What is wrong with these people???

[DarknessWithin]

Ok...the following happened to me on my way to classes today. I take a wheelchair accessible cab to get there and granted, I meet some odd drivers but I never thought this would happen...

my cab ride showed up today. Unknowing to me, it was a share ride. My ride was early so i made them wait like 15 minutes before i headed out there. I go out there...still early for my pick up...and the driver says, "just ignore the insane people in the back"...i'm like.."umm..ok?" He doesn't speak english too well so I thought I just misunderstood him. How wrong I was.

I roll in and the second i get in this 90 yr old blind guy starts bitching at me about "how dare i make him & his wife wait 25 minutes" and "I'm a rude idiotic punk." He was trying to pick a fight with me! 10 times he started saying "if i wasnt blind I'd push you right out the cab!" and i'm thinking to myself "wtf???" The cab driver had no clue what to do so he kept trying to tie down my chair.

At this point I was just staying quiet thinking that I shouldn't be arguing with a blind 90 yr old guy that made it somewhat clear he was hard of hearing. The old grump then started to yell at the driver to demand he give his cab number. This pissed me off cause i'm assuming this guy was going to report him. Seeing as how the driver is a nice guy and didn't do anything I finally spoke out against the guy. I just told him "yeah ok..you said that 10 times now so i've had enough of you...my ride was not until 1:30 (i got in the cab at 1:15)...the dispatch called me and said it was early so i didnt have to go out yet, so i'm sorry if YOU can't wait 20 minutes for someone." This seemed to shut him up. I was so tempted to just turn around and say what are you going to do to me??? you can't see me and you can barely hear me!!!

I was verbally assaulted by a 90 yr old blind guy. What...the...hell.... :?::?::?:

[Kitsun]

Some people are just plain jackasses. Even old, blind 90 year old people. Just be glad you don't have to live with the guy.

[SpunGirl]

I used to work with a guy like that. He was old so he thought he could do whatever the hell he wanted, including leave work early when we were busy as hell to take his wife to the hospital. Because she had diarreah.

-K

[Kurapira]

oh my god! that is funny, but sad. Why didn't you just slap him, and accuse his wife? He would have never know. hehe

[Bestatte]

In another thread in off-topic I mentioned Old Jack, a former boss of mine who was 65 when I worked with him.

He was a Kentucky gent, highly educated but ignorant to some extent. He didn't know from political correctness, and wasn't about to change his ways for some stuffy politicians who wanted the minority votes.

He used to yell at me. A typical scene:

I'm outside his office at my desk, working on the monthly dairy cost analysis. From behind his door, I (and everyone else in the office) hear: "ROBERTA! Where's my goddamned Marriot file!"

to which I would reply, murmuring just loud enough for the office manager to notice: "fucking Old Guy, never pays any fucking attention."

and then I'd shout back, "It's on your goddamned desk under the newspaper you just threw down, where I put it this goddamned morning, you old fart!"

at which point the office manager would shoot a piercing glare at me.

Moments later, Jack would come storming out of the office and stand there, staring at me. "Get in her RIGHT NOW!" he'd say.

With a calm glance up at Jack, I'd ask, "Well. I could spend the rest of the day in your office listening to you tell me all about how your old secretary would do this that and the other thing, or I can meet the deadline for the monthly marketing analysis. Your call, Jack."

and he'd just stand there fuming. So fine, I'd drop the project and walk into his office. And he'd close the door and proceed to teach me more about the dairy business, chock full of anectdotes about his fond memories of when he learned by working on a dairy farm. Two hours later, he'd toss me $15 and order me to get coffee for everyone at Dunkin Donuts. On my way out of his office to get the order from my co-workers, I'd snort at him and say "You see? That's what happens when cousins marry." And his wrinkly blue eyes, almost translucent, would narrow, and his thin papery lips would curve up into a bright smile, and he'd wink at me before I closed the door behind me.

The point of this story, is that I didn't let him beat me down. He sometimes had me in tears, and many days I'd go home with a migraine headache from the stress of having to deal with him. But I gave as good as I got, and he learned that he could respect me because I wouldn't let him walk all over me. That's why, when he introduced me to the VP of Sales of Tropicana/Beatrice Foods, or the Marketing Director of YoFarms (mfg. of YoCrunch yogurt), as "My gal Roberta," I would swell with pride.

Because our battles were tests of will, and we each earned the respect we gave the other. The Ornery Ole Coot was an old-style male chauvanist bigot, but he knew I wasn't gonna let him win, and I knew that I was the only secretary in two years who was willing to stick around for more than a week.

The moral of the story - even nasty old bastards have rich histories you can learn from. Treat them like adults. Don't give in to pity. If they push, push back. Verbally of course - stand up to their challenges, because they are most definitely challenging you. They want to know what you're made of. And if you're VERY lucky, you will learn more from these old farts in an hour what most people spend years to learn.

-She who absolutely reveres and cherishes old people - but isn't afraid to yell at them when they piss her off

[Weedmage Princess]

Some people are just bitter at that point. Not that I'm making excuses for him, mind you...but really. How would you feel if you were 90, couldn't see and couldn't hear much? You probably wouldn't be a happy camper.

He's still a jerk for taking it out on you, but...you know..that's what it was all about, probably.

[SpunGirl]

Daina, you are SO evil! Muahaha!

-K

[Meos]

laying into people is gonna be the best part of getting old, I can't wait to be old a senile.

[Myrianna]

The "problem with these people", I think, is just that they feel life owes them... Some people have illnesses or injuries, and are happy just to be alive... Others have them and think the world owes them for what was taken away.

[SpunGirl]

You're right, Myrianna.

There are entirely too many people in the world who feel that they are entitled to something for nothing, for whatever life has dealt them.

-K

[Kurapira]

You people are starting to remind me of a thread I was reading last night...

::Mutters something about Amberain::

That's why, when he introduced me to the VP of Sales of Tropicana/Beatrice Foods, or the Marketing Director of YoFarms (mfg. of YoCrunch yogurt),

You know, if my life was ever so mundane and bland that i would be excited about meeting this person i'd probaly kill myself.

[SpunGirl]

Originally posted by RangerD1

That's why, when he introduced me to the VP of Sales of Tropicana/Beatrice Foods, or the Marketing Director of YoFarms (mfg. of YoCrunch yogurt),

You know, if my life was ever so mundane and bland that i would be excited about meeting this person i'd probaly kill myself.

You actually read that?

-K

[Tsa`ah]

So umm... what hasn't she done by now?

[SpunGirl]

Secretary, Dairy Enthusiast, ex-Game Master, Telephone Operator, Customer Service Representative, Hemotologist, Entemologist, Massage Therapist, Horny Housewife.

Did I miss anything?

-K

[Betheny]

you should stab him in the face with a frozen hot dog.

[Bestatte]

Originally posted by SpunGirl
Secretary, Dairy Enthusiast, ex-Game Master, Telephone Operator, Customer Service Representative, Hemotologist, Entemologist, Massage Therapist, Horny Housewife.

Did I miss anything?

-K

Too many things that I haven't done. Replace telephone operator with multi-line receptionist, and massage therapist with aromatherapist. I am -not- a diary enthusiast, though I admit to being a cheese freak. Milk though? Blech. It's good for my coffee, and twice a year with nestle's powder. Ditch hemotologist and entemologist.

You can sum up most of my jobs in a single phrase: I'm a Temp.

Most of my jobs have been temporary assignments from Kelly Services. You learn a bit about a whole lot of stuff when you work as a temp for 18 years.

Anything else I know about I learned by reading or doing google searches. I'm a google nut.