When people get old, their mental health can sometimes suffer, which can leave them agitated and hard to deal with.

While shopping with her angsty teen daughter, an old lady in this story mistook her for an employee, and got very upset that she couldn’t help her find the desired items.

Fortunately, the manager was able to contact the old lady’s daughter and get her safely picked up from the store.

Friend caught between old lady and daughter in store

This story is about a friend. She’s out shopping with her 16 year old daughter.

Hey, this is totally understandable.

Her usually well mannered daughter was having a particularly hard time due to a hormonal, dumped by boyfriend, did not want to leave house with mother, no shower etc etc type of day.

Angst, silent teen persona in full gear, with ripped jeans, sneakers, dark red plaid shirt over rock band t-shirt. My friend decided that taking her out in the open spaces of mega store would at least help, plus she wanted to keep an eye on her.

Just a teenager being a teenager.

As friend is shopping, “miss gloom” is hanging around and every so often would look at something from a shelf or just casually browse while her mother does her shopping on another part of the isle.

As my friend describes it, she was on the rack that is between isles while “sunshine” had stayed behind in the isle looking at something.

This is where the old lady of the story approaches the teen and starts asking questions of where this or that can be found.

Woah, the old lady grabbed her?

At first my friend did not pay attention but notices her daughter pulling her sleeve out of the old woman’s hand. She rushes over with concern and asks what’s happening. At the same time her daughter and old lady start talking at the same time:

Daughter: This lady thinks I work here and won’t listen when I tell her I don’t!

Maybe her mind is slipping.

Old lady: I’m trying to ask this rude employee where to find <product> and she won’t tell me

Daughter: I DONT WORK HERE, STOP GRABBING ME

She just isn’t getting it.

Old lady: You’re very rude, you should be fired, you need to help me etc etc

Friend gets between the two to protect them from each other and tries to calm things down.

It really sounds like she has Alzheimer’s or something like that.

Old lady is adamant about getting the help she needs and is acting aggressively towards friends daughter.

Friend is trying to keep her teen in control.

I can totally see why the teen doesn’t want some old lady grabbing her.

Teen is getting aggressive about being touched and getting yelled at by some stranger.

At some point the old lady starts trying to grab my friends hand to get her out of the way so she can get to the “rude employee”. Voices are getting louder and generally loud commotion is taking place in housewares.

Finally, someone who can help.

Actual employee walks over to check the commotion and friend starts with the following:

I believe this lady may be in trouble. She’s confused, aggressive and disorientated.

This is a very reasonable explanation.

She thinks my daughter works here and won’t listen to reason. I’m concerned about her mental state and safety pointing towards the old lady. Can you get your security to verify she’s ok?

Employee looks confused for a second and friend, while still in between her daughter and old lady, repeats the above adding: if she’s escaped her family or other care, your store can be found liable if she gets harmed.

Mom needs to tell her daughter to calm down, getting aggressive isn’t going to help the situation.

Old lady keeps pointing and being loud about friends daughter. Teen is fully agitated and more aggressive towards old lady. Friend is in the middle keeping them separated while talking to confused employee.

Employee finally gets in front of old lady trying to calm her while trying to get a manager and security to meet him.

Honestly, just tell the old lady that they are firing the teen. Sometimes pacifying people like this is the best option.

Old lady Is adamant about rude employee being fired, despite employee telling her that friends daughter does not work there.

My friend took her daughter out of the fracas with a few stern looks and some shoving.

You have to feel bad for the old lady.

Manager and security arrive, employee is trying to calm old lady down who is now on a full rant about rude employees and keeps talking about service, employees, store name different than the one she’s in. Friend calmly informs manager about old lady being possibly confused and in danger.

Manager apologizes, thanks friend and says they can handle it from there.

Friend and daughter just leave while commotion behind them continues.

I’m relieved they got an update.

A couple of days latter, friend is at the same store and sees same manager. She walked up and asked him about what happened to the old lady.

Turns out they had to call the police to the store, who then got in touch with the old woman’s daughter who had to come get her from the store, as she was not supposed to have been without her care taker.

Friend felt the same about her daughter that day and frequently let’s her know that.

It is a relief to know that everyone ended up ok, these situations can be dangerous.

Let’s see what the people in the comments have to say about it.

I can see why she was upset.

I mean, it kind of does.

I thought mom handled it well too.

This commenter thinks the story paints the teen in an unfair way.

The poor old lady was confused and needed help.

If you liked that post, check out this post about a woman who tracked down a contractor who tried to vanish without a trace.