Dealing with crotchity, crazy people

My wife told me this CLASSIC story last night that I have to share.

She has been hanging with some buddies, doing this home-made boot camp at 5:30 in the AM at a park near our house. There is also a small track (6 feet wide).

The wives will run, do step-ups on a picnic table, kettle-balls etc., and of course chat. The run 2 abrest sometimes.

So there is this old lady that I guess is 100% certifiable, or simply an old bitty, that walks aroudn the track. I guess she has done this to other people as well, but she sounds like a loon. She went over to the wives and told them things like "no stepping on the park bench, people sit on it (the day after the 7/4 when there was shit all over the bench anyway)", "you guys are talking to loud - SHHHHHHHHHH" as they go running buy, "single file, single file", "I've lived here 25 years and it was never this loud" etc. She sticks her arms out and does the arm spins as they go running by. And the kicker was:

"My daughter is the Ms. Texas of ________________(I don't know the name of it, but whatever the f%^k the body builders or aerobic people aspire to win). None of you ladies look like her" as she got in their faces. Julie's buddy told her to f^&k off and that they would call the cops.

Have you ever dealt with someone like this? What would you suggest?

Sarcastic comments are preferred.

Sounds like an interesting old hag!! I would tell her to take some Geritol and shut the hell up!!

I have not had any interesting run ins with old cranky coots, but a couple of my friends were riding bike on a trail near my house and as they passed an old man he angrily yelled "single file!!" Mind you that this trail is wide enough to have five people riding abreast. All they could do was laugh as they passed the old man.

I may have had an incident in Palm Springs, CA involving a shouting match with some old geezers on a golf course, threatened violence with a PW held out and swung at me as a weapon, "playing through" without permission or warning, maybe a drive or two aimed at said geezers and being told by some very old man to "Stand At Ease, Sailor" (I liked that). We may have even been called "whippersnappers" but I'm not sure. I can neither confirm nor deny any of the details of the alleged incident except to say that I think we wouldn't have been charged with anything had the police been summoned and that we were in the right....but its not 100% clear-cut given the age difference. I think the main culprit on their side must have been the husband of the lady your wife dealt with at the park.

I always thought putting feet on another bench/chair is American culture. Love it.

Jerry wrote:I always thought putting feet on another bench/chair is American culture. Love it.

Very funny - when I lived in Japan, one of the very first things I was told was NEVER put your feet on the seats (subway, buses, restaurants etc...). VERY RUDE!

American culture is something completely different!

Is she available?

Jim Lentz wrote:Is she available?

My wife??? For a price, I guess.

Jack_Scaff wrote:

Jim Lentz wrote:Is she available?

My wife??? For a price, I guess.

No, the crabby lady that has the attitude. I bet she is friends with my Ex.

Jim Lentz wrote:

Jack_Scaff wrote:

Jim Lentz wrote:Is she available?

My wife??? For a price, I guess.

No

C'mon, Jim. Make a bid.

OK I need to shut up.

Jack_Scaff wrote:

Jim Lentz wrote:

Jack_Scaff wrote:

Jim Lentz wrote:Is she available?

My wife??? For a price, I guess.

No

C'mon, Jim. Make a bid.

OK I need to shut up.

If you pay me ...

I'd ask her when the pysch ward decided to let the patients out for exercise.

I would just run past her and not aggravate her. She might be cranky, she might be mental, but at least she is out and moving. I guess I would rather her be active and cranky, than be sitting at home depressed. That actually just might be her problem - a sad, depressed woman. Some people - like students - will do anything to get attention - even bad attention. If my wife was around, I guarantee she would stop and try to engage her in conversation.

As I have gotten older, I am better at giving disagreeable people the benefit of the doubt. I might feel better for the moment giving them a well-deserved piece of my mind, but in the long run it does not help the situation. Maybe one day I will be out there with a few loose screws and I would like some grace.

Having said that, I DID yell at some golfers who drove right over my head at a nearby course on my daily run recently. The public street cuts the course in half, so they drive over the street from a hill for one hole. Now those guys and gals deserve getting yelled at because they will hurt somebody sometime. Very poor form from the country club folks.

I think in the long term, you are better off being polite. I read of a flight attendant who said when people get rude she is really nice to them and asks "hey, I have been nice to you this whole flight, why are you being so rude?" And if you're really looking for a solution, you might politely ask if she thinks it's that bad if you are running 2-3 across...or if your shoes are clean if it's that big of a deal to use the bench. I'd be polite and respectful.

I'm not always nice if it's someone in a car not yielding and I have to yell at them to not run me over but if this is a lady you see every day....better to be friends than rude.

charles.moman wrote:I would just run past her and not aggravate her. She might be cranky, she might be mental, but at least she is out and moving. I guess I would rather her be active and cranky, than be sitting at home depressed. That actually just might be her problem - a sad, depressed woman. Some people - like students - will do anything to get attention - even bad attention. If my wife was around, I guarantee she would stop and try to engage her in conversation.

As I have gotten older, I am better at giving disagreeable people the benefit of the doubt. I might feel better for the moment giving them a well-deserved piece of my mind, but in the long run it does not help the situation. Maybe one day I will be out there with a few loose screws and I would like some grace.

Julie wrote:I think in the long term, you are better off being polite. I read of a flight attendant who said when people get rude she is really nice to them and asks "hey, I have been nice to you this whole flight, why are you being so rude?" And if you're really looking for a solution, you might politely ask if she thinks it's that bad if you are running 2-3 across...or if your shoes are clean if it's that big of a deal to use the bench. I'd be polite and respectful.

I'm not always nice if it's someone in a car not yielding and I have to yell at them to not run me over but if this is a lady you see every day....better to be friends than rude.

I'm totally with Charles & Julie on this one. The part of the brain that is responsible for us censoring ourselves and helps us in biting our tongues actually decreases in size as we age and that is one of the main reasons why older people are more outspoken & crotchy, and seem to speak their mind more; they truly cannot help themselves and hopefully, we'll all live long enough to get there too one day. I'd take the high road, be kind and laugh at the encounter with my gal pals over wine that evening.

If you run long enough outside, you'll eventually encounter rude people. In fact, "rude" may be a very modest description sometimes. Jeering and other forms of verbal assaults are not too bad. But sometimes people do things far worse and just plain dangerous - like drivers throwing stuff at me, honking to spook me, spraying wiper fluid next to me, driving really close to me on purpose, or cutting me off at an intersection purposely. I'm not perfect - and I admit, at times, I want to retaliate. I want to key their cars, bang on their trunk, throw something back, or just shouting something.

Then I remember why I run and what running has taught me. It may sound like some corny hipster zen philosophical cliche - but I consider myself fortunate to be able to participate and engage in such a sport that values both physical and mental endurance. And I was reminded by many others before me, that these rude individuals simply don't know better or just plain jealous. The non-runners usually have no idea why runners wear short shorts, run on streets instead of side walks, look like they're semi-paralyzed, or "jog" when it's "not nice" outside, to name a few.

Some people will always pick something out of nothing to fight with you. It doesn't matter if you take a dump on a park bench, or do a set of push-ups next to it. Chances are they wish they could run around for hours on end. If you really have to talk to them, tell them you'll do as they say if they can beat you in a race.

Jack_Scaff wrote:What would you suggest?

Sarcastic comments are preferred.

Next time, have them dress as ninjas.

I'd tell her that your taxes help pay for the track she thinks she owns and if she doesn't like other people using the track, she can pay them what they pay to use it to leave.

Interesting to see the difference in replies from everyone. I'd probably be in the camp of those who would try to be polite as possible. You don't always know the situation of people like this.

When I was in San Diego last week, on one of my runs I had a car pull up beside me. It was an older beat up small car with some younger guys and a girl in it. They had a Dodger decal in the back window indicating they were most likely out of towners. The driver yelled and asked if he could "run with me". I turned, smiled and said "sure". As they drove beside me, he asked how he was doing and I told him awesome. Then after a while longer, he said he'd meet me at the beach. I said fine and they drove off. In a case like that, with a carload of younger people, I wasn't sure if they were bangers or wannabes, or if they were just thought they were being funny trying to get me to react. So I played along with them, and when I got to the beach area and spotted them I waved. Not sure what he said at that point as the itunes were playing. Didn't figure it was worth getting in a confrontation with someone who might be armed for all I knew. I was never in fear, but thought it was best to play along.

Dave-O wrote:I'd ask her when the pysch ward decided to let the patients out for exercise.

I'd ask her out on a date, sounds like my type. Then I'd call "Cheaters" to come film so my wife could have a good laugh!

My friend is a walker who at the time was recovering from double knee replacement surgery. She was in the pack of 16:00 min/milers at the back of a half marathon. I think this was the Louisville race, and when her back of the pack group was passing this old, possibly homeless woman...she was leaning against a telephone pole and yelling at them.."what wrong with you?? RUN, RUN.... It was pretty funny actually. My friend just waved and laughed.