The opposite of Random Acts of Kindness

In My Humble Opinion
1

This is related to this thread:
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?postid=1566545

In the course of reading that thread, I was reminded of this situation:

I was driving my wife and kids to my parents house (about 35 miles away), and with about 5 miles left, we got a flat tire on a very busy street. I was out pulling off the flat and replacing it with the spare all while traffic was darting past us. As I was doing this, a truck drove by and slowed down as it neared us. The passenger leaned out the window AND LAUGHED AT US. I couldn’t believe it! Here I am with my wife and 2 kids stuck on the side of the road with a flat tire and this jerk is laughing at me. I just shook my head in disbelief. What else could I do? (FYI, We did get the tire changed and made it out to my parents house ok.)

So, have you been in a situation where this type of thing has happened? Have you seen a situation similar to this where instead of a random act of kindness, you or someone else was made fun of instead? This is not a rant. I just want to know if you have ever experienced this type of thing yourself or seen it happen to others, and what you did.

2

When I was about 12 or so, I was walking through the mall, minding my own business. I walked past these three guys, I’d say they were between 18 and 20, and one of them just gut-punches me, out of the blue. On a good day that’s gonna hurt, and having it happen with no warning made it even worse. It’s about as random an act of unkindness as I’ve ever experienced.

3

I was once changing a tire in the pouring rain, when this guy in a van pulls up next to me, rolls down his window and motions me over. I’m thinking that he’ll offer me some help - which I didn’t really need, but it would have been a nice thought. Instead, he starts giving me a sales pitch! He’s trying to sell a stereo he’s got in the back. And he won’t take no for an answer, he keeps trying to convince me that I should have the thing and it’s a real good price. Even though it’s raining buckets and I have a flat tire to deal with. Finally he gives up in disgust and speeds away.

I know it’s a minor thing and I’m sure I’ve had worse things done to me, but for some reason that’s something that still annoys me to this day.

4

I used to have to walk home from school every day (2.5-3 miles) because my mom works and couldn’t pick me up. Lots of times, I would get passed by jerks in cars who roll down their windows and yell at me (and it’s not because I am hot stuff). A few times, I’ve had bastards who’ve slowed down to throw their trash at me! Needless to say, I was very upset for a long time.

5

Read “One Ordinary Day, with Peanuts” by Shirley Jackson

6

LC Strawhouse: Wait, so you’ve got the tire iron in your hand and you didn’t put it through his window? I applaud your restraint.

7

Back in high school I was showing a german exchange student around our town (we were on bikes) when somebody drove by and chucked a McDonalds shake at her. I felt embarassed for my town and my country that day.

8

Carrying the paper route when I was a pup I was spat on by a guy who bought one from a car.

I was threatened by a homeless person at my place of work. We saw he slept in one of our garden buildings, so I took his bedding out of it on a very cold night and threw it over a security fence. Too bad he wasn’t the guy with the paper.

9

Three things I can think of from when I was a teenager. Once I was riding my bike to school and someone reached out from a passing car and slapped me on the back. Just because he could.

Another time I was waiting for a bus and when the bus arrived, the first guy out spat on me.

Once in junior high school class the guy sitting next to me reached over and poked me in the breast. Apparently his friends had goaded him into it. Then he had the nerve to criticize my breast for being “squishy.”

Trying to put snow chains on the car during an unexpected snow storm in the Sierra Nevadas, people in some of the cars driving by jeered at us. My brother was lying on his back in the snow. Nobody ever stopped to help.

10

How funny, just earlier today I read this thread and thought, “how lucky I am to not have anything that I can think of right off hand.” Cut to later in the day . . .

I needed to go to the store to pick up some groceries. It’s summer, so I have my window down. As I pull into the (handicapped) parking spot I hear, in a snotty tone, “where’s your (handicap) sticker?”

I was stunned, this had never happened to me before and I wasn’t sure what to do, I went blank, I think I said something like, “I have one, I’m in a wheelchair,” while I was turning the car off. The stupid lady mumbled something and walked on into the store. I spent the next couple of minutes assembling my wheelchair and getting out of the car. It would’ve been nice if she’d realized she had made such a stupid comment and offered to help me with something (I would’ve said “no thanks”), but she didn’t, she just kept on going.

To be honest, it was a nice day, and most days I don’t “need” the handicap spaces because they’re close, but I need them for the extra room so that I can open my car door all the way so that I can get in and out, and I needed it today since I had to carry out groceries. In my hometown I see cars without handicap plates or placards taking spaces too frequently, but I give them the benefit of the doubt. The time I didn’t was when I watched a guy pull up on a motorcycle, park it in the yellow lined off space next to the handicap space, put his helmet under his arm and walk into the store. But to get back to the story. . .

I couldn’t believe that this lady had the nerve to say something to me. Yeah, I’m young, I don’t “look” handicapped if I’m not sitting in a wheelchair, but should that give her an excuse to say something? I don’t think so. Even if I wasn’t handicapped, I doubt her remark would shame me into not parking in that space if I was going to be shameless enough to park in it in the first place.

Anyway, this is the first time that I can remember that someone did this to me, it was shocking and kind of upsetting as my “anniversary” is coming up :(. Maybe I’m too sensitive.

I thought about starting a pit thread, but I think it fits here well.

I sure hope I get something to post in the other thread soon, the happier thread.

11

That sucks.

12

A couple of jerks i knew got great pleasure in doing “drive-by” shootings at bus stops with a large squirt gun that looked like a realistic rifle. One would hang out of the window and scream “DIE B#*$!” and shoot the poor soul at the bus stop. Then they would go home, have a few beers and laugh their asses off.

Personally, that would scare the living crap out of me. Pete–if you’re reading this, you really are a moron. At 40 years old, you should know better. You never got caught doing this, but I hope you do.

13

Read “Winthrop Thorpe Tortuga” in “The Book Of Guys” by Garrison Keillor.

14

Dignan, forgive me but I need some clarification here. Are you saying that you were in a car that had a displayed HC sticker and/or license plate?

Because, frankly, if the sticker/plate was not there to see, I would think you would be delighted that this woman was vocal enough to try to shame what she thought was a HC parking scofflaw. Too many of us are too damn timid or indifferent to say anything to the selfish people who abuse those spaces.

15

<<Because, frankly, if the sticker/plate was not there to see, I would think you would be delighted that this woman was vocal enough to try to shame what she thought was a HC parking scofflaw. Too many of us are too damn timid or indifferent to say anything to the selfish people who abuse those spaces.>>

You can shame someone misusing the space without being an asshole to them. All you have to say is “Oh, excuse me! I think you forgot to put your parking permit on your dash.”

The person who really DOES have a back injury, knee problem, whatever will say “Oh, thanks!” and put it on the dash. If they mumble something and don’t bring out the information, THEN you can chew them out.

No sense in excusing rudeness by saying their heart was in the right place, when ya don’t have to be rude at all.

Corr, who applauded when her down the hall roomie got someone’s motorhome towed for double-parking behind his van for 3 hours

16

stuyguy, there was not a liscense plate or placard (what I have) visible. I had just pulled in to the space and the car had not been turned off, before she made her comment. I don’t leave my placard hanging up, because it obstructs my vision. You aren’t supposed to leave them hanging, although quite a few people do anyway.

I hadn’t even had a chance to put the placard up. And it’s possible that even if I did have plates that she would’ve doubted my need, thinking that maybe I was driving my grandparents’ car.

I wasn’t delighted at all that I had to prove my disability to her, because of a comment she made to make herself feel better. Like I said, if I was shameless enough to park in the spot in the first place, would some lady’s remark have made me think twice and move? She didn’t even give me a chance. She could have waited by the door to see if I hopped out of my car, and then said something to me, but instead she makes the comment without knowing anything about me, just judging by the first thing she saw (my young, presumably able face). I shouldn’t have had to prove anything to her, or have felt like I needed to, but this was the first time it’s happened to me and it caught me off guard. Thinking about it now I wish I would’ve made a comment back to her to make her feel like the thoughtless inconsiderate bitch she was being.

I also said, I try to give people the benefit of the doubt, when I see a lot of spaces taken or someone who doesn’t “look” handicapped. I know that statistically, all the cars without a sign parked in spaces don’t need the spaces, but I give them the benefit of the doubt. Maybe they’re picking up someone who’s handicapped, or maybe they did what I do on occasion and forgot to put it up.

I think that this lady made the comment simply to make herself feel better, an “I sure showed him” kind of feeling is what she was shooting for. What would she have done if I wasn’t handicapped and just parked close so that I could run into the store quickly? I bet nothing, the police wouldn’t have been able to make it to the store in time, and I doubt they would’ve run out for just one car.

Another thing about the story I should probably add (not that it should make much of a difference) this was the furthest handicapped space from the door that there was.

17

I think it must fellate with great allacrity to have to “prove” that you are disabled. (Attention aha: It really bites)
I’m reminded of a friend who had to provide a note from a Doctor to prove that she was blind and chose to tough it out instead.