# Today, I shot the bird at a young child **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 20, 2007, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-i-shot-the-bird-at-a-young-child/419839 "2007-09-20T04:13:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-i-shot-the-bird-at-a-young-child/419839/101 "2007-09-20T20:35:22Z")
I find that when one has to ask if something is wrong, it’s wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-i-shot-the-bird-at-a-young-child/419839/102 "2007-09-20T20:40:06Z")
What **Yeticus** said, especially: [QUOTE=Yeticus Rex] Let them know how crappy today is and why you are smoking. How about saying…“Sorry kid, I just had an animal die on me that I’ve know for quite a while.” That would have mentally kicked the kid’s mom right in the mental crotch, and she would have imparted a better reaction (and to your satisfaction) to her child than your flippant bird could ever have done. [/QUOTE] Question: Is a college student an adult? Because I recall an instance of a college student blurting out something disconcerting to me when I was 12. My mom was completing her degree, and through circumstances, I ended up attending one of her classes (psych; it was interesting). Just one session, and I took a seat in the back. A student turned around to me, asked my name and what grade I was in, then inquired, “Well, you know that Jesus loves you, right?” :dubious: I kid you not; it was that abrupt. “Sixth grade?..Jesus loves you!” I was very much on the spot, and managed to reply to the effect of “Sure, of course,” and then class started and that was that. At any rate, it seems that you don’t have to be seven years old to blurt something out that makes others uncomfortable. And as far as smoking, it’s not just parents. I’ll spare you the details, but a couple of weeks ago, I had this exchange: Other person: Please don’t smoke where I’m eating. Me: Don’t eat where I’m smoking! I **chose** this spot before you did. Other person was not a parent, FTR; at least, they didn’t have a kid with them. Just someone who chose, out of a huge courtyard, to sit immediately in front of **the** smoking area, in a spot that was not even comfortable. Why they didn’t stick with the group, I dunno, but perhaps that’s the relevant question. At any rate, they moved and that was it. ---
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-i-shot-the-bird-at-a-young-child/419839/103 "2007-09-20T21:36:26Z")
[QUOTE=lobstermobster] The time I threw a bag of Mcdonalds back through the drive-thru window bc the order was wrong and hit the dude in the head with it. [/QUOTE] That ain’t cool, unless maybe he called you a filthy whore or something. Even so, there are better ways to deal with things. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-i-shot-the-bird-at-a-young-child/419839/104 "2007-09-20T21:47:27Z")
deleted. ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-i-shot-the-bird-at-a-young-child/419839/105 "2007-09-20T21:53:10Z")
[QUOTE=sturmhauke] That ain’t cool, unless maybe he called you a filthy whore or something. Even so, there are better ways to deal with things. [/QUOTE] That’s what I’m thinking. Bad enough this dude has the shittiest legally legitimate job in America, and then people are throwing food at him. And then bragging about it on the Internet. ---
**Author:** ![lobstermobster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobstermobster/32/10033_2.png) [@lobstermobster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobstermobster)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-i-shot-the-bird-at-a-young-child/419839/106 "2007-09-20T22:06:16Z")
[QUOTE=fetus] That’s what I’m thinking. Bad enough this dude has the shittiest legally legitimate job in America, and then people are throwing food at him. And then bragging about it on the Internet. [/QUOTE] oh don’t make me a villain. Obviously there was more to it than just getting my order wrong I was summarizing. God everything here has to be so long winded and worded just so to avoid the asshole police. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-i-shot-the-bird-at-a-young-child/419839/107 "2007-09-20T22:07:25Z")
[QUOTE=lieu] No. Am I the only one so puzzled over the pig euthanasia that the rest of the OP was rendered near moot? [/QUOTE] Don’t you mean, [Joey Tribbiani]the rest of the OP was rendered near moo."[/JT] ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-i-shot-the-bird-at-a-young-child/419839/108 "2007-09-20T22:21:17Z")
[QUOTE=lobstermobster] oh don’t make me a villain. Obviously there was more to it than just getting my order wrong I was summarizing. God everything here has to be so long winded and worded just so to avoid the asshole police. [/QUOTE] So…why _did_ you throw it at him? I’d assume that you’d have mentioned the worst thing the guy did right off the bat–the way you said it, it seems like him getting the order wrong was the big deal. I was with you on the flipping off the kid thing–throwing stuff at a minimum wage employee isn’t cool either. I’d also like to know more about the pig. ---
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-i-shot-the-bird-at-a-young-child/419839/109 "2007-09-20T22:36:05Z")
[QUOTE=lobstermobster] oh don’t make me a villain. Obviously there was more to it than just getting my order wrong I was summarizing. God everything here has to be so long winded and worded just so to avoid the asshole police. [/QUOTE] We’re a bunch of verbose pedants around here. Also, I used to be the dude at the McDonald’s drive-thru window. I don’t know if you had some other reason for throwing food, but there were customers who raised a shitstorm at the slightest provocaton, or none at all. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-i-shot-the-bird-at-a-young-child/419839/110 "2007-09-20T22:37:53Z")
[QUOTE=lobstermobster] oh don’t make me a villain. Obviously there was more to it than just getting my order wrong I was summarizing. God everything here has to be so long winded and worded just so to avoid the asshole police. [/QUOTE] I’m not sure what was obvious about it. Particularly given what was going on in your OP, it seemed like you were having a bad day and lost it when you found out your order was wrong. I don’t know how we were supposed to get anything more than that out of what you said. ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-i-shot-the-bird-at-a-young-child/419839/111 "2007-09-20T23:10:58Z")
> [@lobstermobster](#): > > Obviously there was more to it than just getting my order wrong I was summarizing. God everything here has to be so long winded and worded just so to avoid the asshole police. Really? What exactly did he, personally (as opposed to the people who put the food together in the bag, the people who cooked it, the guy who took your order, the manager, the asshat in the car in front of you, the President, your pigs, etc.) do that he deserved to have food thrown in his face? ---
**Author:** ![bbs2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e495f1/32.png) [@bbs2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbs2k)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-i-shot-the-bird-at-a-young-child/419839/112 "2007-09-20T23:27:03Z")
[QUOTE=lobstermobster] oh don’t make me a villain. Obviously there was more to it than just getting my order wrong I was summarizing. God everything here has to be so long winded and worded just so to avoid the asshole police. [/QUOTE] Don’t stop, don’t stop. Continue to post stories about being an asshole to random strangers, forget the need-to-be-correct-ninnies. I read this place for entertainment, not to outsmart anyone. Please indulge me on the time you: - Stinkpalmed the change for the toll collector. - Broke your landlord’s water heater out of frustration over rent. - Graffitied town hall over parking tickets. - Told a kid there was no Santa, but the Tooth Fairy was a murderer. - Killed a pig even though you liked it, so it’s curtains for the rest of us normal folk you can’t stand. (Okay, that one may or may not be true, but there are a couple others who seem interested in the scoop) 😃 ---
**Author:** ![essell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/34f0e0/32.png) [@essell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/essell)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-i-shot-the-bird-at-a-young-child/419839/113 "2007-09-20T23:27:43Z")
[QUOTE=WhyNot] This is why I don’t teach my kids that smoking is “bad”. I mean, really, what sort of moral judgment can there be around burning leaves and sucking on the smoke? Smoking is “a grown-up decision”. As they get older, we talk about the health effects and the damage nicotine can do to a growing body and tar to the lungs and the smell to your social life and the addiction to your psyche. But none of that is “bad” the way hitting your brother is bad; it’s simply data that needs to be sorted through so that when they become adults, they can make the choice whether or not to smoke. (And, I always add, I hope they choose not to, because I chose to, and in the long run wish I hadn’t.) So if my kid tattles on a stranger for smoking, the answer is, “Yes, and that person is a grown-up and made the decision to smoke. When you’re a grown-up, you’ll have to decide for yourself. I hope you decide not to. And by the way, missy, it’s \*very \*rude to tattle!” [/QUOTE] **WhyNot** I love you, and would like to subscribe to your newsletter. ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-i-shot-the-bird-at-a-young-child/419839/114 "2007-09-20T23:30:04Z")
A little perspective here, people. I am not celebrating the OP’s flipping of a child, but I don’t think it is the end of the world either. Shit happens, we all have bad days and do things we later regret. I bet it is cool being perfect, but for the bulk of us, that is not an option. If she is flipping kids all the way home every day, then yes, what a dick. Once under special circumstances, no biggie. The fact that there is a list of untold stories along the lines of pitching meals and minimum wagers is not particularly reassuring, though. [QUOTE=lieu] Am I the only one so puzzled over the pig euthanasia that the rest of the OP was rendered near moot? [/QUOTE] Very puzzled I was, yes. Still, I figured that something that is upsetting enough to flip the bird to a child is probably better left unasked about. [QUOTE=Malthus] Kids and moms own the world at _Disneyland_? Say it ain’t so! Next thing you know, the little buggers will monopolize sitting on Santa’s lap at Christmas. [/QUOTE] You leave my fetishes alone, will ya’? ---
**Author:** ![lobstermobster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobstermobster/32/10033_2.png) [@lobstermobster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobstermobster)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-i-shot-the-bird-at-a-young-child/419839/115 "2007-09-20T23:32:55Z")
okay with the mcdonalds guy what happened was when I was handing him the money my left arm was completely extended out the car window. I think he was stoned or something because he was just kinda dancing around laughing and muttering stuff maybe reciting lyrics to a rap song it sounded lyrical. Anyways, he leans completely out the window, puts his hand on my upper arm and slides it down the entire length of my arm taking the money when he got to my hand pausing to hold my hand for a second. It skeeved me out a bit. The order was not only wrong but hilariously wrong. I had about five people (also stoned) in my car and there was clearly not nearly enough food. I tell him the order is wrong and he says “naw man it ain’t” and I saw we had a ton more and what was in there wasnt even ordered at all. Then he tells me I’m holding up the line which is true but I have issues to deal with. I had given him money for about five times the amount of food I was getting. A car behind me blows its horn and he says “see?! youre holding up the line!” The whole time he is just giggling and laughing and kinda bouncing/dancing around. I tell him one more time its wrong and he doesn’t even respond to this verbally and thats when I threw the bag at him. It wasn’t like I threw a mustard side out sandwich at his face I threw the bag. I dont care how much he makes, I had to hurl something at that point. ---
**Author:** ![lobstermobster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobstermobster/32/10033_2.png) [@lobstermobster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobstermobster)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-i-shot-the-bird-at-a-young-child/419839/116 "2007-09-20T23:40:00Z")
I’ll get to the pig when I get home. As for right now I have to make the long hard voyage home from this festering animal toilet to my lair. I’ll let you know if anything weird happens on the bus or if I verbally assault anyone. This morning I got a flyer detailing how George Bush senior MURDERED Muhammed Ali and a accupuncturist gave me her business card and wants to help me with my fertility problems (?) and wants to meet up for lunch sometime. ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-i-shot-the-bird-at-a-young-child/419839/117 "2007-09-20T23:48:08Z")
[QUOTE=lobstermobster] I’ll get to the pig when I get home. As for right now I have to make the long hard voyage home from this festering animal toilet to my lair. I’ll let you know if anything weird happens on the bus or if I verbally assault anyone. This morning I got a flyer detailing how George Bush senior MURDERED Muhammed Ali and a accupuncturist gave me her business card and wants to help me with my fertility problems (?) and wants to meet up for lunch sometime. [/QUOTE] May you live in interesting times 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-i-shot-the-bird-at-a-young-child/419839/118 "2007-09-20T23:49:27Z")
Stoner food fight! That sounds like something straight out of Harold & Kumar go to White Castle. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-i-shot-the-bird-at-a-young-child/419839/119 "2007-09-20T23:57:46Z")
So you threw the bag with the FOOD still in it? After you paid for it? Well that was self defeating. ---
**Author:** ![bbs2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e495f1/32.png) [@bbs2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbs2k)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-i-shot-the-bird-at-a-young-child/419839/120 "2007-09-20T23:58:28Z")
But gratifying! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-i-shot-the-bird-at-a-young-child/419839.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-i-shot-the-bird-at-a-young-child/419839.md?page=7)