It’s wild how comfortable so many people are being rude to strangers, unprovoked.

Check out this person stood up for himself and turned the tables on a total tool.

Don’t yank my headphones.

Last weekend, I was at a big box home improvement store, looking for components for a little project I was working on.

I wasn’t dressed remotely like the staff, and was listening to an audiobook with a set of Bluetooth headphones, with both earbuds in so I wouldn’t be bothered.

Unfortunately the earbuds had a counter-productive effect.

However, apparently a guy in his early 30s in a pair of tattered jeans and a paint-splattered t-shirt with headphones in and a piece of scrap paper in his hand is just the one to ask for assistance.

I want to stress right now that I’m very much “average office dude.” Slightly in shape, could use more work, don’t view myself as much more than an average guy in his 30s.

This middle-aged dude from asking me where some-product-or-other was.

He asked twice, significantly louder the second time and I glanced over at him and said “Sorry, man, I don’t work here.” gesturing at my clothes and the obvious lack of a name tag.

I went back to browsing the shelves, when suddenly I felt my Bluetooth headphones ripped from my head.

I looked quickly to my right, just in time to see the middle aged guy throw them to the concrete floor with as much force as he could manage. I heard a distinct snap.

I saw red.

This next part sees him transform into a tough guy in a Hollywood movie.

I grabbed the guy by the front of his shirt and slammed him against the wall. Actually snarling, I said, “I told you I don’t work here, you damn moron.”

He started to protest, so I pushed him harder against the wall/shelf.

“You couldn’t get that through your dumb suburban skull though, and now you’ve assaulted me and destroyed my headphones. What you’re going to do is give me all the cash you’ve got in your wallet and pray that it covers the replacement cost.

And if you make a scene, I’ll give you something to scream about.”

He’d gone from livid red to pale white. He rummaged, brought out his wallet, and handed over $40.

I jammed it into my pocket, snatched up the headphones, and left the store.

Coming down from that high wasn’t easy.

I got in my car and drove away as quickly as I legally could, eventually pulling into a grocery store parking lot to take several deep breaths.

When I got home I had a strong drink, even though it wasn’t even noon yet.

I’ve never been in a fight in my life, aside from horsing around with friends in middle school. Now I’d threatened a dude in a store.

My headphones were fine, though, shockingly.

Here is what folks are saying.

Sort of.

It would go viral!

Huh? Careful as in going for someone weaker than him?

What could you have done?

This would make it even more satisfying!

The hardware sounds like the stupidest place to antagonize someone.

If you liked this post, check out this story about an employee who got revenge on a co-worker who kept grading their work suspiciously low.