Just took my mum out for dinner, on the way I stopped for petrol. I went in to pay, leaving my mum in the passenger seat, and returned to find a woman at the opposite pump filling up and calling 'unbelievable!l' through my closed window at my mum.
At first I assumed she was someone my mum knew, expressing surprise at seeing her there, as everywhere we go my mum runs into someone she knows. But as I got nearer and was approaching my door I could see my mum looked quite flustered, and the woman was carrying on shouting 'unbelievable' but adding things like 'effing unreal'... I sort of frowned as I opened my door, my mum is calling 'I didn't realise, there is no need to shout, I have switched it off now,' and the woman continuing to shout back, 'petrol everywhere, you're on your effing phone, effing unreal,' and so on.
I said to the woman, as I got in, 'There is no need for that, you have made yourself clear,' but she carried on. My mum looked really upset, so I opened my door again and told the woman there is a nicer way of expressing things rather than swearing. She ignored me and carried on ranting, going on about my mum to the passenger in her car so I just shut the door again and decided to leave it.
I drove away and my mum was pretty shaky, telling me what had gone on. Turns out she had been checking her phone, seen her mum had called and immediately called back, as my granny is so poorly she immediately assumed it was an emergency. Then the woman across the pump had seen her and starting waving and bawling at her, so mum had realised she shouldn't use her phone and hung up on my grandma right away. But the woman had carried on and on and on for all the time I had been paying.
It was silly of my mum to break a rule/law but I understand totally why she did it. I would have done the same probably in her position, you see a missed call and in that situation panic. At the same time I can understand why the woman might have been concerned about people on their phone at a petrol station, but there is no need to rant and rave, especially as my mum turned it off immediately and shouted sorry.
I really wish I had said more to the woman, but my concern was getting my mum out of the situation. She gets very panic attacky in a confrontation, plus was also in limbo not knowing what was up with my gran. I am sure the woman thought she was doing the right thing, being a good citizen and all, but it had an awful effect on my poor mum.
I probably would have tutted at seeing someone on their phone in a garage, but would never start screaming and swearing at someone in a public place. Anyone else a militant rule enforcer like Crazy Garage Lady, or a frowny tutter like me?
