Not complete silence, but still good.

[tallone]

So I'm walking to my local burger joint for lunch today, and a delivery truck pulls up at a building ahead of me. I'm only about ten, maybe fifteen metres away so I can see and hear what happens as I walk by (whistling a happy tune!).

The delivery man has just wheeled his hand trolley down the ramp with a pile of boxes on board. A Businessman walks past, sharp in his neat blue suit but turns around and barks at him. This is the charming conversation, in your snidest I-look-down-on-you voice.
BM:"Where is the St John building?"
DM: *silence, walks past*
BM: "Hey! Which way to the St John building?" (exasperated, cannot believe you didn't answer me, tick tock my precious time!)
DM: *still walking away*
BM: *jogs after, then stands in front of delivery man* HEY! I asked you a question. No need to be so rude."
DM: "Oh, sorry, where you talking to me? *big smile* Excuse me, how are you? Where can I find the St John Building please?"
BM: *deep and anguished sigh* Excuse me, how are you? Wher-"
DM: "I'm fine thanks. How are you?"
BM: "Fine, where is the St John building?"


At this point I'd walked past, but ducked behind a convenient pillar to watch.

DM: *silence*
BM: "Please."
DM: Oh the St John building? This is it mate. *points at huge "St John's Building" sign right above him*
Me: *guffaws*
BM: *icily* Thank you.

[Shiraz_Much?]

 
*giggle*

[Wittyone]

This tactic works well with preschoolers too, of course they aren't yet old enough to know better.

[Auntie Mame]

Oh that just made my day!

[Shortcake]

I don't have to use that technique with my son any more, and he is only 13! It is a shame more people don't realize you can get more help and coopreration from others by being pleasent and using manners.

[Amava]

Wow. I can't imagine addressing a stranger with a question without starting with "Excuse me, Sir (or Madam, or Miss), could you please tell me... ?"

[HeebyJeebyLeebee]

I think the delivery man was just as rude as the business man.  The delivery man was extremely PA.  It honks me off to be talked down to like the businessman was doing to the delivery man, but that's a bad excuse to treat a jerk badly in return. 

[Shortcake]

I think the delivery man was just as rude as the business man.  The delivery man was extremely PA.  It honks me off to be talked down to like the businessman was doing to the delivery man, but that's a bad excuse to treat a jerk badly in return. 

You are right. I admit it is hard for me to not giggle at situations like this. I like to see the 'bad guy' get his due, but two wrongs don't make a right. In real life, conversations like in the OP are best kept in our daydreams.

What would be an Ehell approved way for the delivery man to respond to the business man? I like the way the delivery man ignored the business man until the BM stood in front of him. Mabe start with,"Oh, I didn't realize you were talking to me."?

[Waltraud]

So I'm walking to my local burger joint for lunch today, and a delivery truck pulls up at a building ahead of me. I'm only about ten, maybe fifteen metres away so I can see and hear what happens as I walk by (whistling a happy tune!).

The delivery man has just wheeled his hand trolley down the ramp with a pile of boxes on board. A Businessman walks past, sharp in his neat blue suit but turns around and barks at him. This is the charming conversation, in your snidest I-look-down-on-you voice.
BM:"Where is the St John building?"
DM: *silence, walks past*
BM: "Hey! Which way to the St John building?" (exasperated, cannot believe you didn't answer me, tick tock my precious time!)
DM: *still walking away*
BM: *jogs after, then stands in front of delivery man* HEY! I asked you a question. No need to be so rude."
DM: "Oh, sorry, where you talking to me?

Until that part, DM's behavior was perfectly fine, IMO. But afterwards the PA part starts, which makes DM just as rude as BM, albeit more amusing. 

*big smile* Excuse me, how are you? Where can I find the St John Building please?"
BM: *deep and anguished sigh* Excuse me, how are you? Wher-"

Especially the following bit may be formally polite, but in this context it is used in an annoying, patronizing way.  It's not DM's job to educate strangers on manners.

DM: "I'm fine thanks. How are you?"
BM: "Fine, where is the St John building?"


At this point I'd walked past, but ducked behind a convenient pillar to watch.

DM: *silence*
BM: "Please."
DM: Oh the St John building? This is it mate. *points at huge "St John's Building" sign right above him*
Me: *guffaws*
BM: *icily* Thank you.

The last bit proves though that BM knows his manners, he was just not inclined to using them.

All in all, it might have been an amusing encounter but, in my opinion, not a display of good etiquette on either side. YMMV.

Waltraud