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January 9, 2005

MULTI-STOREY SARCASM

A couple of years ago, I would shy away from any sort of confrontation and just ignore it in the hope that it would die down and go away. I don't know whether it's built-up stress, a strengthened character, or just having lived in Watford too long, but I surprised myself yesterday by reacting to a sarcy comment by a passer-by.

I was in the car park in Watford town centre, slowly driving towards the exit and I had my window down. About five yards in front, a man in his forties carrying an umbrella decided to take a step into the road, then take that step back again as he saw I was coming. "Thanks mate" he said sarcastically as I passed him, as if his stepping into the road was a signal for me to brake and let him across. Was he at one of the numerous pedestrian crossings in the car park? No. To let him cross, I would have had to apply the brakes quite hard and that would have been completely unnecessary.

So I stopped the car and before I'd actually realised what I was doing, I was out of the car, striding towards him. "You what?" I said as I met him in the middle of the road. "You could have let me cross" he said, arrogantly yet a little shocked. "You walked out in front of me" I said, still a little amazed with myself, "you should use one of the pedestrian crossings or walk past these cars here" I added, motioning towards the parked cars on his original side of the road. "Alright" he said, a little taken aback so I spat out "well don't fcuking have a go at me then" as a parting shot before getting back in the car and driving off.

Debs was shocked and to be honest, so was I. As I drove away down the spiralling exit ramp, I felt good. Not because I'd had a go at someone or acted 'hard', but because I'd stood up for myself in a situation where I had done no wrong and I'd told someone exactly what I thought. I don't think I've ever done that before.

Maybe it just shows that I've learned not to take any shit from anyone.

Posted by jonola14 at January 9, 2005 4:46 PM