dmp

indeed...This board is a bit emoticonically-challenged. :p

devoid

Better yet, hit the panic button, grab a bat or a mag light, and start charging at her. Then when you get there with bat or mag light raised up, pause a moment. Look around puzzled...all the while the alarm still going. Then, pause on the grocery bag on the trunk and be like, "did you put this here?" Shut off the alarm, and then go on..."Look lady, I'm a paid body guard for this gentlemen's car. You're lucky I didn't beat the $h1t out of you. I'm sorry, but now I need to take your insurance information for any scratches you may have left on the vehicle for having placed your groceries on the trunk!" Get the insurance info, than go get your car rebuffed, and charge it to her! (Odds are she won't want to have to deal with insurance!) That ought to be a nice political way of dealing with it! How's that? :D

Personally...I still like pissing on the door handle! :p

truemagellen

Ok suga

VRRocket

I think you should have said "here let me help you", taken her phone from her, ask the caller to please hold on, put the bag in the back of her SUV, and throw the phone on top of the grocery store.
I don't know that manners have deteriorated so much as the infatuation with being on the phone all the time. People will do stupid things just to stay connected - talking at the movies? Talking on the treadmill at the gym? Call me a recluse (although I do have a phone) but I just don't want to be that accessible all the time. If you're an ape and have a prehensile foot that allows you to hold two bags, hold a phone, and hop on one foot to your car, then you're entitled. Just my $.02.

Rhawb

I have a cell phone and I HATE it. I don't know why people are so incredibly obsessed with being on these things the during every waking moment of their life. If I don't think a call is necessary, I ignore it. I never have the ringer on and if the thing starts vibrating, I usually silence it immediately - even if I plan on answering it. When I actually DO answer the damn thing, I speak quietly (so as not to bother other people) and get off as fast as possible. I really don't understand those people that loudly yap their life away regardless of where they are.

VRRocket

Not disagreeing - there are a number of ways to handle the situation as we've all read. There's YOUR way, and the more FUN way that also happens to be much more effective for idiots like this than simply standing idly by (much less helping them!). I like most of the methods I've read, but not the chivalrous turn the other cheek mentality. :D

VRRocket

Assuming it was a plastic bag, I'm envisioning attempting for the first time the Olympic hammer toss of groceries on top of the store (along with the cell phone shot put). Imagine standing in the middle of the lane, twirling until you achieve maximum centrifugal force, and launching her cat food and Spaghetti-O's onto the top of a building - I'd gladly compound and wax the scratches on my hood to see the look on hers (or bystanders) faces if I pulled that off successfully.

LIVEVIL

I probably would have done the same thing if not worse. But I'm not a nice person.

RX8-CARL

Pass the axe.

Soundwave3k

Why not, I'll throw in my 2 cents as well.

First off it probably wouldn't happen to me because I always tend to park far away and in some kind of a corner spot at any store. If it did happen I would have hit the panic button, ran up to the car, grabbed the bag (if she didn't already do so) and put it in her car. What I would say while doing this would probably be something along the lines of "What the Hell are you doing?! Would you please refrain from dumping your stuff on my car while you're talking on the damn phone! People's cars are NOT a shelf for your convenience!"

Not necessarily using those exact words but I think you see where I'm coming from - although I've been told that I can have a very frightening look on my face when I'm mad and that combined with the tone I would use would definitely cause her to be far more taken aback than if I threw her groceries to the floor. And while I would be tempted to do that, I would also be worried that she could intentionally damage my car the next time she saw it anywhere.

So basically I think a dimplomatic response would not only get the point across better, but also help protect your car in the long run. People get their cars keyed all the time, and I bet it's often not just random vandalism.

beachdog

Wow, 111 posts. Just shows how passionate we are about our cars.

I have to agree that I would have enjoyed, possibly even applauded what started this thread.

However, I have to cast my vote on the side of civility.

It would have been effective to pick up the bags and stand patiently while she yakked and fished for the keys. When she looked up she would have been startled to see someone standing there with her stuff. While holding her bags you have the position of power and take the opportunity to politely explain how upset you were that she chose your car for her convenience. If she acknowledges in a respectful mannner, help her put the bags in the car. If she takes anb attitude, calmly put the bags on the ground and stare her down saying nothing.

markd

Man, this is a really fast thread--3 pages in a day! Nice

Galley, I personally don't think you overreacted. Hell, if it were me, I would charge her with 'trespass to chattels,' and, if your jurisdiction considers your car an extension of your body, then also with simple battery.

I should never have gone to law school...

Leadfoot27

This is why my car never sees a supermarket parking lot.

BANNOR

I can tell you after raising two kids that this person was in another world and was not thinking in the least about what she might be doing to your car when she placed her groceries on it. This is why you need to park well away from anyone else when you look for a parking space. I can become kind of obsessed about this at times but to date I have yet to get a scratch or door ding. Purchased in 04/04

khoney

Actually, I don't smoke - added for effect... I figured that's what they'd do in the movies :D

kuleto

i have a question, if the woman on the phone was hot as hell, would your reaction have been different? :p

markd

Yes--I'd be more infuriated because then I'd have the impression that she thinks she can get away with whatever she wants. And then I'd call the police and charge her with trespass and, if possible, battery (see five posts up :p).

Lakeray

I asked my wife one time the best way to get back at a women. You know, instead of giving her the finger or yelling at them. Her responce was not what I expected at all. She said "Blow them a kiss". She said that would not only stun them but make them feel foolish and infuriate them at the same time. I've done it a several times and the reactions have been more than I could of expected. I also don't have to worry about any sexual harassment because then should would have to explain what she did to get that reaction from me. So far the only time a lady complained the cop laughed his head off and told her that she was the one in trouble not me. I also liked the idea of hitting the panic button. Especially if that was one ugly lady..




Ray

markd

You don't have any professional or fiduciary relationship with the lady, so I don't know how that would be sexual harassment anyway. Not that blowing a kiss is sexually harassing...

I still say put the b*tch in the slammer.

Blackout13

I would've probably just pushed the bag off the car... of course, it's hard to say what I'd do - depends on the mood. I've been in situations where I've tried to grab cell phone outta someone's hand to throw across the parking lot.

TODreamer

maaaaan, you're a Sexual Harrassment case waiting to happen.





Sorry MarkD...... it dont quite work like that. You can most certainly get in trouble for sexual harrassment by doing that regardless of your relation to the "victim"...why? because this whole sexual harassment thing is blown waaaaay out of proportion these days.

You can get introuble for it for sure, but probably wont get convicted... theres a clear difference between the two yet both can screw up your life pretty good

jaedcem

I think that's the point. If you can anger her enough to even consider going through the trouble of reporting harassment, then you have accomplished what the other 100+ posts haven't been able to do - make your point. Sounds like an excellent idea to keep in mind.

Also, this thread has made me think about what I would do in a similar situation. I will always be prepared to hit the panic button from now on, just in case.

Blackout13

You may want to review the legal definition of sexual harassment - "Employment discrimination consisting of unwelcome verbal or physical conduct directed at an employee because of his or her sex; also The tort of engaging in such discrimination."

But that's neither here nor there - blowing a kiss in such a situtation wouldn't constitute sexual harassment. However, it *will* make the redneck in the pickup truck next to you blow a fuse when you don't let him cut you off.

Blackout13

Sorry... didn't mean to be politically incorrect. I meant to say "Appalachian-American".

Labop

Definition depends on where you're quoting from. In the military we say that it is "any unwelcome or unwanted sexual advances". It is not limited to work place situations or sexual favors/discriminaiton.