catalyst2 | Xmas turns people into wankers!

I'm quietly standing in the miles-long queue at the supermarket today when a very old man (80+ at least, walking stick and all) pushes in front of me. I said to him "Excuse me but the end of the queue is back there!" He turned around to me and said "I was here before you. Just ask her!" and he pointed to the woman in front of him. Unfortunately for him, "her" was my partner so we both turned to him and told him again to go to the back. His answer was "You young fuckers need to show respect to your elders!" Not wishing to continue the argument, I pushed my trolley up to try to stand next to my partner. The old guy rammed an elbow into my ribs really hard (boney old-man-elbows are sharp!) and said "Just try it, you fucking cunt!" Holy smoke, this guy had some issues.

Unfortunately for him, my partner had seen this last exchange include the thump to my ribs. She turned around, stared at him with her hands on her hips and stepped in. I've only ever see her look like this once before (and that was when my then 3-year old daughter was being threatened by a really big dog in the park) and I desperately tried to look for cover quick before the blast wave hit. In the loudest voice I think that supermarket has ever heard (who needs a PA!) she boomed out "If you don't move really fast to the back of the queue, I will pick you up and throw you back there, you pathetic little man!" At that, there's a loud round of applause as everyone else in the queue he had pushed in front of, heard the exchange. He slunk out of the queue and walked to the back. My partner got another round of applause at that point.

Sad thing is, if he had stood next to me and asked me if I minded him going in front of me, I wouldn't have minded!