indigomama Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 Last night my 2 yr DS and I were at a local thrift store when a lady came up to and asked if she could "borrow" my son?:001_huh::confused: I told her no and she huffed and turned around. Then she came back to me and said " Well, there's a tricycle for sale and I want to see if I should get it for my grandkids, it'll just be for a minute". Again, I told her "no". I couldn't even see the tricycle from where I was standing. It was on the complete opposite side of the store (we saw it later). I couldn't believe she would ask such a thing and then get pushed out of shape when I declined. People are bold and crazy:glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 :001_smile: I would have let her take him. People ask me that kind of stuff all the time. So that would be normal to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca VA Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 I would have gone with her. Maybe her grandchild was the same size as your son and she wanted to know if he would fit onto the trike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indigomama Posted January 6, 2011 Author Share Posted January 6, 2011 Later, when we were on that side of the store she asked again and since we were right by it. I let him climb on to show her. I might be overprotective but I don't let my children go anywhere with complete strangers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
specialmama Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 I would have gone with her as well. I've asked to "borrow" people too, when shopping for my step-dad, for example, it helps to see the jacket on someone of the same size. That said, I always smile and explain why I'm asking. It sounds like the OP's granny could have avoided the crazy title by simply clarifying early on about her reasoning. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 Later, when we were on that side of the store she asked again and since we were right by it. I let him climb on to show her. I might be overprotective but I don't let my children go anywhere with complete strangers. You couldn't just go along to be neighborly? That kind of thing happens fairly often in second- hand ( or any, really) stores. "My g'daughter is about the same size as your little girl, would she mind trying on this coat so I can see if it might fit?" How dangerous is that? ;) I've asked young men and women if I could hold a shirt near them if they look to be the size of my teens. Crazy lady getting ready to kdnap a couple of teens, I am. lol ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacie Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 I don't consider myself crazy (though some around me may disagree ;)) and I've asked things like that before. I've also "loaned" out myself and my children to help others make a better decision. However, I'd never send my children off with someone; I'm always there with them. I'd rather be bold and ask for help than make a bad purchase for someone else, especially in a thrift store where items can't be returned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 I highly doubt that she thought she could "borrow" him without you being right there with him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrappyhomeschooler Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 If she had worded it differently, I might have gone with her. But I would have been a little startled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WistfulRidge Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 Later, when we were on that side of the store she asked again and since we were right by it. I let him climb on to show her. I might be overprotective but I don't let my children go anywhere with complete strangers. :iagree: I must be overprotective as well :) I have a hard enough time letting people I know (but don't know well, ykwim?) do this. When it comes to complete strangers we would have to be literally right there, standing next to the item, before I would probably even consider it. Not a very neighborly attitude, for sure, but I'm okay with that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mejane Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 I'd have gone with. I often ask strangers' opinions in stores. Most people are very receptive, but some look at me like I have two heads. (shrug) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 Yeah, her abrupt attitude was probably a turn-off. But I'm not surprised she seemed put-out by the refusal. In her day, people probably helped one another more. You don't see that too much these days. To be honest, I don't go out of my way to help others. I don't mean to be selfish but it's just a scary thing in this day and time. I even worry about lawsuits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrystal Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 My kiddos wouldn't have gone ANYWHERE with someone I don't know. EVER. You were not being overprotective, you were being a good mother. Period. Kidnappers don't have flashing neon signs on thier heads. Pedophiles look like you and me. Not everyone out there has good intentions, and it is our job to protect our children from those people. You were doing your job and doing it well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prudent Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 I wouldn't have let that woman 'borrow' my child. I agree that asking for assistance sizing up an item is not odd, but that woman actually thinking you would hand over a toddler to be carted halfway across the store is bizarre. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheBrink Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 I wouldn't have let that woman 'borrow' my child. I agree that asking for assistance sizing up an item is not odd, but that woman actually thinking you would hand over a toddler to be carted halfway across the store is bizarre. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngieC Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 I agree that she probably assummed you would come with your son and if I were in the situation I would likely have stopped what I was doing to take 2 minutes to help the woman. I see nothing wrong with her asking for help, although I don't know exactly how she asked you, so that certainly could be the difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tullia Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 Well, I would NOT have sent my child off with her, but I might have offered to go with her--then again, given the way she expressed herself to you I can see why you were put off. However, my father is a very friendly person who loves to talk with children--family, friends, and complete strangers too. He's always been that way, and has been disappointed in recent years because his friendliness is sometimes misunderstood. I finally had a talk with him about how times have changed--sometimes he forgets, though, and has to apologize for encroaching on people's comfort zone. He grew up in a simpler time and place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 (edited) I agree that she probably assummed you would come with your son and if I were in the situation I would likely have stopped what I was doing to take 2 minutes to help the woman. I see nothing wrong with her asking for help, although I don't know exactly how she asked you, so that certainly could be the difference. Maybe she said "You stay here. I am going to borrow your son. Please don't notice that what I will be doing is stuffing him into my large knitting satchel here, and bringing him to the dressing room where I have a blond wig and a pinafore waiting. Please close your eyes." Edited January 6, 2011 by LibraryLover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indigomama Posted January 6, 2011 Author Share Posted January 6, 2011 Maybe she said "You stay here. I am going to borrow your son. Please don't notice that what I will be doing is stuffing him into my large knitting satchel here, and bringing him to the dressing room where I have a blond wig and a pinafore waiting. Please close your eyes." Wow! I've been a member of these boards for a while, though not a constant poster, I thought I deserved a little respect. Not mockery. I will think twice before posting, now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aubrey Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 I wouldn't have let that woman 'borrow' my child. I agree that asking for assistance sizing up an item is not odd, but that woman actually thinking you would hand over a toddler to be carted halfway across the store is bizarre. :iagree: And if I'm shopping w/ a toddler, I may not immediately realize that by "borrow" someone really means "come with." I'm just really literal like that, more so when deep in thought. I've had similarly weird experiences. When my oldest was a baby, a lady on campus (at my small private college) asked to hold him. That was common enough; I handed him over. She walked off with him. I followed her, my alarm growing as I had to pick up my brisk pace to a slight jog to keep her in view. She turned into the library & went into the "staff only" door and down another corridor. I plunged through the staff only door & lost her. She turned up in an office down the hall, where her mother was working. She apparently thought I knew her because she was the wife of one of my profs. There were some cultural differences going on, too, but that wigged me right out. When dd #2 was a brand new baby, we took her to sleep through a movie, sitting by the door so we could leave quickly if she woke. A lady sat down next to me & in the middle of the movie, asked if she could hold her. Um. No. Maybe I was biased because of the story above though. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakia Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 Wow! I've been a member of these boards for a while, though not a constant poster, I thought I deserved a little respect. Not mockery. I will think twice before posting, now. I'm pretty sure LL was being sarcastic. I thought that was funny. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soror Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 I would have walked over with her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitestavern Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 I agree that she probably assummed you would come with your son and if I were in the situation I would likely have stopped what I was doing to take 2 minutes to help the woman. I see nothing wrong with her asking for help, although I don't know exactly how she asked you, so that certainly could be the difference. :iagree: I doubt she had any thoughts of taking him across the store by herself. I use teenage boys all the time to help me purchase items for my nephews, not just for size, but also because I've no clue what's cool or not in their world :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 I'm pretty sure LL was being sarcastic. I thought that was funny. :)I didn't have grandiose aspirations of sarcasm. I was merely going for silly. :auto: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakia Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 :)I didn't have grandiose aspirations of sarcasm. I was merely going for silly. :auto: Well, it worked for me. I laughed. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanceXToo Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 I would have assumed she meant for me to walk over with my child so that we could see if a child roughly her grandchildren's ages/sizes would be a good fit for that particular tricycle, and I would have gladly walked over with her to help her out. (I too found LibraryLover's comment to be funny and didn't interpret it as being mocking). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 Well, it worked for me. I laughed. :D Thank you. My waitress depends on me for tips. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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