I did something pretty rude today. What would you have done?

Today as I was sitting in a pretty packed coffee shop, a man asked me if he could sit at my table. I was working, the place was packed, so I said, "Sure man, I'm just working so don't mind me at all." I continued to work for some time, and the man played on his phone.

Then he said, "Hey, what kind of music are you into?" I said, "A bit of everything." I was on a deadline and didn't have a lot of time to chat. He then asked if I would listen to his earbuds and give an opinion on his friends band. Putting a strangers earbuds in my ears is not my idea of fun, so I said, "No thanks, I'm sure they're great. I'm just putting the finishing touches on something then you can have this table."

Then he asked, "Wait, who do you think is better? Sonic Youth or The Velvet Underground?" I don't know, honestly, and I said so. He then began listing off attributes of both and it almost seemed as if he was trying to rile me up, with statements like, "if you think blank band is better because of blank, you're way off."

I told him again I had no idea either way, I just needed to finish my project.

He just wouldn't stop rambling, so I packed my laptop, got up and walked away. As I was walking away he said, "Okay, b*%^h."

So, obviously he thought I was rude as could be; but honestly, what would you have done. I was away from home, in the city to do some research, then was using the shops Internet to get a piece of writing done and sent. (And drink delicious coffee for an hour.) I understand it's a coffee shop, but a lot of people use it as a workspace. I also made it pretty clear I didn't have much interest or knowledge in the subject.

Sigh.

a reply to: Atsbhct

I would've told him to stfu, nobody gaf about those bands outside of a small niche, stop being a hipster douche and to get off my jock, but I'm a guy and he probably wouldn't have felt he could have done that form the start.

In all honesty he probably was hoping to hit on you, didnt work w his cheese-ball tactics, and he got a lil butt hurt. No loss on your end, there be countless emotionally unstable people out there aside from this guy.

I wouldn't have left. I'd have made him leave the table I was already at. Then again, I am a large and angry man.

a reply to: Lysergic

I wish I could have made a pose like your avatar as I was walking away.

I think you handled it pretty damn good to be honest. Especially if you just continued on your way after that last statement. It's a public place like you said so he has that right and I think you gave him enough subtle hints that you were not interested in his topic of conversation. So what if he got butt hurt, he was probably trying to do it on purpose who knows. You did the right thing.

Flip the table, kick out his chair and scream obscenities at him until he leaves. If he's wearing a loose enough shirt, pull it over his head, and then punch him in the face a few times for good measure.

You have been invited to leave, Hockey-style!!

a reply to: Atsbhct

"So, obviously he thought I was rude as could be; but honestly, what would you have done."

You could have been much more rude, you were quite patient. I probably would have done the same thing as you, but maybe sooner..

I would have pretty much did the same thing, but when he brought out the word bitch I would have told him to get a life instead of butting into others.

I feel like he had a friend waiting in the wings and they said, "I bet I can get that woman to give up her table by annoying the absolute s%#^ out of her." ..Then he probably won five bucks.

Flip the table, kick out his chair and scream obscenities at him until he leaves. If he's wearing a loose enough shirt, pull it over his head, and then punch him in the face a few times for good measure. You have been invited to l

Well damn, I've failed as a Canadian.

I would have made something up about having someplace to be coupled with your deadline so you have some more cover to just walk off. But I still would have walked off. You need to work and get it done, that's what you need to do.

a reply to: Atsbhct

I think the hockey fight rules are one way we can buck those polite stereotypes aboot us... or aboat us. I haven't decided which kind of Canadian I am yet.

Naturally, another thing that we hide from others is that while I would suggest doing the hockey fight approach, I'd only ever really think aboot (aboat) it, and in real life would probably simply make up an excuse (I have to go refuel my dog sled!) and buy a coffee for the guy to apologize for somehow interfering in his inability to take a hint.

a reply to: Atsbhct

10 years ago I would have humoured him and not got my own stuff done.

5 years ago I would have made an excuse about having to be somewhere.

Today I would have told him to go away because I was busy and if he did not take the massive hint I would tell him to go away because he was interfering in my personal space and then growl at him.

It is one of the benefits of getting older and having a big beard in my opinion.

You did everything correctly. Some people don't understand social cues what so ever, which is astonishing since we're a social species.

We had a house showing recently, it had a 1 hour window, the guy and his realtor showed up in the first 10 min of the showing and then spent 20 min looking at the house, then stepped outside and the guy was talking to his realtor casually, having a smoke.

No big deal, except you could see it was just the guy talking and only the guy, then 10 minutes passes and he's still talking, then 20 minutes passess, still talking. 40 minutes later the guy is still talking, and after every sentence you can see the realtor trying to get away from it.

He turns around and walks to his car and just when the realtor thinks it's over the guy tries to keep talking to him.

The sentence ends again so the realtor actually gets into his car, and the guy turns and walks to his car and then turns around AGAIN and still tries to talk to his realtor.

By now the realtor is sitting in his car, and the guy is on the sidewalk 20 feet away still carrying on the conversation. the sentence ends and the realtor races off as fast as he can.

Some people are ridiculous, and I would have acted the same way as you. Although once you yelled at me afterwards I would have gone back to him and told him he's an idiot for not realizing I don't give a damn what he's saying and to stop harassing people when they clearly don't want to talk with you.

a reply to: Atsbhct

Sounds like you had an encounter with one of the beings commonly known as a Super Douche, and handled it admirably. You did no wrong, in my opinion.

The other option (besides being REALLY rude) is to calmly explain exactly the situation and what you're thinking of it, but realistically, that would make you appear rude and jerky. The only way to come off in a positive light in this guy's eyes would have been if you played along exactly as he was hoping you would. You shouldn't even feel bad about it.

I want a bonus star if I guess correctly here: Was he wearing a winter hat, just on the very back/top of his head, seemingly not falling off only because it was bobby-pinned on?

I would have pretended to be on the phone to someone saying stuff like "yeah, the doctor said it was contagious" whilst coughing uncontrollably.. Then turn to him and say "sorry, what were you saying"

You were in a public coffee shop, not your workplace. If you cannot handle social interactions you should stay at home and keep your pretentiousness to yourself.

originally posted by: nonspecific
a reply to: Atsbhct

10 years ago I would have humoured him and not got my own stuff done.

5 years ago I would have made an excuse about having to be somewhere.

Today I would have told him to go away because I was busy and if he did not take the massive hint I would tell him to go away because he was interfering in my personal space and then growl at him.

It is one of the benefits of getting older and having a big beard in my opinion.

You've aged into those ideal years, like a fine Cabernet...but be careful, a few years too long and it turns to vinegar!

5 more years and you'll be watching Murder, She Wrote re-runs

10 more years and you're waving a cane screaming "Get off my lawn!"

a reply to: Prezbo369

Yeah... because he broke no social boundaries on his own.

LOL get real.

Well, The Velvet Underground and Sonic Youth are certainly two the greatest bands of all time. To say which is 'better', may be subjective at best: it would be like choosing between Mick Jagger and Robert Plant. Who can say, truly.
But what I think the OP must take into consideration here, is that without The Velvet Underground, Sonic Youth would not even exist. VU originated the grungy guitar sound that drives Sonic Youth,ten years prior. Thurston Moore's lyrics follow similar themes to Lou Reed's poetry. Surely SY would cite VU as one of their greatest influences.
Yet, what would modern punk rock have been without Sonic Youth? Their thick and arty groove innovated the grunge sound which became hallmark of the early nineties. And SY was much more prolific, releasing like 15 records, to the short-liived VU's four or five.
So, after all, which is better is a stupid and subjective question. I would have punched this idiot in the teeth.