6.25.2007

Bitch...Unleashed (part II)

So, having enjoyed 1408 and feeling in the mood for some shopping we proceed out into the sunny glow of capitalism that is a Saturday at an outdoor mall. We head to Anthropologie because they have the best lotions and perfumes. (Please see post where I confess to being obsessed with all things lotion and skin related....) I got these wonderful little perfume solids from crazy libellule and the poppies .

Content with my purchases I leave the store to find Stehpanie standing outside waiting for me and I notice a small child sitting on the sidewalk in front of Buckle. No parent in sight. Stephanie mentions that she's been watching this child for five minutes and has yet to see a parent. I start looking around and I notice a blond woman inside the store. I ask the child if that is her mommy. The child replies that yes, it is indeed her mother. At this point I can feel my dander rising. I go and stand next to the child and look at the woman. She eventually makes eye contact with me, looks at the child and then......she goes back to shopping! I'm dumbfounded. I continue to stand there thinking that perhaps this bleach bottle blond just hasn't processed the information yet. She looks at me again. Again we make eye contact. Again she looks at her child. And AGAIN she goes back to shopping. This time she actually walks all the way to the back of the store and into the dressing rooms to look at herself in the mirror. At this point I get pissed.

I turn to Stephanie and I say, "Watch this child please," and I step into the store. The over tanned, underfed wonder mom sees me coming and she stops. We lock eyes. I say, "Excuse me, is that your child on the sidewalk outside?" She pulls a face and says, "That's none of your business." I cock my head to the side and say, "Yes, actually it is. Do you have any idea how easy it would be for someone to just walk off with her?"

Now she's pissed off. She slaps her well manicured hands onto her boney ass hips and snaps, "It's none of your fucking business and besides, my daughter is watching her." I smile evenly and reply, "Would this be the same daughter that is standing next to you inside the store watching you try on clothes?" There is a sharp intake of breath and said teenage daughter says, "Chill out would you?" This does not help calm me down. We have attracted the attention of everyone in the store and several people on the sidewalk. She looks angry and embarrassed. I say, "You need to watch your child or you're going to end up being one of those families on the evening news crying for your child back. If you won't go get her off that sidewalk, I'll go find a police officer and you can explain it to him." Her stunning reply? "Why don't you find something better to do with your time, like eat a cheeseburger?" This is obviously a comment aimed at my weight, because apparently she believes everyone in the world is as shallow as she is. I smile and say, "Why don't you try watching your children instead of getting a tan?" and walked off to find a police officer.

I located a mall security officer and had him get me a Salt Lake City police officer. I made a report and he returned to the store. I would have loved to have been there when he showed up.

Later that day I had a thought, "One of these days I'm going to get punched." I'd do it again though.

11 comments:

Brillig said...

Wow!!! Shocking. I keep seeing things like this around here--just a few miles south of where you are. Isn't that weird? I'm glad that you saw it through and got the cop. You probably will get punched, because no one wants to hear these things, but they need to. Well done.

CharmingDriver said...

I don't disagree, at all, with the crux of your concern being the safety of the child. But to describe her as ''under-fed'' and ''over-tan'' with ''bony ass hips''(and beside the point as it relates to the child) is no less shallow than her cheeseburger jab.

Serena Woodward said...

Charming:

You're right of course. The terms are derogartory in the utmost and catty to boot. She was however, over tanned, under-fed and bony-assed. On the other hand, while I may be overweight (which I am, by about sixty pounds as a result of a recent pregnancy) her jab was meant to injure me. My less than friendly adjectives are just me being a bitch. I promise, if you had seen her, the same adjectives would have popped into your mind, although perhaps in a little less catty tone of voice.

I appreciate you not being afraid to call me to the mat for it though. I have a close friend who does the same thing...it's one of the reasons she's a close friend. Please feel free to do so again....at any time.

Ian said...

Good for you, and I hope she at least got a stern lecture from a mall security wanna-be cop.

Ian

SUEB0B said...

Why do dumbasses always attack the people who are trying to help them? I had a woman whose off-leash dog rush my on-leash dog yell at ME for having my dog in the park when I told her I didn't want to have any dog fights because my dog can be aggressive. My dog was under control!@! Same kind of thing as you. I wish that I would have had the presence of mind to call the animal control.

Whiskeymarie said...

I'm too busy building my shrine to comment...
Would you like to be standing majestically or seated, thoughtfully?

Oh, and, how long does it take paper mache' to dry?

p.s. I bet she'll never do this again- though she'll probably bitch about the incident to whoever will listen for the next year or two.

Suzanne said...

I love you. You are really my hero.

jessabean said...

Um...wow? I usually think most people are being harsh when they question another person's parenting skills, but this? This is completely justified. What a bitch! (Her, not you...well, you too, but in a different way, haha!)

Serena Woodward said...

Whiskeymarie: Seated will be fine

Suebob: It really is amazing how stupid some people can be, isn't it? I think a lot of times it comes out of embarassment. They yell to deflect the attention away from themselves...oh wait...*laughs*

Paula said...

Good for you trying to help a child. More people need to speak up when bad stuff is happening, that's for sure.

BTW, I'm posting only at CC&S now, so pls. change your link when you get a chance. Thx and hope to see you there.

Gunfighter said...

Huzzah!

Huzzah!

Huzzah!