It’s a sad fact of life that too many adults in this world want to dismiss and belittle teenagers – as if they were never one themselves or aren’t aware they are fellow human beings.
OP and her friend were waiting in line at the mall’s food court when a full-grown man cut in front of them.
When I was around 15 or 16, a friend and I went to the local mall on the weekend to hang out and hit the arcade. After a bit we decided to get a drink at the food court.
While we were standing in line an older man, late 30’s or early 40’s, looking like he just got out of the gym decided to cut in the line in front of us.
She called him out, he ignored her, and she thought that was probably the end of it.
The line was fairly long at this point, around 10 deep(they had the best lemonade in the mall). I tapped him on the shoulder and said, “Sir, we’re in line here.”
He shot us a look and turned back around, pretty much ignoring the fact that we were there.
Then, he accidentally dropped some cash. OP picked it up, intending to hand it back to him, but before she could tell him he snapped at her to shut up and leave him alone.
When he got nearer to the register he reached into his pocket to take out his wallet. As he did so a wad of cash fell onto the floor unnoticed by him. As rude as he was, I was raised to be courteous and respectful.
I picked up the cash and said, “Excuse me, sir.”
At which point he replied, without even turning to look at me, “Shut up and leave me the **** alone.”
I turned back to look at the older gentleman behind us who just smiled and shrugged. So I placed the cash in my pocket.
So, they left him alone – even when he suddenly decided to recognize their existence and ask what had happened to his cash.
When it was time for him to pay, he opened his wallet to discover that there was no cash in it.
He quickly turned and scanned the floor. When he didn’t find the money he asked us if we’d seen him drop it.
My friend said, “Can’t help you. We were told to shut up and leave you the f*** alone.” He was a bit spicy, he ranted, but in the end he walked away without his money.
Turned out there was 147 bucks in there, a nice haul for a broke kid in the early nineties.
A similar story – with a similar ending – happened to her later.
Another time when I was just a little older I had gone to wally world. I purchased something fairly inexpensive and paid the cashier. She handed me back around 87 bucks in change.
I said “Ma’am, I think you gave me the wrong change.”
She looked at it and told me that she had it right. I responded, “But ma’am…” She cut me off, spitting mad, and went into a rant about how she was very good at math.
I let her finish and simply said “Ok, sorry to bother you ma’am” I then took my leave.
I wonder how she felt about her math skills when she counted her drawer after her shift.
What I was trying to tell her was that I had paid with a twenty, not a Benjamin.
Does Reddit think she should have pressed the issue? I bet not!
The top commenter could only focus on one part of the story…
This person says they should just try to enjoy the story.
Sometimes you just have to come to an understanding with people.
Mom was soooo close!
The moral of the story might just be to be nice to the people around you.
You never know what being rude might cost you.