Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Near Miss

Last week I was running around on my errand day trying to get lots of different things done. And I was doing a pretty good job of it, too.

Costco, grocery store, taxidermist, dry cleaners - - just checking them off my list.

Had to run in to Linens N Things to see if they sell spare parts for my blender. They don't. (Does anyone know where you can get a new bottom piece for an Osterizer blender? I need the whole piece with the blade thingy. Don't ask why, k?)

So I'm entering the store and this older man came right up into my space - and when I say "my space" I reserve anything within a 1 foot diameter of my shopping cart - -anyway, he came right up in front of my cart, and wanted to know if I'd seen the stop sign out in front of the store.

He then
  1. started chewing me out for running the stop sign.
  2. informed me that if he hadn't jumped out of the way, I would have hit him there at the stop sign.
  3. wanted me to come with him to look at the stop sign.

I apologized and told him I was glad he was OK. And then I maneuvered my cart around him and tried to be on my way. But he followed me around for another few minutes ( I think it was about 357 minutes, but I wasn't actually keeping track) telling me that I need to watch for stop signs and still wanting me to come and actually SEE the stop sign.

Yeah, like I haven't seen enough late night reruns of Law and Order, The Closer, and the Entire CSI trilogy of series' to know that a little field trip with a stranger is NOT A GOOD IDEA.

So I walked away briskly, sorta lamely calling, "Sorry!" again over my shoulder, and looking for a new exit strategy in case the walking away thing didn't work.

Was I supposed to do something else? Because too-close-creepy-man obviously did not think I was responding appropriately. I have no idea what he wanted, unless it was to get me outside and then push me into oncoming traffic.

Which I really didn't have time for.
Errand days are much too busy for that.

35 comments:

raspberryrooroo said...

Hi there! I found your blog about a week ago and have enjoyed reading it.

Try this website or you may at least be able to find a contact phone number on it. http://www.marbeck.com/. You may even have one in your town. I have an oven that is 19 billion years old and one of the timer knobs broke and they had them there! Good luck!

Sorry to hear about the creepy old man.

Unknown said...

I'm sorry Miss Randi that you got stuck like that. Once in the grocery store this intoxicated guy followed me around asking why Cajun Man had given him a ticket. He didn't try to get me to go anywhere and I knew 80% of the people in the store...not nearly as scary as the dirty old man.

Anonymous said...

Try ebay for the part. It's amazing how many weird things are for sale there!

Sorry about the stop sign nazi. Some people just need to let it go. Really. I'm sure he's the most perfect driver ever and has never made a mistake!

Jillybean said...

I second the idea to look on ebay. They have EVERYTHING for sale on ebay.

Just out of curiosity, did you look at the stop sign when you left the store?
I sometimes think that Costco should put stop signs INSIDE their store. Yesterday, I just about got run over by a lady in a motorized shopping cart.

Yvonne said...

No idea about the part.

As for the stop sign guy--you should have just yelled at him and walked away!!!! You were too nice ; )
(Actually I wouldn't have yelled at him either, but it might have gotten rid of the guy.)

Randi said...

Yes, I did look for it on my way out of the parking lot. It was this little dinky (not regulation size) thing and it was sorta behind a tree. And the other thing was that there was NO crosswalk painted on the street. All dead giveaways that it really wasn't supposed to be there. Hey, maybe Mr. Creepyman put it there himself.
Not that I'm justifying my lawlessness or anything...

Heather said...

Weird!!

With this last pregnancy I noticed a stop sign I hadn't ever seen before near my Dr. office. This is my 3rd kid- so how many years have I been running that thing??? Nice, huh!

joanna said...

If you didn't see the guy until he was up in your grill in the store, then you definitely weren't THAT close to hitting him outside! That's what I OPINE, anyway.

I'm glad you didn't walk out with a stranger! You could have said to him that you normally don't talk to strangers and gone up to the customer service counter to ask them to call the police. He probably would have left you alone after that. . . or else he would have said OK and waited for the police. Maybe that would have been more of a pain. So, nevermind.

Anonymous said...

I just have to ask....taxidermist??

Randi said...

You know, Jen, I only do the REALLY important stuff on my errand days.

;)

Melissa said...

I had the same thought as Jen... a taxidermist?? Um... did the dog finally lose the battle here??
I'm sorry you were followed by a creepy old man. You did the best thing by not going out with him! Way to rely on your T.V. instincts! :)

Amy Peterson said...

Next time you are suppose to break into tears and tell him that your _______ just died, and you just can't take anymore! And just watch him back away slowly!! Works every time! ; )

Corrine said...

glad you are ok. so why not just buy a new blender? might I ask?

Becky N. said...

Not much to add that hasn't already been said... but I know how you feel about comments, so here I am. ;)

I absolutely hate stop signs in parking lots that are obviously in wrong or at least very odd places. Like the one near me that is placed in the middle of a driving area, so you have to swerve around it, and then also placed between two parallel crosswalks. Like, if you stop at the stop sign, you'll be sitting right on top of one of them. How about we just go back to common sense and remember the basic rules of parking lots? 1) Drive slowly. 2) Yield to pedestrians. Life would be simpler, no?

Creepy guy. Wonder what made it so he just couldn't let things go? I don't understand some people.

Earl and Vickie said...

Stop signs IN parking lots are more of a suggestion....... Right?

Kimberly Vanderhorst said...

Oh wow...what an odd way to respond on his part!

Heather of the EO said...

I like to chase people around and chew them out too. Makes me feel important.
No really. The guy was bored or something. And no, you didn't need to do anything else (other than hold your cell phone in your hand with your finger on the 9-ready to call 911)
Creepy. (The taxidermist part)

Anonymous said...

I am glad you didn't go with him. Apologize and move along...that's what I would have done. :)

It reminds me of the guys who follow your car, pass you and put on their brakes so you can know that you did that to them earlier...cause that solves the problem.

. said...

I'm STILL irked by a guy who got in my face at Pikes Peak. This was over 5 years ago because I wasn't even pregnant with my 1st kiddo at this point. We were waiting to ride the cog railroad up to the top of the mountain and I tried to toss the car keys up to my brother who was standing on an overhead balcony. I have really bad aim - so they came back down and hit the sidewalk close to where he and his family were. I don't think I've ever been chewed out so badly for a mistake! And he wouldn't let it go - even after I apologized profusely! And numerous times over! He said something at the top of the mountain - glared at us whenever we were within eyesight on the train. And THEN, he very rudely questioned our integrity of being parked in the handicapped space when we returned to the bottom of the mountain - guess he was so obsessed with me and my bad aim he couldn't see the slow, cane baring man accompanying us! I decided some people just don't have anything better to do in their lives!

. said...

I misspelled bearing - cane bearing, not cane baring - although that might work too. Leave it to the teacher to proof read and correct their own work!

mormonhermitmom said...

You did the only decent thing you could, and you tried to stay away from him later. Those kinds of confrontations are always a little unsettling. Chalk it up to another "experience".

Vern said...

I think you need to start stockpiling some of those "Creeper McCreeperson" pins, so you can hand them out when this happens again. Then instead of Creeper going, "This lady isn't listening to me" he'll be like, "Oooh! Something shiny!" which will give you just enough time to get lost at Bridal Registry and you can start making your selections!

goddessdivine said...

What a freak. I'm still thinking to myself: Really? Being the jerk I am, I would have turned it on him, blaming him for even thinking of crossing in front of my car (the whole 'pedestrians have the right of way' is a load of crap....esp in dark parking lots with no crosswalks).

I like the idea of telling him something like you were just at the hospital visiting your dying mother and are picking something up to help take care of your invalid father....and that it was so inconsiderate of you not to think of jerky creepy stalker guys jumping in front of your car.

And I'm with a few of the others: Taxidermist?

Tori :) said...

You could tell him that if the stop sign was located in the parking lot that legally you were not required to stop. That is coming straight out of Officer Seiuli's mouth. It's private property and now a "legal" stop sign. It's more like a "Please stop" sign. Now if you hit the guy that'd be bad, but you didn't, so...
I would've been kinda freaked out.

Heidi said...

But did you notice the stop sign on the way out?

That's all that's going to make that old man happy.

Elizabeth-W said...

Creepy!!!! Maybe he was mad he didn't get to come to your bloggy party?

Help I need a user name! said...

Wow! You are WAY nicer than I would have been. What nice lady! I would have asked him if I knew him, MAYBE apologized and perhaps even found an employee and asked him/her to get between crazy-lunatic man and I. But you, you were nice instead! Good job.

Lisa R.D. said...

I'm still chuckling to myself about "taxidermist" being on your list of things to do :).

I'm glad you didn't hit anyone--today I (very much inadvertently) almost backed into a woman in the grocery store parking lot who came out of NOWHERE. All I got was a dirty look, which I guess I deserved.

Paul said...

As far as I'm concerned, the right thing would have been to:

1) wait until he goes back outside;
2) hurry to your car;
3) watch for him to get in another crosswalk; and
4) clip him with your fender.

Sometimes, people just need to understand who's in charge. I'm not saying you should have hurt or killed him, mind you. Maybe just call it s a shot across his bow.

I'm just saying.

Em-Cat said...

Holy #$&* that's crazy! I second the comment about not being required to stop at stop signs on private property and the 911 on your cell phone thing...

As for your blender - ebay's a good idea, but my husband always e-mails the company and gets replacement parts for free. We've fixed lots of stuff because he took the initiative to look up the company and call them.

Busy Bee Lauren said...

...unless it was to get me outside and then push me into oncoming traffic...

That line was pure genius. I loved this post so much...I am sitting her stunned. I honestly can't believe a guy FOLLOWED you in and wanted you to go with him OUTSIDE.

I would have yelled "STRANGER DANGER!"

The Dillon 6 said...

all I can say is I pity the man that rants at me and then tries to follow me on Errand Day...he obviously hath no idea of the fury that resides within...

Nancy Face said...

Yeah, I know what you mean...I really hate getting pushed into oncoming traffic on errand day. ;)

Nancy Face said...

Seriously though, that guy sounds like a nut case! I think you responded VERY appropriately! :0

mindyluwho said...

Oh my goodness...what a weirdo! (Creepy man, not you...)