Gransnet forums

AIBU

I'm afraid I swore in public (bad Marelli....)!

(97 Posts)
Marelli Mon 30-Nov-15 17:03:35

So, because I'm all 'het-up', I'm coming to Gransnet to confess shock.
Our street is very narrow, and can be difficult to negotiate in a car, especially when turning in from the busy Main Street. People, therefore, park on the one side so that cars can move up and down more easily. However, when I turned into the street this afternoon, someone had parked on the opposite side as well, leaving a very narrow gap to squeeze through. As the chap was just leaving his car to go into a shop, I wound down my window and asked him if he could move the car a bit so I could get through safely. He replied, "Have you got a licence?" I responded that I most certainly did, but did he - as he had parked so inconsiderately? I kept trying to get through, then gave up as I was worried I would damage 3 cars - mine, his and the car parked on the 'normal side'. I reversed and asked him (he was progressing in a leisurely fashion to the Spar shop on the corner), if he could move his car. He again said I shouldn't have a licence if I couldn't get through that space. At this, his missus got out of the car and repeated what he'd said. Well, that did it! I'm afraid I swore (a bad word)! I think it went something like this: "All you had to do was f...ing move it a wee bit!"
They both sneered - especially his wife, who said "A woman - swearing..." By now there was a queue of cars behind me, all building up onto the main road, the one directly behind me being a large 4x4. I squeezed through, bit by bit, and parked in my usual place outside my house. Looking back down the road, I saw said 4x4 driver also having a wee discussion with this person.
I was so angry at myself for swearing. blush, so I went back to the man who had, by this time got back into his car. I asked him to roll his window down, which he did, reluctantly. I apologised for swearing, saying that I'd been rude. They were both horrified that, as a woman, I'd sworn.... hmm By this time, having done my best to make whatever amends needed, I told them that they really did need to get a life, and came back into the house.
There, I feel better now. I'm still shaking, but I think that could be something to do with the sugar-rush of the chocolate cookie I had earlier this afternoon.... wink
Sorry about the long post, but I needed to tell it all!

jinglbellsfrocks Mon 30-Nov-15 17:10:15

You're bonkers. Totally.

You should have done much better than that! Bleeding idiot? Total dickhead? And you certainly shouldn't have apologised!

I am a bit cross with you Marelli. hmm

jinglbellsfrocks Mon 30-Nov-15 17:12:01

Did the woman look as though she'd come straight from the local convent or something? confused

You sure it was a car, not a time machine?

thatbags Mon 30-Nov-15 17:12:04

Agreed. People like that need to be sworn at. Daft pillocks.

And sexist with it. Noisome beasts.

Well done for tackling them, marelli.

jinglbellsfrocks Mon 30-Nov-15 17:13:48

Polish off the rest of the choccy cookies. wine

Ana Mon 30-Nov-15 17:27:56

A woman swearing? What century are they living in? tbshock

I'm with jingl, I certainly wouldn't have apologised! I can just imagine the fuss they'd have made if you'd damaged their car in any way while trying to squeeze past...

JessM Mon 30-Nov-15 17:30:05

Makes me see red when people play that particular card. Double standards or what.
I'm a swearer under certain circumstances.
But there are cultural differences around these isles.
In S Wales not only are women not supposed to swear but men are not supposed to swear in front of women. When i worked in a depot in a utility company i would occasionally get a chap leaping into my office, apologising profusely "sorry jess, sorry jess, i didn't know you were here!!" because he had sworn at the other end of the corridor and thought i might have overheard (bless!).
I don't think this rule applies in London.
In parts of Ireland everyone says "feck" all the time.
My advice is to try to to go over this in your mind - move on and distract yourself with something else. x

Marelli Mon 30-Nov-15 17:39:24

grin - oh, I knew I could rely in 'you lot'!! What didn't help was the fact that DH wandered into the front garden and sort of 'hovered'. No use in a crisis, that one!
I wish I hadn't apologised as well, but I don't think I was apologising to him as such - more to show him that I normally wouldn't lower myself to that standard usually! I do hope I meet them again..... tbgrin

kittylester Mon 30-Nov-15 18:02:01

What a plonker Marelli - you were quite right to swear at him. And, very dignified to apologise for it.

ffinnochio Mon 30-Nov-15 18:05:01

Hope you're feeling calmer now, M! Just be thankful that you're not a fully paid up member of the .......... Group. Fill in as necessary.

Luckygirl Mon 30-Nov-15 18:07:26

Apologised! - don't do it again!! grin

hildajenniJ Mon 30-Nov-15 18:14:26

Good for you Mareli. I would have said something similar if I had been in your position. Stupid, inconsiderate people. I hate trying to squeeze my car through a small gap, and would have been just as annoyed. To make you feel better, I read yesterday that people who swear have better mental health, as you let off steam straight away. Carry ontbgrin

Tegan Mon 30-Nov-15 18:20:08

I can't drive through gaps like that; living in a cul de sac people often park on both sides at the end and I won't negotiate the gaps if I think I might scratch my/their car. On The Wright Stuff the other day there was a discussion about elderly drivers being dangerous. Up to a point I agreed with some of the things that were being said but felt that it was overweighed by the number of times dangerous drivers get away with what they do because the safe drivers see it coming and avert the situation [not implying that you're an elderly driver Marelli, it just reminded me of the programme that's all]. I agree that apologising took the moral high ground away from him. Things like that make me go all wobbly inside for ages afterwards.

merlotgran Mon 30-Nov-15 18:22:06

Never apologise! Never explain! grin

Charleygirl Mon 30-Nov-15 18:27:41

I agree, you should not have apologised. What a pity you were not driving a fork lift truck and could bull doze straight through them. That is what I frequently wish I was driving for similar reasons!

Marelli Mon 30-Nov-15 18:28:12

jingl and everyone - I shall do better in future (this is like when the teacher writes 'see me' at the bottom of one's homework!) tbgrin
I do think that if I hadn't been a woman, then he may not have been so awkward! I wonder if his wife ties his shoelaces for him......?

rosequartz Mon 30-Nov-15 18:30:22

How dreadful!! You swore!! I'm shocked!!
In fact I'm shocked that you apologised, they deserved that and more.
There!

Well done, from someone who regularly has to negotiate arrogant school mums parking their 4x4s who think they own the road.

rosequartz Mon 30-Nov-15 18:31:40

I shall do better in future
You mean learn a few more swear words? [tbhwink]

rosequartz Mon 30-Nov-15 18:32:05

tbwink

downtoearth Mon 30-Nov-15 18:39:33

have just had a fookin twat at the end of my road farting about for 20 minutes reversing a 15ft container in to a 12ft garden tbconfused and holding up all traffic I was late picking OH up from bus stop he looked like a drowned rat.....told said person he was a fookin twat tbgrin...am I sorry...not on your nellie

annodomini Mon 30-Nov-15 18:56:52

So it's OK to block the road and cause no end of inconvenience, but a woman can't swear? I also live on a narrow road on which everyone parks on my side. So far, no-one has dared to park on the other side, but I know that I would indulge in picturesque language in similar circumstances and I know who should be apologising to you Marelli.

Smileless2012 Mon 30-Nov-15 19:55:52

Well the fact you apologised (I wouldn't have) says a lot more about you than it does about them Marelli.

The parking in our village is awful, double parking all over the place especially outside the village shop. Many years ago I was heading out of the village and there was a car coming the other way. It was my right of way and I'd already moved forward when he decided to come forward as wellshock. There simply wasn't enough room and how he managed to come past me with only slightly touching my wind mirror I'll never know.

I was furious and you wouldn't have needed to be a particularly good lip reader to know what I was swearing saying. Told Mr. S. about it when I got home and a couple of weeks later we were attending our local chapel and when the guest speaker came out, it was the driver of the car I'd sworn st spoken tooblush.

glassortwo Mon 30-Nov-15 20:01:34

marelli never apologise grin grin I would have seen red when the woman joined in too, some how makes it worse that a woman can be so easily lead by a bloke!

Must be something in the air, I was called a stuck up bitch today when I happened to mentioned to a lone able bodied woman of about 40 that she had parked in a mother and baby parking bay. grin

Marelli Mon 30-Nov-15 20:35:19

Oh we're a feisty bunch, glass tbsmile!
Smileless, I hope he recognised you (no need for blushes) tbgrin!!

Marelli Mon 30-Nov-15 20:38:59

ffinocchio, thank you - I'm feeling much calmer now! I needed to have a blast on here (it's helped no end)!