The Scene:
A large throng of people is exiting the Assembly Hall having just witnessed a disappointing performance by the Illini. It is cold and a few snowflakes flutter down through the sky covering the ground and cars with a light dusting like powdered sugar on French toast. There is various and intermittent conversation amongst the crowd as they walk towards the parking area. TS and N are amongst the throng trying, like everyone else, to make their way to their car before hypothermia sets in (okay, yes, that’s probably an exaggeration but dog gone it, it was cold that night, and windy, so it felt like hypothermia might set in). Although TS is not trying to eavesdrop various snippets of conversation close by reach her. She pays little attention, but does hear and register a bit here and there.
The Dialogue:
Random Man (Man): Do you want to go get something to eat?
Young Woman (presumably his daughter, around college age) (Woman): Sure, that’d be great.
Man: Let’s head over to Urbana. It’ll probably be less crowded there.
Woman: Okay
Man: Is there an Arby’s up there along Springfield?
Silence for a couple of seconds
TS: No, but there’s one on Cunningham.
Man: (sounding irritated) I wasn’t talking to you.
TS: (cheerfully) I know, but you asked, and I knew the answer and just thought I’d help out.
TS makes eye contact with Man and sees that he is not looking kindly at her. Man and Woman disappear into the crowd with TS seeing no more of them.
The Questions:
Was I out of line to provide him an answer? Should I have kept my mouth shut?
My feeling was that we were all (you know, literally 100s of people walking the same general direction) traveling pretty much in a pack, their conversation was hardly confidential, and I was just trying to be helpful. Apparently, I didn’t come across that way to him somehow.
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7 comments:
I, too, have been known to insert my unsolicited opinion into various streams-of-commentary...
Don't let the turkeys get ya down!
[good word verification: flogicoo!]
Heh, my first thought was "he was a prick", so Jeni Angel and I are on the same line here...
I've done that before myself, and offered advice, said a nice hello, etc, and get either stoney silence or a nasty look. Some people just don't know how to be nice anymore...
...and some people don't know how to recognise that other people are just being nice.
Pah, he's not worth the worry.
What Freebird said. . .
I'll put my name on the "He was an ass" side of the ledger, also.
Yeah, ass. I'd have done the same thing you did, in an effort to be helpful--I HAVE done it, countless times. It's not like they were cuddled up in a table for 2 somewhere, and you intercepted. If he doesn't want the world to know he's lost, maybe he should lower his voice.
And take his daughter somewhere nicer than Arby's. :-)
I agree with all of the above comments, esp. the one about taking her to somewhere better than Arby's!
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