Convenience store -uncomfortable encounter

applecruncher

applecruncher

SF VIP
Location
Ohio USA
Maybe I should stop going out for awhile. The strange Family Dollar employees, the yucky Burger King whopper, now this (at Speedway):

Friend and I stopped at Speedway and I went in to get an iced tea and replenish my chewing gum supply.

Ugh.There was a long, slow line and one cashier. Several people ahead of me. As I went to the end of the line, the man in front of me looked at me and said "How you doin?" I nodded (no smile) and just muttered "Fine". Frankly, I picked up a creepy vibe.

Every few seconds, he turned around and stared at me - this was a long stare, not just a look. Borderline leer. After about the 6th time, I became VERY annoyed. I said (not loud, in a normal tone of voice) "Please stop staring. It's impolite, rude. Just turn around and mind your business."

Others in the store got silent.

He said "I should tell you to go to hell. But I won't. My eyes can do whatever they want."

I said: "Yeah. Whatever." At this point the cashier was waiting for him to pay. As he did so, he kept blathering about me. But I stopped responding. He finally left.

As I was paying, I saw him drive off.

Got back in car and told friend what happened. She laughed but said I should have just ignored him...you never know about people these days, and she'd hate for there to be a Speedway story on the 6:00 news.

What say you? (aside from telling me to stay home for a couple weeks) :shrug:

(p.s. if you think I was out of iine,okay to say so. When I beat you up I'll try not to leave any bruises. (j/k) :lofl:
 

I would be too afraid to speak up, trying to avoid the very thing that happened to you. I would just leave, but that's me. I think you had a right to speak up, but he is probably mentally disturbed. Yeah, we gotta be careful.
 
Sounds creepy, good on you for standing your ground. Only you can weigh the importance of speaking your truth versus any possible risks.
 

Sorry for your experience. But that's why I avoid "convenience" stores if at all possible.They seem to attract every type of human parasite. You can get just about any convenience item at a chain pharmacy (except maybe stale hot dogs) & likely avoid weirdos & likely will have someone with authority on premises.
 
@ Wren

The initial "How YOU doin' "? was accompanied with an up & down look. Some women are receptive to that type thing, I'm not. I don't like it.
 
With the number of shootings going on all the time, for any reason or no reason at all, you're lucky he didn't pull out a gun. If you picked up a vibe, you should have immediately put lots of
distance between him and yourself. Fortunately, nothing happened this time.
 
A male buddy (who is not prone to staring as I described) said he would have just said "Sorry" or "Excuuuse me" then left me alone.

btw the line was slow because the customer at the counter was picking lottery numbers and redeeming their Speedy rewards points. :rolleyes:
 
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RadishRose said:
I would be too afraid to speak up, trying to avoid the very thing that happened to you. I would just leave, but that's me. I think you had a right to speak up, but he is probably mentally disturbed. Yeah, we gotta be careful.
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I would be too afraid too also because of the times we live in.
 
If I wasn't in line to purchase a life saving product, I would have just left the line. I would never confront a stranger. Sadly you never know what problem a person is having or what they will do.
 
What that person did was really aggressive and just the type of person who would do that to someone they think they can get away doing it to. I can see it both ways, that better to stand up to a bully, but then who knows if he had a knife or something. I'm guessing I would just leave, but I find I can't really predict what I might do in any situation. Especially when it happens so fast and it's hard to believe that someone would do such a thing.
 
As for me I would have carried on a conversation:

"How ya doin?"

"Not so good. My ulcer has been acting up. Also, had a migraine last night. Just found out my sister just ran away with her best female friend. I didn't know she leaned that way. NOT that I disagree but.....Also my wife's sister and her husband are coming to visit. THAT means a trip AGAIN to Niagara Falls..... Hey, where ya goin'????
 
moosehead said:
As for me I would have carried on a conversation:

"How ya doin?"

"Not so good. My ulcer has been acting up. Also, had a migraine last night. Just found out my sister just ran away with her best female friend. I didn't know she leaned that way. NOT that I disagree but.....Also my wife's sister and her husband are coming to visit. THAT means a trip AGAIN to Niagara Falls..... Hey, where ya goin'????
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LOL! Best response yet.
 
applecruncher said:
What say you? (aside from telling me to stay home for a couple weeks) :shrug:

(p.s. if you think I was out of iine,okay to say so. When I beat you up I'll try not to leave any bruises. (j/k) :lofl:
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There’s a lota creeps, everywhere
I prolly wouldn’t have told him how rude he was.
Prolly would’ve just stared a hole…. thru him.

If it were I, a guy, and this weirdo was freaking me, I’d be sorely tempted to say something like, ‘are you sweet on me, or have astigmatism?’

‘Course I still like to mix it up

You don't have to be out of line in order to be out of line with creeps
 
If it were I, I would have either ignored it or suddenly remember something I had forgotten and gone back to shopping till the guy was gone. I don't want to end up with a knife in my guts because somebody offended me in a 7-11 or such place. Not a hill I want to die on.

I wouldn't have wanted to leave first because I wouldn't have wanted the guy to possibly be able to maybe follow me and continue the confrontation.
 
.

There are a lot of weird people out there. Unless their weirdness is an actual threat to your well-being, just let it go.

Take the hint from your friend, you don't want your "15 minutes of fame" to be a victim on the evening news.
 
applecruncher said:
@ Wren

The initial "How YOU doin' "? was accompanied with an up & down look. Some women are receptive to that type thing, I'm not. I don't like it.
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I don’t know any woman that does like it, I certainly don’t, that’s why, personally, I would’ve just left...
 
People in my neck of the woods just launch into conversation without any preliminaries. Women are as likely to start conversations as men. Tourists are sometimes diffident at first, but they usually get into the spirit. I can't imagine what sorts of place some people on this forum call home. I'm very happy to live where being friendly isn't being creepy.
 
Big Horn said:
People in my neck of the woods just launch into conversation without any preliminaries. Women are as likely to start conversations as men. Tourists are sometimes diffident at first, but they usually get into the spirit. I can't imagine what sorts of place some people on this forum call home. I'm very happy to live where being friendly isn't being creepy.
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So...in your neck of the woods prolonged staring and leering is considered "friendly". Sounds depraved. :eeew:
 

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