My husband said he was so shocked he didn’t say a word, just took another cart to dry for his own use.
In today's column, a reader asks Miss Manners what her husband should have said to a rude supermarket shopper.
My husband dried his cart, but before he had a chance to wheel it inside, a woman entered the area, snatched the cart away from him, and said a breezy “Thanks” while taking it inside to do her own shopping. By the way, I think Husband is great to do the shopping. And if that lady had the manners to ask first, I am certain he would have just given her the dried-off cart.No, don’t you dare call her Karen. If we are to consider manners, consider how rude it is to use a respectable name, which graces many innocent people, as an insult.There is a glaring gender problem here: While deference to a lady in such a situation is not required, it is often presumed.
In situations where it is not easy to discern which form may be appropriate , I find myself simply saying, “Yes” or “Thank you.” This doesn’t feel polite, but I don’t want to address someone in an unwelcome way.Didn’t there used to be an expression, “Sir or Madam, as the case may be”? How about reviving it, or coming up with something similar?
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