Yesterday, I yelled at a guy from Greenpeace. That was the sort of afternoon I was having.
As I was walking down a street on the way to work, a guy with a Greenpeace t-shirt smiled and said "Hi" to get me to stop and talk to him. I smiled back and said, "Sorry - on my way to work."
And then things turned ugly.
As I continue to walk, I hear this snot-nosed punk say, "Sure, no time to save the rainforest. You have to go to work."
I stopped in my tracks. I had been "sleeping" in a sauna-temperature room without air conditioning all weekend. Needless to say, this was not the day to cross me. I swiveled around, stomped back to the guy and said, "You know, I don't owe you an explanation as to why I'm not stopping and talking to you."
He was shocked. Apparently, people aren't usually petty enough to call him on his bullshit. "I don't think you owe me anything."
"Then why are you giving me attitude for not stopping?"
"I'm not giving you attitude."
"It seems to me like you were giving me a little attitude. And I support Greenpeace. You're hurting the cause."
All he had to say for himself was "All right."
As I turned away, I was fully aware that after I was out of earshot, he and his little soulpatch probably had a nice laugh at Grandpa Brendo's expense. Perhaps even the irony wasn't lost on him that I spent much more time bitching him out than I would have had I actually stopped to talk about Greenpeace.
So was I the asshole here? I usually don't bother wasting my time on someone like this, but his entitled nu-hippie attitude is part of the reason more moderate, reasonable people are turned off environmentalism (a post for another day). It was education time. When you're out on the street trying to raise money or awareness for a good cause, you should be super polite, even when they don't want to talk to you. Right?
As I was walking down a street on the way to work, a guy with a Greenpeace t-shirt smiled and said "Hi" to get me to stop and talk to him. I smiled back and said, "Sorry - on my way to work."
And then things turned ugly.
As I continue to walk, I hear this snot-nosed punk say, "Sure, no time to save the rainforest. You have to go to work."
I stopped in my tracks. I had been "sleeping" in a sauna-temperature room without air conditioning all weekend. Needless to say, this was not the day to cross me. I swiveled around, stomped back to the guy and said, "You know, I don't owe you an explanation as to why I'm not stopping and talking to you."
He was shocked. Apparently, people aren't usually petty enough to call him on his bullshit. "I don't think you owe me anything."
"Then why are you giving me attitude for not stopping?"
"I'm not giving you attitude."
"It seems to me like you were giving me a little attitude. And I support Greenpeace. You're hurting the cause."
All he had to say for himself was "All right."
As I turned away, I was fully aware that after I was out of earshot, he and his little soulpatch probably had a nice laugh at Grandpa Brendo's expense. Perhaps even the irony wasn't lost on him that I spent much more time bitching him out than I would have had I actually stopped to talk about Greenpeace.
So was I the asshole here? I usually don't bother wasting my time on someone like this, but his entitled nu-hippie attitude is part of the reason more moderate, reasonable people are turned off environmentalism (a post for another day). It was education time. When you're out on the street trying to raise money or awareness for a good cause, you should be super polite, even when they don't want to talk to you. Right?
10 Comments:
Why do you hate rainforests?
Why do you hate rainforests?
They're just so... rainy.
Make him feel bad with, "Listen, man, the rainforest killed my father right in front of my face when I was four. I just can't."
the RAINFOREST?! that's so 1992... this is the year of the polar bear.
I would have prison-loved him and his snarky idiocy, so I feel your response was moderate.
Can't they bus those Tufts chooches to Dorcester to ask everyone to stop shooting each other? They're thick as thieves down in Davis.
Can't they bus those Tufts chooches to Dorcester to ask everyone to stop shooting each other? They're thick as thieves down in Davis.
Actually, this was in Quincy. In my experience, the Davis area ones are usually more polite, female, and pixie-like.
There are hippies in Quincy? Who'd a thunk it.
I would've done the same thing. Around the corner from my bus stop is a breeding ground for the Lyndon LaRouche types. I frequently let them know that no, I don't give a shit about Al Gore ruining our economy.
But I'm kind of an asshole.
They love it when you tell them to go back to France.
Don't get me wrong - I have no problem with people drumming up support for their causes/candidates out on the streets. Just don't be rude when people have places to go and don't want to talk to your ass.
If you're polite, knock yourselves out.
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