Maybe This Should Be A Repeating Feature

Tell me if I need to go to anger management classes or not:

Yesterday, on the way out to the lake, Cody and I stopped at Lowe's (because that is where we prefer to spend EVERY CENT we earn) to buy a couple of sawhorses for his dad.  It's Father's Day, after all!  Well, next week it is, anyway.  And we were celebrating it last night.  So, sawhorses.  We knew right where they were, and that is ALL we were going in to get.  Because of the convenience of the trip (Lowe's is on the way to the lakehouse) and the duration of the trip (nearly guaranteed not to take longer than 5-7 minutes) we brought our dog along.  She, much like her fellow canines, loves the lake.  And I like to take her everywhere I think she might like.  Also, I've been informed, I've turned into one of those people.  The Dog People.  To that I say, whatever, dude.  Your dog is obviously not as perfect as mine.

Anyway!  We left Lydah in the car.  We put down all the windows a nice amount, opened the sunroof up, and left her sitting in the seat with a chew toy for the entire 5-7 minute journey inside Lowe's to get the sawhorses.  The purchase actually ended up taking more like 3 minutes, and when we got back to the car, there was an annoyed woman standing right next to it. 

"Is this your car?"

"Yes," (as we are putting sawhorses into the trunk, I certainly HOPE it's ours)

"Well, why don't YOU try sitting in this car with the air conditioner off and see how YOU like it."

"Umm.  Errr....what?"

"Yes, why don't you put yourself in the place of this poor and defenseless dog, and try sitting in this heat in a car while other people run their errands."

"Ma'am, we were inside for less than 5 minutes.  Our dog is fine."

"Well, you try sitting here for 5 minutes and see if you're fine!"

"Uh, ok.  I'd be more than happy to.  You sit there in your car, and I'll sit in mine, for the next 5 minutes.  We'll see how we feel.  I'll write up a report for you!  THE DOG IS FINE."

All the while, the lady is getting into her car, avoiding eye-contact, basically doing that thing where she wants to judge and gripe but not actually have a CONVERSATION, because hey!  Then she might actually gain some knowledge about the situation instead of knowing nothing and assuming the worst.

She left just as Cody and I were getting riled up to the point of no return.

Of course we talked about it and her for the next 20 minutes or so.  But instead of getting more and more jokey and laughing at her ridiculousness, we just kept getting increasingly pissed.  At one point, I think I said that the only appropriate response to someone like that would be to just walk over and slap her.

What?

So, what do you say?  Is it anger management for me?   Or could this, somehow, qualify as a defensible reaction?

Comments

[Nathan]

Anger management. And OCD management. And over-zealous dog-lover management. And Lowe's anonymous support group management.

[lb]

I'm going to have to go with "defensible reaction" and remember this response for the future.

Funny how when you confronted her, about something she was so passionate about, she immediately backed off. I guess her resolve wasn't so sound after all.

[rachel]

I think it was fine. You know your dog was okay! People are zealots.

[Teacher A]

Given that you didn't actually slap her, I think you're fine. Calling her out was totally awesome, though, and a perfect response.

[markira]

You are able to go into Lowe's for less than five minutes? I don't understand how this is possible. mk

[elise]

Thanks everyone, EXCEPT Nathan. I don't thank you.

Also, Markira, you too can have the 5 minute Lowe's trip in your grasp. All you have to do is go there every.single.day for nearly two years. And also make sure when you do go, that you're normally having to find something obscure, like a PVC elbow that is not 3/4" but ALSO not 1/2" and has a female connector on one end but NOT on the other. Because that's always fun to ask the 17-year old bored Lowe's employee.

You'll be in and out in no time! Or, you know. Two years. One of those :)

[Rita]

Slap?? I'd punch her in the face.

[Chaos Control]

This exact thing happened to me once in the Home Depot parking lot!!! I was FUMING ... so if it's anger management you need, then so do I.

[Katy]

Um, can I just tell you how AWESOME it is that you called that woman out on her ridiculous diatribe. I firmly believe people are far too opinionated and liberal in sharing their opinions with those they have some qualm with. Hmph.

[wordgirl]

You opened the sun roof and the windows. You were gone less than ten minutes. This is an animal that usually lives outside anyway. And someone decides to play judge and jury. Your reaction is very natural and not worthy of anger management. I think you might have worked through your anger if she had stuck around to finish the conversation. Obviously, she thought you would be contrite and apologetic (thus validating her need to butt in) and then all would be well. Instead, you showed her how she had overreacted and her plan backfired. By talking about it afterwards, you were simply processing. I'd do the same thing.

Katy, I can't tell if that is a shot at the lady or Elise, or both... hmm

[Chantay]

I would have reacted the exact same way. I'm not violent at all but that situation would have made me see red. Pets are family and she basically called you horrible people and bad parents.

[Erin]

I was in the post office yesterday and this guy threw a fit when I told him sitting on the bench did NOT, in fact, qualify as "the line". I spent the next fifteen minutes doing everything in my power to not leap at him and claw his neck open. So if you go to anger management class? Take me with you.

[elise]

Holy shite, Erin commented on my site. She is only the most hilarious blogger in the history of blogging.

I can now die a happy woman. And by die, I mean more like, a blogging kind of death. I don't actually want to die now.

Just to clarify.

But seriously! Erin! From Out of Character! Awesome!

[EDW]

Well, I would want to slap people if they told me how to parent my 3 yr old, so I think your reaction is perfectly fine!

[Mauigirl52]

Hi, I just discovered your blog and am enjoying it. I know this post is old so you may not read my comment but I thought, what the heck, I'll post it anyway.

Once my husband and I stopped at the Shop-Rite while we had our dog in the car. It was a super-hot day, so I stayed in the car with the dog, with the engine running and the air conditioner on while hubby went into the store. Our dog, as usual, barked desperately as she watched him leave (she had abandonment issues). This attracted the attention of some lady who then went over to my husband and chastised him for leaving the dog in the car with the windows up on a 100 degree day while he shopped. He said "My WIFE is IN THE CAR WITH THE DOG. WITH THE AIR CONDITIONING ON." She went away.

I understand the concern; I always worry when I see a dog in a car. But if the dog is in the car with the windows down, sunroof open, I know the owners care and I don't worry. But some people like to jump to conclusions I guess and feel it's their bounden duty to tell you what a neglectful dog owner you are.