Special Snowflake Stories

[ladyknight1]

Yesterday, I braved the local market to finish my Thanksgiving shopping. I started on the far left of the store, and came toward the right, which is the reverse of what most people do. I was nearly halfway through the store, and I encounter the "possibly SS grocery shopping train". This is an entire family, consisting of 6 adults and more than 10 kids. Each adult had a cart, and one had a wheelchair cart. Everywhere they went, they went together. Even in a single line, they blocked the large aisle around the store. I got what I needed, and avoided the back of the store, where their group was.

Even though that was a bit stressful, I am in bliss knowing I do not have to go back to the store! 

[KenveeB]

I read this on a mom's forum I read occasionally.  Mom is shopping with a newborn in a baby carrier and is in line at customer service.  Ahead of her is an elderly lady.  When Elderly Lady steps up to the counter, mom puts the baby carrier on the floor between them (so right behind EL).  EL completes her transaction and steps back, tripping over the baby carrier a d falling on the baby.  Mom loses it and starts screaming at EL, EMS is called for both EL and the baby, chaos ensues.

What amazed me was the number of responses blaming the elderly lady for daring to not constantly monitor the location of the BAYBEEEE and placing full blame on her.

This type of behavior drives me nuts.  I feel for the old lady. I hope she is ok

The mom should get all the blame here -- for endangering an elderly woman by putting a tripping hazard by her, and for endangering her child for putting the carrier on the floor where it could be easily tripped on!

[Queen of Clubs]

The mom should get all the blame here -- for endangering an elderly woman by putting a tripping hazard by her, and for endangering her child for putting the carrier on the floor where it could be easily tripped on!

I agree.  That mom caused the entire accident.  I hope the elderly lady and the baby are both okay, and I hope someone clues that mom in that putting your baby (or anything) right behind someone, right where they'll step back, is dangerous.

[Iris]

The mom should get all the blame here -- for endangering an elderly woman by putting a tripping hazard by her, and for endangering her child for putting the carrier on the floor where it could be easily tripped on!

I agree.  That mom caused the entire accident.  I hope the elderly lady and the baby are both okay, and I hope someone clues that mom in that putting your baby (or anything) right behind someone, right where they'll step back, is dangerous.

Yes, I really hope that Hillia restores my faith in humankind by letting us know that at least SOME of the responders were saying "What the heck is wrong with you? Why would you put your baby on the floor right where someone is standing?!"

[Kimblee]

I read this on a mom's forum I read occasionally.  Mom is shopping with a newborn in a baby carrier and is in line at customer service.  Ahead of her is an elderly lady.  When Elderly Lady steps up to the counter, mom puts the baby carrier on the floor between them (so right behind EL).  EL completes her transaction and steps back, tripping over the baby carrier a d falling on the baby.  Mom loses it and starts screaming at EL, EMS is called for both EL and the baby, chaos ensues.

What amazed me was the number of responses blaming the elderly lady for daring to not constantly monitor the location of the BAYBEEEE and placing full blame on her.

This type of behavior drives me nuts.  I feel for the old lady. I hope she is ok

I feel for the old lady, she and Baby could've been badly hurt. Although the time I (a young, mostly spry woman) tripped over someone's baby carrier behind me, I got the full blame. I felt bad, but Kiddo was unharmed.

A friend of mine caused the same situation in the DMV once. He put his son's carrier on the floor because his arms were tired and he didn't think. An EL in front of him stepped back and tripped. Friend caught her under the arms, then appologized profusely for causing the trip hazard. The woman forgave him, on the condition that she get a minute to play with the baby. This apparently translated to about long enough for Friend to turn in the form he was delivering.

Friend bought a body sling for Baby a day or so later. He says the carrier was just more trouble than it was worth for him.

[figee]

The mom should get all the blame here -- for endangering an elderly woman by putting a tripping hazard by her, and for endangering her child for putting the carrier on the floor where it could be easily tripped on!

I agree.  That mom caused the entire accident.  I hope the elderly lady and the baby are both okay, and I hope someone clues that mom in that putting your baby (or anything) right behind someone, right where they'll step back, is dangerous.

Yes, I really hope that Hillia restores my faith in humankind by letting us know that at least SOME of the responders were saying "What the heck is wrong with you? Why would you put your baby on the floor right where someone is standing?!"

Um yeah.  Replace 'baby' with 'shopping bag', 'dog on leash', 'watermelon', 'bucket of water', 'rake' and its pretty clear that the who was responsible, no?

[snowdragon]

I am in class at the moment. Two women who are NOT members of our class just walked in, interrupted the class, and wanted to use the computers. Our professor allowed them to and now they are in back talking, loudly enough that I can here them in the first row of the lecture all, above another student's presentation.  Two of us have asked them to quiet down, and they tell us we are rude. Prof needs to deal now

[Coruscation]

On the other hand, people who walk backwards without looking really shouldn't be surprised when they trip over things. It's a rare trip to the supermarket for me not to have a person who is looking at groceries l just step back into my trolley instead of turning and walking.

When I am in line I expect to find things behind me, even if it is just the person behind me moving forward in anticipation of me leaving.

[squeakers]

I read this on a mom's forum I read occasionally.  Mom is shopping with a newborn in a baby carrier and is in line at customer service.  Ahead of her is an elderly lady.  When Elderly Lady steps up to the counter, mom puts the baby carrier on the floor between them (so right behind EL).  EL completes her transaction and steps back, tripping over the baby carrier a d falling on the baby.  Mom loses it and starts screaming at EL, EMS is called for both EL and the baby, chaos ensues.

What amazed me was the number of responses blaming the elderly lady for daring to not constantly monitor the location of the BAYBEEEE and placing full blame on her.

I'm trying to figure out why the mom put the baby behind the lady.  Now if she put the baby down in front of her cart.. I would think the EL would have noticed her coming that close and setting something down. 

----R-- <-register and belt for placing stuff/shelf for placing stuff

[] <--cart

() <-baby

EL <--elderly lady

So was it:


---R--
[]()EL

or
---R--
[] EL
    ()

In the first scenario I would figure EL noticed the mom putting something down and would not have stepped backward (and really, why would she step back that way after her transaction?).

In the second I would really wonder why the EL did not notice the mom getting up behind her (but then again I get nervous when anyone walks behind me in the usually narrow register aisles) but could understand her not thinking to look down and behind herself.  Usually I would just turn to the right and walk away.. but maybe she was swinging her purse/shopping bags and needed a bit of room to get away from the counter.

Either way the screaming was rude.

[Kaora]

I read this on a mom's forum I read occasionally.  Mom is shopping with a newborn in a baby carrier and is in line at customer service.  Ahead of her is an elderly lady.  When Elderly Lady steps up to the counter, mom puts the baby carrier on the floor between them (so right behind EL).  EL completes her transaction and steps back, tripping over the baby carrier a d falling on the baby.  Mom loses it and starts screaming at EL, EMS is called for both EL and the baby, chaos ensues.

What amazed me was the number of responses blaming the elderly lady for daring to not constantly monitor the location of the BAYBEEEE and placing full blame on her.

I'm trying to figure out why the mom put the baby behind the lady.  Now if she put the baby down in front of her cart.. I would think the EL would have noticed her coming that close and setting something down. 
*snip*

In the first scenario I would figure EL noticed the mom putting something down and would not have stepped backward (and really, why would she step back that way after her transaction?).

In the second I would really wonder why the EL did not notice the mom getting up behind her (but then again I get nervous when anyone walks behind me in the usually narrow register aisles) but could understand her not thinking to look down and behind herself.  Usually I would just turn to the right and walk away.. but maybe she was swinging her purse/shopping bags and needed a bit of room to get away from the counter.

Either way the screaming was rude.

I think the point was that they were in Customer Service, not at a register.  In the States, where I'm from and live, most CS desks work by having a line, one behind the other, and just the counter in front.  You would need to turn left or right to exit, and I could see why someone would need to back up a little.  Why she missed the lady putting her carrier down?  Single file, plus focused on talking to the CS rep at hand.  Putting the baby directly behind the little old lady was rude, and a trip was nigh on unavoidable.

[squeakers]

I think the point was that they were in Customer Service, not at a register.  In the States, where I'm from and live, most CS desks work by having a line, one behind the other, and just the counter in front.  You would need to turn left or right to exit, and I could see why someone would need to back up a little.  Why she missed the lady putting her carrier down?  Single file, plus focused on talking to the CS rep at hand.  Putting the baby directly behind the little old lady was rude, and a trip was nigh on unavoidable.

Ooops, you are right.  I just conflated "in line" and "counter" with a check-out counter.

Still seems odd the EL did not notice the mom putting _something_ down behind her (whether a baby or a heavy bag of dog food etc.)  But like I said.. I don't like people "right" behind me so would be looking to see what was going on. I also try to give the person in front of me some privacy so am not right on their heels.  I like that personal space bubble very much!

The mom was rude and why she wanted the baby on the floor instead of set over the seat/in the cart we will never know. *SMH* at someone who could have seriously hurt another person by being careless.

[Hillia]

The thread has disintegrated into a profane screamfest about how much baby carriers weigh (it started when someone said, this is why I wear a baby sling, and someone else responded 'CRUD MONKEYS! I BROKE MY BACK WHEN I WAS 17 WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU!!!!!' and descended from there).

This is why I love eHell :-)

Anyway, yes, from what I understand it was a counter situation, not a regular register, so one would expect to take a step backwards before turning to step away.

[Piratelvr1121]

My kids have a way of standing right behind me without warning me, so if I back up I bump right into them so I can't fault the OL at all.

[Kaora]

I think the point was that they were in Customer Service, not at a register.  In the States, where I'm from and live, most CS desks work by having a line, one behind the other, and just the counter in front.  You would need to turn left or right to exit, and I could see why someone would need to back up a little.  Why she missed the lady putting her carrier down?  Single file, plus focused on talking to the CS rep at hand.  Putting the baby directly behind the little old lady was rude, and a trip was nigh on unavoidable.

Ooops, you are right.  I just conflated "in line" and "counter" with a check-out counter.

Still seems odd the EL did not notice the mom putting _something_ down behind her (whether a baby or a heavy bag of dog food etc.)  But like I said.. I don't like people "right" behind me so would be looking to see what was going on. I also try to give the person in front of me some privacy so am not right on their heels.  I like that personal space bubble very much!

The mom was rude and why she wanted the baby on the floor instead of set over the seat/in the cart we will never know. *SMH* at someone who could have seriously hurt another person by being careless.

Heh.  I space out easily, so I can see just backing up and thinking about other things, not really paying attention behind me, especially after talking with people.  I don't claim I'm not at fault, but I certainly think other people should think of how accidents can be avoided with some simple actions... like not sticking the kid behind an older lady.  That one's the mom's fault, I concur.

I read on another, art based forum I go to that Certain Program isn't real art.  The forum was based on this program, and its mostly for hobbyists, or those doing bookcovers.  You usually can download figures, clothes, poses, etc. from places that offer it on the web, like a 3D, virtual paper doll, and people may make their own, too.  The poster asked because all her friends, photographers or graphics artists of other sorts, were convinced that Program wasn't really art the person created, because you use stock models for it, even though you could spend years, as I know, working on a project to get lighting and everything to fit just right.  But yet it isn't art YOU own or created, because you're using stock pieces.

Also hear a similar argument for using provided loops and samples, prerecorded pieces, in music.

ETA: better SS story added.

[Ereine]

I don't really get how it's being a Special Snowflake to thimk that something isn't art. It may be rude or hurtful (and pretty unnecessary) to tell your friend that her work isn't art but it doesn't seem that SS to me. How are they implying that the rules don't apply to them because they're so special?

(I also don't really get what effort has to do with art. Solving a million piece jigsaw puzzle isn't art even though it creates an image and takes a lot of time and you can even frame it in the end)