Insulting People as a Public Service

 

There was a troubled-looking guy in Petco this afternoon giving away packets of Natural Balance dog food. He looked like a meth addict or something.

As I walked past him, he mumbled, without making eye contact, “Want some free dog food?”

“My dog won’t eat that shit,” I said, which is not true, but it certainly took the wind out of his sails.

Now you might say I wasn’t very charming but by verbally assaulting him in that way, I was motivating him to rehabilitate himself and get a real job.

Tough love . . .

  3 comments for “Insulting People as a Public Service

  1. MS
    MS
    1 Feb 2009 at 10:02 pm

    Sounds like he didn’t have much wind in his sails to begin with. What sort of “real” job would you suggest for a meth addict looking to rehabilitate himself? Do you yell out your car window to harass someone spinning a sign outside of a new subdivision or apartment complex? How about the people selling oranges by the freeway?

    At least he wasn’t begging with a “Poor Me” sign out in front of Target…those are the people for whom I have no patience. The people with boring jobs that don’t take much skill shouldn’t be verbally assaulted…

  2. PE
    PE
    1 Feb 2009 at 10:37 pm

    I agree with you, MS. What an appalling story.

    I hope to god it was somewhat fictionalized for shock value…

  3. MS
    MS
    1 Feb 2009 at 10:53 pm

    I fear that Hostile Witness might also scorn someone handing out pizza squares at Trader Joes.

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