Have you ever turned a corner and accidentally bumped into someone? Of course you have. We all have. It is not that big of a deal really. Most of the time, the result is a slight bump, a bit of embarrassment, and nothing dropped or spilt. Sometimes it may have been more your fault, sometimes a bit more their fault; all depending on the vision you have from your positioning pre-turn and the rate of speed/carelessness you had at that moment.

That is not the thing that interests me.

The thing that interests me is that when this unexpected meeting happens, the fact that many times the other person takes zero responsibility for it and has the audacity to blame you completely!

Granted, this blame doesn’t come in the way of yelling at you or offering to throw down hands. But it comes in the passive-aggressive way of a snort or a look of derision.

This is complete and utter bull poo!! I’m sorry that I exist on this Earth with you and I happen to turn the corner at the exact same time as you. Sorry that I actually slowed down to lessen the impact unlike you, who barreled in as fast as possible with no regard for any consequence.

This is the main thing that bothers me about this; the lack of responsibility and lack of consideration for anything or anyone around them. There is this feeling like they have this eternal ‘right-of-way’ when walking around and everyone else is at fault for being in the way.

Obviously this has happened to me recently. As I was turning around a corner, with no field of vision for the other side, I was on the right side easing into the turn while craning my neck. As I slowed and craned, I was almost bowled over by someone turning into me ON THE LEFT SIDE! Where are we…Wales? In America, stay on the right side! Anyway, despite their complete disregard for their surroundings, I offered a slight chortle and a ‘sorry’.

What did I get in return? A snort and a huff. Say what? That’s simply unacceptable. How can someone be so obtuse to the world around them? Yes, we all have a turned a corner and had that unpleasant meeting of the shoulders, but you never huff and snort. NEVER!!

Next time I turn that same corner, I am going to brandish my plastic fork from my office and if that person ‘bumps’ into me again, it won’t be just a shoulder rub they will experience.