so she's trying to control mine instead.

what a considerate lady, having recently buried her husband who died from a steak overdose, yet still able to try and prevent yet another early widowing for others.

what's wrong with these people who think they're allowed to socialize just because we happen to be out in public alone together?

 

[Leonidas]

what's wrong with these people who think they're allowed to socialize just because we happen to be out in public alone together?

You've got all the possibilities covered. I've been watching this thread and vacillating about how I would have responded if I were in Cuppajoe's shoes. The longer I am ERed and focusing on trying to be at peace with the world around me, the less my responses to this stuff comes from a Joe Pesci movie.

Hey, I tell ya what, why don't you take your #$%&^@ vegetable lasagna and .....

Sometimes I do have to remind myself that the only thing I can control is how I respond.

 

[Marquette]

what's wrong with these people who think they're allowed to socialize just because we happen to be out in public alone together?

Well, if someone wants to socialize, they should have at least a modicum of decorum or awareness.

I also have no interest in letting a dog hump my leg just because they want to.

 

[CuppaJoe]

Here's another game, play it any way you want. Sometimes I don't know my motivations, maybe I started this thread because this kind of thing is so rare. In my 61 years I recall only one other instance where someone tried to "socialize with me" by creating a scene.

My mom was in the hospital, not expected to live. I booked a last minute flight on MidWest Express. [Off topic nod to a current thread: that airline is set up as if all seats are first class, had a wonderful flight which landed with a view of a sunset over Lake Michigan.] I neglected to book one of those airporter buses so planned on taking a cab. Got out to the corner, saw a local bus coming which would connect to the BART to the airport. I recalled several times riding buses at that hour on a Sat. morning they were uncrowded. Mistake, it had enuf passengers on it so that when it hit Chinatown it would become crowded. So CuppaJoe became the rude one, taking up two seats, there was no room to put the luggage on the floor.

Young guy, later known as obnoxious guy (OG) and two Chinese guys about my age were the only people standing near me. OG started staring holes in me, and then saying obvious stuff like, "you are taking up two seats, do you know how rude that is...." The others seemed to be joining in speaking Chinese, staring at me also. I decided not tell my personal story. The bus was moving slow, I thought it over for a few blocks, decided not to get off the bus and walk and not to transfer to another bus or cab, or put my luggage on my lap; but I did do something. What did I do and what were the consequences? Yes, there were consequences but to state it as consequences is misleading. We all escaped uninjured physically.

I'll post the rest of the story later today.

 

[Walt34]

One of the fun things about my former job was taking obnoxious people (OP) to jail, and smiling at them as the door slammed shut.

Yes, it really does make that "CLANG!" sound you hear on TV.

 

[Moemg]

Having been a nurse for forty years I had more than my share of obnoxious people . One of the last patients I had was so rude no one else would take care of him . As he was leaving the surgery center he said to me " I bet I'm the worst patient you ever had " . Normally I would say " No,you were fine " but that day I said " No, but you were in the top ten ". The guy later sent me flowers and apologised .

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

My wife has a great way of resolving this inner conflict.

In her parlance, "M'am" means "bitch" and "Sir" means "jackass".

So she'd have just said "Oh...thank you m'am!"

 

[Sarah in SC]

CFB, I have a friend for whom "client" means something kinda like that...

 

[HFWR]

My Friend...

 

[Westernskies]

In varying degrees of satisfaction...

1. Ignoring her was probably the least confrontational.

2. When she said you won't look like her when you are 71, you could have responded " I sure as hell hope not!"

3. Or, to plagarize WC Fields. ".. yes ma'am, but tomorrow my lasagne will be gone, and you will still be ugly"

4. Since you were hobbling with a cane and heavily medicated, you could have "accidentlally" dumped your whole tray of toxic meat lasagna on the b!+<h after she sat down to eat her half here/half to go /half-portion of veggie lasagne- and then mumbled that you hope you don't look like that when you were 71...

 

[bbbamI]

Woo...tough crowd! ...