Also you’ve got to remember people are much more open today about pretty much everything than they used to be. A friend of mine who is 70 years old remembers in the 60’s when people started saying “Have a nice day” and that took him aback, he thought “What business is it of yours?”
Especially on matters of money people can take offense at being questioned.
No, just for the awkwardness:
And this gave you a little warm glow in the cockles of your heart? Whatever trips your trigger, I guess.
Question for the OP: In an average week, how often would you say you hear the phrase “Get away from me, freak!” from random strangers? Just wondering…
I have this mental image of Kozmik grinning like a goon as he questions the poor old dude, and then breaking into something Joker-esque when he realizes he is “winning” the conversation.
I think the old guy showed a lot of restraint.
I’m skeptical that anything like the described scenario actually occurred, but if it did you sound incredibly annoying, significantly less clever than you’re straining to appear, and likely to be the author of a future cutesy post about the time you got your teeth embedded into the back of your skull after badgering the wrong stranger.
Eh, not to hijack, but I’m REALLY curious what “pratically has a Ph.D. in Linguistics” means in this instance.
He read a book on it, once. Well, actually he only got through the first 12 pages before getting bored. He would have qualified for the PhD if he’d made it to 13.
You may find you get a better response from people if you stop trying to wrangle them into an unwanted verbal contest. I’d imagine that your body posture and delivery clearly broadcast your intent to vie for. . .well . . .something (the point actually escapes me). Sunglass guy’s response upon entering the situation would seem to support this theory. Were you leaning forward? Was your body visibly tensed? Was the hat-wearing gentleman leaning away from you?
You see, most of us consider conversation to be devoid of competition. The obvious exception being any conversation which remotely refers to the accomplishments of one’s children or grandchildren. the point of conversation in the circumstances you describe would be to pass the time pleasantly; your competitive attitude precludes that possibility.
You did not teach him any lessons, nor would it be your prerogative to do so.
What BigT and Autolycus wrote. He should have said that so I would not have to say what I should have said.
It feels more like Edward Albee to me.
Are we starting a pool? I’ll take three and the over.
I’m guessing the opened newspaper on his lap did not totally conceal what his hand was up to. I’m guessing.
Seriously, I would react to somebody behaving like you as being either mentally ill or chemically altered. I am another who believes the whole story to be made up. But let’s play pretend for a moment…I go to the repair shop to pick up my elderly, infirm dad. Some possibly high, possibly crazy jag-off is harassing and upsetting the old man. Said jag-off then mimics me. Goodness gracious, that would be a dangerously unstable situation…
Or you you could not expect others to live up to your script and leave people alone.
If this happened to me, I would’ve thought you were mentally ill (as others have said) and done my best to avoid any conversation with you. People who go into car shops are usually waiting around and having to shell out a lot of money to repair their car- do you think they’re happy and would just love to engage in a random conversation with some potentially crazy stranger who is sitting in a car shop, eating popcorn for the mere hell of it?
So the old guy was supposed to have guessed what your version of his own half of a conversation he didn’t want to have in the first place should have been?
Oy gevalt.
It’s his own fault for not learning the imaginary script.
I was only eating popcorn because the guy wearing sunglasses walked over to the popcorn stand in the corner of the waiting room, got a bag of popcorn, and was eating the popcorn. I did not get the bag of popcorn until after *after * this awkward exchange. I said, “Well (eats popcorn), since you’re not going to answer me, I just might as well enjoy the show.”
Mine too:
Him: “I don’t want to talk to you.”
Me: “I don’t want to talk to you either.”
End of conversation. (I get the last word.)
How old are you, 12? I hope Mommy and Daddy were smart enough to lock up their car keys after this incident.
I’ll see your Edward Albee and raise you a Samuel Beckett.