How not to handle a crisis
Okay so this blog post is not about a crisis per se but I am still sticking with the title.
Today I was returning from a trip to Clonmel with the boyfriend and we were driving down the one way street that leads to my apartment when I noticed there was a car driving towards me. He wasn't going very fast so my immediate thought was oh great this idiot doesn't realize he's driving down a one way street. Once I reached the point where I couldn't go any further I stopped the car and he kept motioning me frantically to get out of his way. Even if that wasn't illegal, there was nowhere for me to actually reverse to.
So we sat in our respective cars.Me, stopped in the middle of the lane with my boyfriend and him, with his girlfriend and two kids, while he had a small snack for himself. What else is there to do in this situation except have a sandwich and a small carton of milk sure.
At this point I thought it was a pain , a minor inconvenience. I think I might have even turned to the boyfriend and rolled my eyes, thinking are we going to be here all day.
Then he started driving towards me somewhat aggressively and we were motioning that it was a one way street but perhaps someone needs to develop a clearer non verbal sign for that because it felt like he wasn't really getting the message. Finally because we were getting nowhere my boyfriend got out of the car to explain to him that he was actually driving the wrong way on a one way street and would need to reverse. He didn't take this very well so he shouted some more and then pulled his car into the kerb and the girlfriend got out with the kids while he stared on angrily. One she got out he kept driving at me and then stopped right in front of my car when he realised I wasn't going anywhere.
This technique wasn't working for him so he got out of his car and started shouting at me to get the fuck out of his way and that I had about 20 seconds to do so. I didn't move so he went around the back of his car and took a baseball bat out of the boot. I think I might have vomited a little bit in my mouth when I saw that. He stood in front of my bar holding the bat and my heart was going like 90 while I braced myself thinking he was going to hit something. So my boyfriend got out and told him we couldn't go anywhere and he was going to have to move. I may have mentioned something about calling the guards.
He reversed back at a dangerous speed and I drove into the courtyard of my building shaking like a leaf. Then he drove past and stopped to warn me not to call the guards because he knew where I lived. That was nice to hear.
I think I couldn't stop shaking for about 10 minutes after I got into my apartment. But I was lucky he was just bandying around empty threats, that strangely unpleasant , overly aggressive man. I suppose I'm just lucky I had someone with me because my first responses to that sort of behaviour may have involved crying and I'm not sure that would have helped anyone at all.
Today I was returning from a trip to Clonmel with the boyfriend and we were driving down the one way street that leads to my apartment when I noticed there was a car driving towards me. He wasn't going very fast so my immediate thought was oh great this idiot doesn't realize he's driving down a one way street. Once I reached the point where I couldn't go any further I stopped the car and he kept motioning me frantically to get out of his way. Even if that wasn't illegal, there was nowhere for me to actually reverse to.
So we sat in our respective cars.Me, stopped in the middle of the lane with my boyfriend and him, with his girlfriend and two kids, while he had a small snack for himself. What else is there to do in this situation except have a sandwich and a small carton of milk sure.
At this point I thought it was a pain , a minor inconvenience. I think I might have even turned to the boyfriend and rolled my eyes, thinking are we going to be here all day.
Then he started driving towards me somewhat aggressively and we were motioning that it was a one way street but perhaps someone needs to develop a clearer non verbal sign for that because it felt like he wasn't really getting the message. Finally because we were getting nowhere my boyfriend got out of the car to explain to him that he was actually driving the wrong way on a one way street and would need to reverse. He didn't take this very well so he shouted some more and then pulled his car into the kerb and the girlfriend got out with the kids while he stared on angrily. One she got out he kept driving at me and then stopped right in front of my car when he realised I wasn't going anywhere.
This technique wasn't working for him so he got out of his car and started shouting at me to get the fuck out of his way and that I had about 20 seconds to do so. I didn't move so he went around the back of his car and took a baseball bat out of the boot. I think I might have vomited a little bit in my mouth when I saw that. He stood in front of my bar holding the bat and my heart was going like 90 while I braced myself thinking he was going to hit something. So my boyfriend got out and told him we couldn't go anywhere and he was going to have to move. I may have mentioned something about calling the guards.
He reversed back at a dangerous speed and I drove into the courtyard of my building shaking like a leaf. Then he drove past and stopped to warn me not to call the guards because he knew where I lived. That was nice to hear.
I think I couldn't stop shaking for about 10 minutes after I got into my apartment. But I was lucky he was just bandying around empty threats, that strangely unpleasant , overly aggressive man. I suppose I'm just lucky I had someone with me because my first responses to that sort of behaviour may have involved crying and I'm not sure that would have helped anyone at all.
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