Sephia, this didnt happen in your city. And again, you don't know this woman and didn't experience it. She herself had a cart full of groceries. I do not believe a junkie would be out buying bananas and cabbage instead of their drug of choice. She was also nicely dressed,no doubt in some cruelty free duds, from head to toe. I do not believe, based on MY encounter with her, that this particular fruit fly was either mentally ill OR under the influence of illicit substances. I believe she was rude tacky, holier than thou and misguided, as so many extremists are.

That scene would be hilarious in a television sit-com ... you are a master of the quick come-back! But yikes, I'm sorry you encountered such a pushy unpleasant person in real life. No fun.

Hopefully the young checkout girl got herself educated on what to do if a similar situation occurs. I wonder if there's a code word for "crazy person at checkout three!"

sephia, I too live in Seattle.....or did for many years. I now live outside the city in a more rural area but I am hugely familiar with the homeless situation there as I come into downtown Seattle routinely. Not all homeless are mental cases or druggies and it is unfair to paint them all with same brush. A great many are just down on their luck in one of the most expensive places to live in the US. And there is a huge proportion of disabled veterans among them as well. Many of these homeless are extremely lucid and well spoken individuals but for whatever reason, just can't get it together.

I seriously doubt this is what amylou encountered. Homeless folks, whether drug addicts, mentally imbalanced or as sane as you and I and just down on their luck, are NOT vegans! They don't care a fig about what YOU eat! They are only concerned about what they eat and where exactly they will find their next meal.

I'd also like to comment on that 'Seattle is Dying' documentary. It is an extremely one-sided and inflammatory piece of journalism....if you can even call it that. I can state unequivocally that Seattle is NOT dying!! It is a very prosperous and vibrant city but has a very high cost of living and outrageous housing costs. But because of our location, mild weather and the tolerance and generosity of most of its citizens, it makes for a very desirable place for the homeless to reside. Yes, it is sad and unfortunate but labeling them all as meth heads or mental cases is not doing them any favors either. Try channeling some of that outrage into something positive to help them.

Thanks, Amy, for adding the additional information after the fact. Your additional information would have influenced me to reply differently. Having more information now, my comments would be different.

Lol, gardengal, I don't think I labeled them "all" as meth heads or mental cases. Could you please point out where I wrote that? Amy added additional information after I posted my comments. I wouldn't have even commented had I had her additional information from the start. Her additional information changes my thoughts. I'm also not sure how you know if I'm doing something positive or not. Being presumptuous is not very becoming. But you are correct, not all homeless are "druggies," your term, not mine, or "mental cases," again, your term, not mine. Those are demeaning labels that I don't use.

But yes, watching my property value tank because of the mess across the street does generate outrage. I'm not sure if many people would feel very differently about that.

Wow, Amy! You are the master (or mistress) of restraint. I wouldn’t have engaged at all with the fruit fly. But you handled it so well. It would have scared me to death to have someone accost me in a parking lot like that. I would not have been so nice, I think.

We see many people in the ED for a psych evaluation, after situations like you described. Law enforcement is called because of the disorderly conduct, then they call EMS who transports the person to the hospital. Frequently they have a psychiatric history and are not compliant with prescribed treatment.

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/schizophrenia/index.shtml

@amylou321 You must have a great store of patience to have been able to deal with the fruit fly without getting angry. I'm sorry that you were confronted in that way. I understand that people want to proselytize when they feel strongly about something, but they should stop when you tell them you are not interested in their beliefs.

I'm overwhelmed by the whole encounter. I cannot imagine anyway behaving that way! One thing I do know though is how she is going to die......from a big mouth!!!!!

There was an article I read recently about a vegan (Cilla Carden ) in Australia tried suing her neighbor twice because he barbecues meat and fish , smokes, and his kids make noise in their backyard. Both times the suit was dismissed and had other suits denied. Word of this got out in the community about this nut case and the community is getting together and are setting up barbecues on all the neighbors lawns around her and having a big barbecue. They are expecting thousands of people.

We had a vegan neighbor who lived 4 doors down where we use to live who was also a nut case. Long story short we hung a deer skull over our garage door and that shut her up.

Function, that was in my state's capital an hour away. We're also getting vegans marching around restaurants and supermarkets picketing, and breaking into farms and stealing stock and harassing the farmers and their families.

To: sephia_wa

The link you posted was not useful for me. I was not allowed to view it until I logged in and created an account. To do that required my email address and other information. I was not going to comply to that. This requirement came under the guise of "we need to prove you are who you are". Well maybe, but they may have been collecting personal data that they could use for sale or their own mailing lists. Sorry, that sort of link is not my cup of tea.

I think it is obvious that this woman had some mental health issues. You seem to be a polite person so you conversed with her in the beginning and tried to reason with her. That allowed her to continue on her rant. In the future, ignore, ignore, ignore ( both verbally and physically by turning your body away).

I would not have replied to her first comment or engaged with her at all. Hopefully turning my back on her would have ended her attempts to speak to me. If she persisted with her unpleasant remarks I would have asked the cashier for assistance, perhaps to get management to remove her. I would not have proceeded to my car if she was within my line of sight. She sounds unstable and could have physically attacked, not just verbally.

Crazy that she managed to latch onto you! Seems that in Walmart, she could have found any number of people with shopping carts full of animal foods and from what you've said about yourself in the past, much fatter than you! HA! I'm not sure how I would have handled that situation but you were certainly "quick on your feet" with those return comments! I only think of things to say much later.

WOW! I applaud you on how you managed that one. I shudder to think what would have happened if that had been me. But I do want to say, I live in a very rural little community and the local Walmart isn't far from a lot of wooded acres and there are a lot of homeless living out there. I agree that woman probably wasn't homeless, but I do suspect she was mental. If I'm wrong and this is the route the vegans are taking they are heading for some hard knocks acting like that, especially here in the rural South. Also I can't say I blame the staff for not knowing what to do or stepping in, they aren't paid enough to deal with weirdos.

Snappy comebacks are entertaining but it might trigger a mentally unstable person.

Amylou congrats to keeping your composure.

My older daughter is a vegan. She will not go shopping for animal products for me, but we do go grocery shopping at the same time/store when she is around.

She also does not preach, neither do I.

Interestingly she cooks very yummy meals, that I eat with her.

Moni

I truly do not think this woman was mentally unstable. I think she was just obnoxiously zealous. I did not feel uneasy at all, simply annoyed. And as I said earlier, if she HAD physically touched me at all, she would have not liked the result.

Arkansas girl, I attract this kind of thing. I dont know why. It's my lot in life. As for the fat thing, that's just a low blow that women tend to use against other women when they got nothing else. I recognize that. It doesn't bother me at all. Its not often a direct insult really bothers me. I simply don't care. It's why I didnt mention that some good protein and animal fat might help her look like a woman rather than a hungry 10 year old boy,but I didn't. It would not have been productive.....

Moni, I have had some delicious vegan food. Tastes much better without a lecture for sure.

The woman’s problem is not vegetarianism or veganism. It’s a pushy personality trait. Whether it’s bordering mental illness or not is questionable, I guess.

I live in NYC. I encounter all kinds. This woman really would make the reg flags start flying for me. I don’t care how well dressed she was.

I have no idea how I would have responded. Very quick thinking/remarks on your part amylou. You kept it under control and civil, kudos. I guess it would depend on that moment how I would have reacted. I could see myself ignoring or responding short and sweet or saying lady you better step back. I really would have had a problem with her following me. She wouldn't have liked my response to that.

From the info given I wouldn't have thought wacko or druggie, just offensive big mouth who seems to think they can randomly get in someone's face. It is sadly a sign of the times. I think she is probably going to get herself in trouble or harmed one of these days if she continues to do this.

In case it's been forgotten, no-one would have dreamed that Ted Bundy was a lunatic way back when, either. I'm not saying she is that kind of bonkers but - well you know what I'm getting at.

Well: first of all> it was none of her business what you put in your mouth, nor the mouths of your family.

Second: I would have said, "Oh do you do Keto? I love keto, just wish I could jump back in again!!!" Because your bacon, eggs and sausages are very healthy real foods that your body actually needs! :)

I probably wouldn't have given her my time at all. Just nodded and kept going on my way.

Also:

Yea, it's one thing to make a comment or two to a complete stranger (which in itself would be annoying), but to carry on like she did and then to continue it all the way out to Amy's car is going way too far and would raise red flags for me. But, we each handle these things in our own way and Amy did a great job of keeping it from escalating.

Sometimes ignoring people like that also triggers them. The more one ignores them, the more they ramp up the abuse.

You can't change other people, only how you react to them.

My response was the same as Elmer's--surely the woman had a screw loose. I can't imagine having such a conversation with a stranger and would have been frightened.

I agree, she definitely had a screw loose, maybe even several! HA!

Many here are as firm in their own opinions as the fruit fly was in hers. And our opinions differ. Just an observation, who knows if it is human nature or some Star Trek alternate universe at work.

I don't think this has anything at all to do with people having different opinions. Nada.

To me, what was described is an instance of very inappropriate public behavior. The unprovoked accosting and incessant brow-beating of a stranger. That isn't acceptable behavior.

We all (hopefully) know plenty of people with many opinions who differ from our own. None of those I know ever launch into tirades about those differences and I don't either.

I don't think this has anything at all to do with people having different opinions.

This thread clearly has to do with our differing opinions of why the inappropriate behavior took place. Some think drugs, other mental illness, and other that she simply had an overriding personality. People have different and interesting perspectives, often shaped by where they live of their own past experience.

Sounds like a strange encounter.

I've been a vegetarian for 20 years and while I may think certain things when I see people buy and eat meat, I would never confront them about it.

No, Lucille, but nice try. You've tried to pivot to change the sense of what you had said. Your comment is clear and I disagree with you.

You said "Many here are as firm in their own opinions as the fruit fly was in hers." I assumed you were referring to her opinions about what people should eat, not her opinions about the appropriateness of badgering someone in public. If the latter, I'm sure I'm not the only one to have misunderstood what you were saying. But I don't think that's what you were saying.

Yeah, I'm not saying she's crazy because of her beliefs/eating habits. I'm saying she's crazy because of the way she tore into Amy and even went so far as to follow her into the parking lot and continue to accost her!

NEVER. ENGAGE.

Had to skip down to say: what? weirdos don't hang out at Walmart? Which Walmart is that, I wonder?

Seems like someone who was clearly suffering from some type of disorder IMO. Gaunt, sickly-looking people accosting total strangers - over any subject - would certainly indicate a mental problem to me - perhaps psychosis, schizophrenia or mania?

And you cannot tell from people's clothing or personal grooming either - mental illness can affect anyone, regardless of economic status.

Going back to read more now - pretty sure I'll find others saying similar...

Back from reading and want to add that I understand that extremist type veganism - for some people - can be just as much a "control" disorder the way anorexia, bulimia and other eating disorders are. It is a psychological problem, not necessarily anything related to the 'ism' itself.

Problem is - if you're starving your body of nutrients, for whatever reason, that can adversely affect your brain. Which came first though?

I've encountered a number of strange and seemingly boundary-less folks at our local health food stores - along with many more perfectly nice, normal-acting folks. The employees there always have plenty of stories about some of their weird 'regular's'.

I'm always trying to be polite to strangers, and I often get told more than I wanted to know. I probably would've repeated 'Thank you' and just got away as fast as possible.

& I missed the 'ooga booga...' parting shot the first time I read the OP - haha!

I really do not have anything to add except, Amy you are quick witted. I would have thought of a response 2 days later. And you have a great way of writing, I could just picture the exchange.

We all may have different opinions but thats ok, it is what makes the world go round. None of us teally knows and speculating is fruitless. I think we call agree it is rude behavior no matter what.

My second comment disappeared. I’ll try again.

Her type of behavior was aggressive. I might have reacted in different ways depending upon the circumstances. In a public place with a lot of people around (and if she caught me in a tense mood) I might have told her off. Generally however, (as I advise my three children) anyone who is already displaying odd behavior is not to be trusted not to completely lose it. I have enough to deal with. I’ll pass on interacting.

I wonder if this lady really believes harassing strangers about their eating habits is going to convert them, or if she just enjoys being obnoxious.

First of all, she's lucky it was you she chose to educate.

Second -- good that you are confident, calm and not violent.

Third -- this is one of those stories that can be told over and over with enjoyment of ridiculous unbelievability of it all. It is after all a funny story.

So many interesting stories are about things that went wrong, not about what a wonderful day it was -- sun shining, people laughing ...

Well, there are stories about kindness of strangers too. I like those.

When you chose to engage, it's important to be aware that unstable people see themselves as normal. In their mind, there is nothing wrong with them or what they are doing. You are the problem, not them.

She probably chose to engage you rather than a big burly man because she felt she could get the best of you. Glad to read that she was wrong!

Often one can reduce the pressure in a prickly situation with some humour ... and I take my hat off to you for the way in which you began to deal with her, and had the quick thinking and inspiration to come up with good rejoinders to her sallies as the situation progressed.

I like to use humour in dealing with various situations.

I think that often one can achieve more with such than being professorial or argumemtative.

ole joyfuelled

Good for you, amylou. I think you handled the situation beautifully!

I'm glad I haven't run across any of these rabid vegans in person. I have encountered them on discussion forums, however. It's incredibly difficult to disengage politely from this kind of one-on-one attack.

Your humor and graceful self-confidence were wonderful.

Amy, your amazing way to describe what happened is wonderful and so funny. I could see it all in my mind and read the material twice. You did good girl!!!!

Amy, kudos for handling her so well, and thanks for a great read. She should be very careful with her behavior, or she could end up on the nightly news.

I would have just ignored the initial comment or just nodded my head, its just not worth it. Approaching you outside of the store is a bit rattling, I would have thought she was up to something and just got away from her.

A couple years ago I was in line at the market. The woman in front of me was just buying a greeting card and was holding it in her hand. I started putting the items in my cart on the counter. The woman took her left arm and swept all my items off the counter onto the floor. She glared at me and said, "WAIT YOUR YURN!" Everyone kind of froze in place, then another employee came over to help me pick my items up. That made the woman more angry, but she paid for her card and left. There are some real nitwits out there.