Boundaries are important. But where do boundaries and manners begin and end?

If you were shopping at a store and a stranger asked you to help them find an item, would you stop what you were doing and help them even if you didn’t know what the item was, or would you ignore them and continue shopping?

Read how one Redditor denies an elder help at a store and defends their reason why.

See the whole story below.

AITA for not helping an old man find things in a hardware store?

We have a hardware franchise called Bunnings that is for home and garden supplies.

I was there to get gardening stuff. I was in an aisle with several people in it looking for my own items.

But then, a new friend walked up.

An old man started talking to me about the weather, and I was like ‘”Mhmm,” then he asked me find him X item.

I told him “I don’t work here, perhaps you can find an employee to help you?”

Then he kept asking me to find him the item.

I kept telling him no, and I don’t know what that is — when I was trying to find my own items.

Unfortunately, the OP wasn’t even sure how to help him.

I didn’t even know what the product he wanted is so, even if I wanted to help him, idk what tf he was looking for.

I decided to start ignoring him and, like a child, he kept asking me to help him find this item, saying “Excuse me! Excuse me! EXCUSE ME!”

But, then, things got really intense.

Then, he was actually throwing a tantrum while I ignored him — to the point [where] he started shouting at me to help him.

This actually got an employee to come running down the aisle to ask what was wrong.

I kept ignoring the man.

People were staring at us, and when the employee asked him what was wrong, he basically shouted “Can you help me find X item because SHE won’t help me,” as if it was my responsibility.

Surprisingly, the employee sided with the elder.

Then, the employee acted as if I was a villain because I wasn’t helping this man.

Turns out, the item wasn’t even in the aisle I was in.

This old man was just pacing around and out of all people in the aisles, he saw me then decided to ask me to help him find the item.

The OP has a theory about this man’s behavior.

I think he wanted an excuse to try force me to hang out with him.

The employee came back to almost berate me for not helping the man.

And I also told the employee I still don’t work at Bunnings/I’m not an employee.

And she believes the item didn’t even matter to the man.

I’m ticked off because people acted like I was the jerk when:

1. That old man could have went and asked someone else after I said no or found an employee but decided to stand there and scream at me instead.

2. I didn’t go there for a side quest with some old man who was roaming around looking for someone to bother.

If he really wanted that item, he would have moved on though it was like he was trying to pressure me to do what he wants via a tantrum.

So, was she wrong for ignoring this stranger? Read the comments below to find out what Reddit thinks on the matter.

Some people know Bunning’s customer service setup.

Others noted that sometimes older people were “a trial”.

One person recommended the OP make a complaint about the staff member.

And one jokester revealed what they like to do at Bunning’s.

She was not at fault for ignoring the older man.

If you enjoyed that story, read this one about a mom who was forced to bring her three kids with her to apply for government benefits, but ended up getting the job of her dreams.