Why do random strangers tell me heavily opinionated stories
Example 1: At the haircut place, this lady (probably in her 40s or 50s) kept talking about how "we conservatives" gotta do this and that and the "others" don't get it and they're idiots and such. And I didn't even say I was conservative or anything, I just said "mhm" to most things. And she also told me about how she and this guy she met smoked pot and were dating and something.
1. What if I wasn't conservative?
2. What if, as a customer, I didn't come back because of what she said? Could easily happen.
3. Why did tell me gross things about her dating when she's like 50?
Example 2: Other girl at same haircut place asked me where I went to high school, I said my high school, she said the people there are mostly assholes and think they're smarter than they are. And there is this school where trouble causers get sent in my district, and she was saying how most of those students are from my high school. Yeah it was pretty annoying and I wanted to defend my school but she was probably from that trouble causer school so she most likely was kinda dumb.
1. Again, with the customer thing.
2. She pretty much said I was an asshole who isn't as smart as I think I am.
3. Why would I ever come back to that hair cutting place at this point.
Example 3: Was turning in rented books at my uni bookstore yesterday. Lady at the counter saw my "I [heart] CONSENT" pin on my backpack ( http://i.imgur.com/BVUhIle.jpg ). I just think it's funny. But then she said "You know, your pin there is pretty ironic," and at this point I already knew it wasn't gonna be irony, probably more like vaguely coincidental...but I said, "how so?" And she told me a story of how she was talking to "some guy" and the guy said he used to use some kind of drug to get girls to sleep with him and they would "always put out". And she was basically just saying how it was messed up, but I was thinking, well yeah that's completely messed up, but anyone would agree that's messed up, so I am gonna get rid of this damn pin if people are gonna tell me weird stories like that. Like, what was her point? That she met some random guy who was messed up? Who cares? I can't do anything about that guy, and he said he doesn't do it anymore. I was already aware that guys like him existed, which is partially why I have the pin!
Does this happen to any of you? I imagine it had happened quite a bit when I worked the register at a grocery store. Not sure what people are thinking, but we DO judge customers, we just rarely make it obvious.
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An old lady gave me a tiny Bible while I was manning the register.
I don't know where I left it, but it's in the store.
@luckysausage yeah, when I worked at the grocery store I would never talk about anything personal or opinionated unless they asked lol.
You probably look like someone that they can talk to with ease. Those ladies might also be bored from cutting hair all day (I would). But if I were to tell stories to my customers, they definitely wouldn't be insulting lol.
@greatbolshy I'm sorry that I think it's funny? Idk what you want me to say?
"Lady at the counter saw my "I [heart] CONSENT" pin on my backpack ( i.imgur.com/BVUhIle.jpg ). I just think it's funny." stop lying. ur tryna be some white knight to get girls to fall in love with u
1. Example 1 is normal to me, but I'm from rural PA and a lot of the older people here are just frustrated that everything has changed so much since they were younger, so they're just looking to vent it out. A lot of times when I talk to them they're nostalgic for the days of the local industries like the Pennsylvania Railroad and Bethlehem Steel, and are frustrated and feel that they worked hard their entire lives only to see a lot of their effort go down the drain. The downtowns of former steel towns like Reading and Lebanon used to have a lot of nice theaters and department stores up until about the middle to late 20th century, but for one reason or another have taken turns for the worst, lost their nice department stores and theaters, and are now hellholes infested with drugs, gangs, and violence. There's always been a very local feel to this area and it was always common for people to have stayed at their job and loyal to their company for over 30 years. Often times the feeling you get as you get older (and something I've noticed with myself more and more over time) is that the younger generation is lazy, whiny, spoiled, rude, self-entitled, has a poor work ethic, and expects everything in life to be handed to them on a silver plate. I don't think it matters at all to them if you agree with them or not, and I think if anything they're just trying to teach a lesson or two. If a younger person were to disagree and all of that, it only reinforces this view to them. Even if they're using political words to describe it, it's not really something that can be defined by simple words or ideologies. As you get older and have lived through a lot of changes in your life, it's easier to understand where they're coming from.
2. Example 2 for me is that I went what's known as the "farmer school" or the "hick school" so I must be dumb, etc. Every school has a different kind of stigma associated with it, but in the end it's just a bunch of logical fallacies with no real substance.
Example 3 I can't relate to since I don't use pins, bumper stickers, labels, phrases, or whatever. I just don't care about those things, and I don't really feel the need to express myself that way.
Because they're bored.
You didn't help, now they'll think you're boring.