Cranky impatient rude shoppers.

[heartofmine]

Has anyone else noticed the difference this year? It seems that everywhere I've gone lately people have been so cranky, impatient and rude. I'm not just talking about Christmas shopping. Even in the grocery stores people have acted differently.

I had a few different incidents yesterday when I was out grocery shopping. At Walmart a lady jumped on to my daughter when she was waiting for me. I had gone to the bathroom while my daughter got a buggy. She was trying to move out of the woman's way but the woman still jumped on to her and told her she could stand "over there". My daughter is 24 years old and not a child so the woman was just being nasty.

Later we were in the grocery aisles trying to pick up a few things. It was very busy. The aisle we were in was crowded. My son and daughter were standing behind me while I was bent over getting cake mix. There was a pole behind me so it was only one way traffic at that spot. I couldn't go any farther anyway because people were in front of me on both sides with buggies. This woman comes through and asks my son and daughter to move and let her through. She comes slamming through with her buggy nearly slamming me in the side of the head. I jump back to keep from getting hit and slam right back into the pole behind me which had some sort of screen sticking out and the corner caught me right in the middle of my back nearly knocking the breath out of me. I'm like "oh I hit my back". The woman just gives me a nasty look and continues pushing her way around the other people in the aisle. Some of them had to move to to let her through. I couldn't believe someone would act like that. My back is still sore where the corner caught me.

Then later we go to the SaveALot. I was getting hamburger that had been marked down. My son was standing beside the buggy and my daughter beside him. I was at the back of the buggy handing the hamburger to my son to put in the buggy. 2 women here me say "hamburger marked down" and came shoving through pushing my son and daughter out of the way and trying to push me so they could grab it. All the time making snide remarks really loud because they couldn't get passed me and I already had most of what was marked down in my buggy. For good measure I grabbed 2 more since they were being so rude and vocal.

I know I could have said something but I just don't want to act like that. I've noticed the difference in people the last while. I know things are tough and people are worried but its no reason to be mean to others. I wish I could just stay out of the stores right now but I'll have to go at least one more time before Christmas to get ingredients. Thankfully my Christmas shopping is done. Its scary out there.

[Contrary Housewife]

I have to admit I probably would have been in a better mood in Walmart today if their staff had been on the ball. Today they could not have been more inefficient or incompetant. They could not figure out how to activate the cell phone I wanted to buy and after 40 minutes I ended up with a refund and a cooling walk back to the car.

[Sara Noel]

I'm sorry you had bad shopping trips.

On the flip side, I had a wonderful older woman behind me in line at the grocery store. We chit chatted. She was telling me her daughter in law was vegan and she was worried she didn't have enough food for her. Then we talked about our Christmas shopping and the holiday overall. It was just really nice. She was telling me she couldn't find the colored toothpicks that she gets every year, but she's decided plain is good enough. I told her my grandmother always bought them, too. Just so sweet how many women pay attention to little details and how wonderful it is.

I also made a lady laugh in the paper aisle. I said hi, I know you don't work here, but as a fellow shopper, do you happen to know where the heck the wax paper is? LOL I mean they had a gazillion types of foil and baggies and tons and tons of parchment paper. We stood there staring all around and then I finally found it. One type (smallest box ever) and they had placed it tiny side out and up high, so there's just no way anyone would have found it unless they were like an inch from the shelf and as tall as I am. LOL we just started cracking up and I was wellll now I know! And so does the entire store because I exclaimed oh joy of joys I've found the wax paper and can get out of this store.

I also had to hunt down red hot candies. I went to three stores! I ended up having to buy it in the tiny cookie decorating bottles. OY. Again, I exclaimed..holy cow man I've found the red hots candies. Another woman laughed and said oh I get those in September. I was like September? I'm still on school supplies then!!! LOL

Was just fun out and about.

Now I do expect the shopping to be worse next week. I'm sure I'll get glares and the mean and pushy shoppers. But I get that throughout the year during random shopping trips. LOL

[heartofmine]

Sara the shopping trip like you had is the ones I love. I love talking to people and making them smile or laugh. Just before the woman nearly ran me down I had had a nice conversation with a woman I know but hadn't seen in a while. Just so happened she was coming down that aisle too and saw what the woman did. She just shook her head.

I was just glad to get out alive...

...and btw I've got a nice meatloaf in the oven right now with some of that hamburger. LOL

[2ndGenGranola]

I find that is true every year at this time. That is one reason why I MUST have the bulk of my shopping done by Thanksgiving. Stores are bad and driving is just plain crazy. Mom used to wait until the last minute and get all stressed over Christmas and just plain ruin it. I did not want to follow in those shoes. Its laid back and relaxed here (and not on the cc) :-)

[Sara Noel]

I hate the parking most of all. Fortunately, I recruited Gabe, so was dropped off and picked up at the door. Ahhhhh. So nice. LOL

Last week, I went to the store and got the front parking space right near the door (well closest that isn't a handicapped reserved space). I could not believe it and felt sooo special. LOL

But since the topic is rude people, I'll share what happened when getting the girls their haircuts last night. I got into the salon (this one takes walk-ins) and when I walked in the counter/register was packed with people paying and leaving. So I couldn't sign in right away. As they cleared out, I stood up and I was smack next to the counter (we're talking I could touch it) and someone came in the door and cut right in front of me and signed in ahead of me. This meant an extra hour wait for me!!!! I would have said something but I had my girls and she had her son and for the sake of kindness, I shut up. Anyone that knows me knows I very rarely have a filter for my thoughts to words....even in regular situations let alone these types. So she caught me on a good day, let me tell ya.

[monkeywrangler71]

I went out today and expected it to be a mad house, but it wasn't that bad. I don't know if people were avoiding the Saturday crowds or if I was just going to different stores. People were pleasant everywhere, even the woman I nearly knocked over at the grocery store (both of us were looking the opposite direction of where we were walking).

I've never seen anyone in a store act like the people you encountered today, I don't know what I would do. Although I did have a woman put her hands on my back at a flea market in Florida once and push me forward because I was not moving fast enough. I was too shocked to react.

[heartofmine]

Granola I usually try and get most of my Christmas shopping done early too. I order some things online. Actually thinking about it most of my bigger gifts I just ordered this year. I had to go out for some of the smaller ones. Yesterday was just grocery shopping although I did buy some candy for stocking stuffers. It was in the grocery's that people seemed to be so aggressive.

Sara that is terrible. I've seen that happen. We've been standing in line at restaurants waiting for a seat and had people shove past us and getting in front of us. One of our favorite Chinese restaurant it has happened several times. Its a small place but they stay busy. I've noticed the owners are good about keeping a close eye on that and usually know who was the first in.

[heartofmine]

I went out today and expected it to be a mad house, but it wasn't that bad. I don't know if people were avoiding the Saturday crowds or if I was just going to different stores. People were pleasant everywhere, even the woman I nearly knocked over at the grocery store (both of us were looking the opposite direction of where we were walking).

I've never seen anyone in a store act like the people you encountered today, I don't know what I would do. Although I did have a woman put her hands on my back at a flea market in Florida once and push me forward because I was not moving fast enough. I was too shocked to react.

Wow! I can understand the shock of someone pushing with their hands.

[shoiji]

It is that time of the year. I try to stay out of the stores until the end of season sales start. Then I go as soon as the store opens to avoid the crowds. Really think the economy is not helping also.

[rebecca]

I usually try to go as early as possible to avoid the crowds. I can't stand being around alot of people in the store. I do have to admit though that if I don't get a chance to go to the store early and it is crowded I notice that most of the people are pretty nice.

[frugalwarrior2]

My DH and i haven't noticed this. I have noticed people being very distracted while driving and in parking lots. It's the season though.

[valerian]

I haven't noticed it, but I'm sorry you had the experiences you had.

[freebs]

i am ready for the holidays to be over! less accidents, less traffic, less rude people!

[wjcalderon]

I was coming out of Home Depot when I saw a woman trying to put a 6-foot-long box of pipe insulation in her small car. It was never going to fit.
I said to her, "That isn't going in your car." Before I could suggest that she take the pieces of flexible pipe insulation out of the box, she replied, "You just need to go on and mind your own business!"
I told her that I knew a way to make it fit, and she said, "I didn't ask for your help!"
After rejecting the responses that ran through my mind at that point, I just left - she was still trying to get that box in her car.