Not really but I'm amazed what some people actually teach there kids.
I'm not a longhair yet. I'm 7 months w/o a haircut and it's very awkward right now.
Anyway.....I was at the grocery store doing my normal shopping. I'm standing in the pet food section when this little girl comes up to me and asks me if I'm a drug addict?
At first I was astonished by the question but moreover a little girl was asking it. I smiled and laughed out loud. Before I had a chance to respond "no" this women I presume to be her mother gave me this nasty glare and in a firm voice said "WELL, SHE ASKED YOU A QUESTION!!!
I politely answered no mam, I'm not. She continues to glare at me and says, "NEXT TIME, ANSWER THE F****ING QUESTION!! AND BY THE WAY WHAT WAS SO FUNNY!?!?
In a sarcastic voice I said, Have a good day! She storms off and I go about my business.
But here's the best part. Her son which looks to be about maybe 7 says **** You to me. I said nothing.
I suspected this women was stoned out of her mind because the whole time she was glaring at me, her eyes were completely bloodrushed. I actually pity those kids who have to be around a mother like that. Or so called anyway. Just thought I'd share this. -Mike-
Wow, pretty bizarre story. You handled that like Teflon. I don't know what I would have done in that situation, probably chew her out, but I seriously doubt I would have been as easy going as you were.
What kind of mother encourages her children to talk to drug addicts anyways.......
One who's looking for a dealer?
Wow, theres no way I'd be able to stay that calm for that.
Depending on what mood i was in i would have either blew up in her face or been sarcastic about it and ask her to come around the back of the store in 10 mins if she wanted to buy anything.;D
the only times ive been really pissed about someones comment on my hair is when
this freshman (im a sophomore) who i already don't like kept telling me to get a haircut, which got him hit ...somewhere... many times.
And when my best friend got his hair cut from long to a short mohawk (i convinced him to grow it out again a couple months ago) and alot of people(by people i mean guys) along with the teachers in both classes we had together wouldn't shut up about "alright now it's your turn"
And when my mom tells me that it's too long even though
1)I honestly dont care about her or anyones negative opinion of my hair
2)she married my dad when he had waist length hair
I would have responded with the answer "sure Ma'am I'm a drug addict - can't get enough caffeine and sugar into me these days"
The woman and her girl were probably lucky that you were probably in a good mood that day.
I might have gone either way mild or enraged depending on the mood barometer. Remember that guy in the 2000AD comic were one of the Angel outlaw boys had a mood gauge that could turn from being normal arsehole to murderous full-on psychotic.
The mother and daughter probably would have fared worse if they had picked on someone like PaulKMF who would have put them in their place right away! (no offence to Paul!)
Duncan
LOL, that what i first thought too.
My exact thought as I was reading the post. LOL
Oh, no offense taken! On the contrary.
I only wish I'd been there.
Paul
I wish I would be a fly on the wall, if you were there! ☺
It is quite enjoyable to see Paul in action sometimes.
Wow. Good reaction.
It reminds me a "conversation" I had with some girls (seemed to be about 10 !) who asked me "Are you a man or a woman" in my back. So I return, and said "Yes, I'm the bearded woman". And then, a stupid "conversation" when they told some words I couldn't have believed from girls of this age ! Maybe I'm too old now :p But, I react the same way.
VIvien
Hi Mike,
Wow,what a weird encounter and in a grocery store no less.I think you handled yourself well under the circumstances as you managed to remain calm and polite.This woman obviously has a major social problem and it would not be worth getting into a shouting match with her.I guess the "F" word gets used regularly at home.What a shame.
But most importantly its great to hear about your wonderful progress to date.It would be cool to see a pic of your hair when you have a chance.Do have a nice weekend my friend.Cheers
Mark
I've had weird encounters with people before but this one takes the cake by far.
Usually I find by being friendly and sarcastic, bad situations can be defused more quickly.
I'll try and get a pic soon of my hair. I'm warning you though, it won't be pretty LOL!
I'm also applauding at kailongbeards response to that women! that was beautiful man LMAO! -Mike-
Ok...yeah thats strange. I have had wierd run ins too. Never about drugs, but more religious types.
I think you handled it well. She...was Crazy!!!
Shame her kid has to be that way too.
Whenever people stereotype me I always play it up with a bit of sarcasm. It infuriates them. Doesn't happen so much these days as it did when I was much younger.
I would have asked them,"Got any weed?"
Kevin
I still get the weed questions!
Or asked, "What are you trippin' on? Got any to spare?" ☺
Had a similar situation, several months ago at the drugstore.
An elderly woman in line behind me started commenting on my hair. She stated in a very loud voice, " How ugly. No real man whould have hair like that. Men don't have long hair. No man in my family would be caught dead with ugly long hair."
After paying for my itms I waited for the lady to check out. I approached her and said "Jesus had long hair, does that mean Jesus wasn't a man?"
Her eyes got big a saucers and she replied, "That was a long time ago when jesus was alive."
My response, "yes, and you are very old. You could die at anytime. Do you really want Saint Peter to look in his book and see you were a rude old B*tch?"
That shut her up.
Now see guys, THAT was a good answer!
I'm not sure if I would have went that far! LOL!!!
With standing applause,
Paul
I love it! She deserved that reply. Right up there with Jesus castigating the Pharisees, Sadducees and Lawyers! WWJD!
Fast forward 30 years or so...
We're tuned in to the national television networks...
This young woman is elected President. She steps up to the podium to address the Nation.
"Are you all drug addicts?"
A long silence...
An angry elderly lady storms up to the podium and snatches the mic...
"WELL, SHE ASKED YOU A QUESTION!!!"
- Oren
And the young women's brother, Senator So-and-So, snatches the mic and yells F-bombs at everybody.
I don't know some people.
Still a bit of subtle sarcasm never killed anyone!
this amazes me , why do people think a man isn't a 'real man' if he has long hair ? Do they think the ultimate male - 'neanderthal man' had access to clippers , scissors and razors ? And the Bible they seem to like quoting from - err 'Adam' , the 'original man' , i suppose he liked his monthly trip to the barbers eh ? Brain-dead & brainwashed morons ..
As I always say; if God didn't want men to grow hair long, He would have genetically programmed him to have the hair stop at a very short terminal point.
Thanks for sharing this Mike. It's truly amazing what people think is ok to say to a complete stranger. Having their kids say it is even worse.
I think I would have asked her that very question; "What are you teaching your kids lady?" That's what I would have started with anyway but her having children by her side, I would have had to censor my outrage a bit.
You might have asked her is she was high or just stated "your own eyes are pretty glassy, I might ask you the same question."
I think people in general are much too nice (not just longhairs) when confronted with this level of rudeness from strangers. It's true there are times when you have to keep your big trap shut but most of the time, it is my firm belief that those people should be very sorry they singled you out.
But, I have to admit, the fact that she is the one who stormed out proves who was right and who handled it better. Her kids are going to remember this one day (along with any other episodes). If they are one degree higher in intelligence, they may then see her as the fool she is.
Paul
I had this moron barber come to me today at the grocery store parking lot. He tried to convince me to donate my hair to Locks for Love. When I told him that they sell some of the hair for profit, he agreed and still tried to convince me. I started to get mad, and I told him to grow his hair (he was balding) or to grow out his dog's hair and to donate that. I told him this is the reason that long hair guys don't like barbers. I finally told him to F LFL!
Darrin
Damn! What is this, a Hair Cut Drive? I starting to think there's a conspiracy. Weird.
Paul
How I probably would have handled this.
"Yes, and before you rudely interupted, I was about to answer."
Since I am not, nor ever have been, a 'drug user', I found it rather funny that your daughter would ask such a question of a stranger. But after meeting you, I find it disturbing that she would even know what a drug abuser is. So, just what are you using, because a normal person, not under the influence of drugs, would not be spazzing out like you are in public."
"Wow! Great language skills you are teaching your son, wonder who he gets his potty mouth from?"
By the time I was done with her, she probably would have been spazzing out (because she most likely was stoned/high, and her kid sees her using drugs, so assumes others do too), and I would have been dialing 911 on the cell phone. I'd be hoping (if she was under the influence of drugs), that her kids would be removed and placed in the custody of a responsible non-drug-using family member. She would be rueing the day she verbally accosted me.
I don't suffer fools lightly. Some new resident in my apartment building tried getting in my face once, I went right back at her and put her in her place. She now avoids me like the plague. Suits me fine, I don't need her crap, go tend to her own life, and stop trying to run others (she was telling a neighbor-friend how she should be doing things).
That's, just ... well, I have no words for it really. I couldn't see myself replying atall in such a scenario. More likely I'd have laughed at her.
Not quite the same thing, but today I was in line at the drug store to buy a soda (queueing up at the chemist's to buy a fizzy drink in the Queen's English), and this very attractive young woman pushed in front of me. I gave her several dirty looks, which she ignored, and then put my drink back in the cold cabinet and left without buying anything. That's how much a pushover I am. Even though I was as angry as hell I said nothing and gave up trying to make a purchase (the queue was very long, and now I was one space further back).
However, it doesn't extend as far as being polite to strangers who suggest I'm a drug addict or otherwise insult me. I probably couldn't think of a damned thing to say, but I wouldn't have seen any real need to answer atall.
The child is blameless. Obviously the mother has told her that men with long hair are drug addicts. I might have just answered no to the child, but the mother is another story. You can't reason with someone like that. It probably makes no difference what you say to them, whether it's polite, funny, abusive or simply nothing atall. Arguing with a fool of that calibre just drags you down to their level.
Jeeze dude when are you going to stop letting people push you around? That is why they continue do it you know.
Paul
"I actually pity those kids who have to be around a mother like that. Or so called anyway. Just thought I'd share this. -Mike- "
Sadder yet, those children are likely to pass on the 'longhairs use drugs' story to their children, and so on... Which means longhairs will still need to wait quite a bit before some decent treatment... Oh, well, hope is the last to die, I guess...
Well, back in the day, most longhairs did use drugs. However, 99.99% of that was marijuana, which is not really any more harmful than alcohol and a lot safer than tobacco. It is more of a situation of drugs and drug users having been inaccurately described by the media than anything else. 'Longhairs use drugs' may be less true today, but it wasn't always very inaccurate.
What was said, though, was 'drug addict' and to suggest that longhairs were addicts was actually no more true then than now.
Most drug users aren't addicts, something that perhaps relatively few people understand. Well, except for the tobacco smokers, nearly all of them ARE addicts, LOL! To be fair, there are 'hard' drugs that are almost as addictive as tobacco, but few drug users use them, as a percentage of everyone using something illegal.
There are vested interests in covering up these simple facts, to justify the 'War On Drugs' junket.
Now THAT'S when you lay the smackdown!
Forgive me, but (speaking as someone whose temperament can turn on a dime) I would've been completely in that lady's face as soon as she raised her voice to me. NO ONE out-shouts me--I won't let it happen.
My Myspace page