I Feel Threatened By You
By Jeff Moffitt
@moffittjc (118579)
Gainesville, Florida
June 7, 2019 6:21pm CST
I was in a quick-service restaurant yesterday waiting in line to place my order for lunch, when a young man entered the restaurant and stood in line to place their order. Within a few minutes, I heard the young man raising his voice to someone, so I turned to see what was going on. He was standing there yelling at a very old and frail woman, who seemed very disoriented. He kept saying to the woman, "Stop following me," and "You need to back away from me." The woman was doing nothing but standing there with a perplexed look on her face. The young man continued to become more and more agitated when the little old lady didn't step back away from him. He then said, "You need to step back, I feel very threatened by you right now."
Imagine my surprise--and the surprise of everyone else in the restaurant--when he said that. This big strong man, yelling at a frail old lady that he clearly towered over in size, saying he felt threatened by her!
Another older lady tried to step in and diffuse the situation, saying that the old lady was disoriented and didn't understand what was going on. A short while later an old man came out of the bathroom; he was the old woman's husband. He explained that his wife had Alzheimer's, but this did not seem to placate the angry young man. He kept saying that if she didn't back away from him he was calling the police because he felt threatened for his safety.
At that point I had to say something. I stepped in and told the man that if he called the police, he would be the one leaving the restaurant in handcuffs, because every single patron in the restaurant would come to the defense of the old lady and tell the police that the young man was the aggressor.
When I said that, everyone else within ear shot started nodding their head in agreement with me. The guy then yelled that we were all crazy, and then turned and stormed out of the restaurant.
Can you believe a big, strong young man (probably in his younger 20s) said he felt threatened by a frail old woman (probably in her 90s)? Is this what has become of our younger generation of people? They don't know how to cope around other people? Or they don't know how to handle uncomfortable situations in public?
I'm still perplexed at how he could have possibly felt threatened by this older woman.
46 people like this
44 responses
@LadyDuck (459324)
• Switzerland
9 Jun 19
@moffittjc He could not even understand that people affected by Alzheimer's Disease are confused and they do not even recognize their own children and family. My goodness, I wonder what young people are becoming.
3 people like this
@moffittjc (118579)
• Gainesville, Florida
8 Jun 19
Haha, you hit the nail on the head Anna! Stupid is the right word to describe that guy.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118579)
• Gainesville, Florida
9 Jun 19
@LadyDuck I'm glad I'm not going to be around in future decades when many of these young morons and idiots become our future leaders, but I do worry about my kids and what they are going to have to deal with. I raised my kids to be kind, caring, courteous and hard-working. Already my daughter is expressing frustration at how pathetic her own generation is.
3 people like this
@snowy22315 (170556)
• United States
8 Jun 19
He probably had mental health issues, or was high on PCP or some combo of the two.
4 people like this
@moffittjc (118579)
• Gainesville, Florida
8 Jun 19
He didn't seem like he was high, but it is entirely possible that he had mental issues. He definitely didn't have coping skills, that's for sure. He probably went home and cried and sucked his thumb or something.
2 people like this
@rebelann (111263)
• El Paso, Texas
7 Jun 19
Not only was that boy, I don't think he was much of a man, pretty damn stupid but I have to wonder why an old couple didn't have someone with them to help with the old lady, anyone with Alzheimer's would be frightened to be alone in a line of strangers.
3 people like this
@rebelann (111263)
• El Paso, Texas
8 Jun 19
That's probably the case @moffittjc I would suppose her husband was pretty old as well. I usually see elderly people with their children or grand children and I've never seen one alone in a line like that, she must have been so scared.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118579)
• Gainesville, Florida
8 Jun 19
@rebelann She wasn't in line, she was standing nearby, where the guy was in line. I think she was standing there waiting for her husband to come out of the bathroom. I'm sure when he went in he probably thought there would be no harm in having her wait right by the line, and under normal circumstances she probably would have been fine. Most people are cordial, especially to older folks.
4 people like this
@moffittjc (118579)
• Gainesville, Florida
7 Jun 19
I though the same thing about why there was not a caretaker with the woman. Maybe they just couldn't afford one?
2 people like this
@Lolaze (5093)
• St. Louis, Missouri
8 Jun 19
@moffittjc I have a friend who has Asperger’s (a form of autism). Once he was pumping gas and a lady with a gas can asked him if he could spare a little to help her. His reaction was so out of control that he ended up spending the night in jail.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118579)
• Gainesville, Florida
8 Jun 19
@Lolaze Is Asperger's where you shout out obscenities and go off an tirades without being able to control yourself? I mean, like not being able to restrain yourself and having uncontrolled outbursts?
@moffittjc (118579)
• Gainesville, Florida
8 Jun 19
He probably did have mental health problems, at the least he surely had difficulty with his people coping skills.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118579)
• Gainesville, Florida
8 Jun 19
it didn't seem like he was mentally ill, but these days it can be so hard to know what a person is experiencing in their head.
3 people like this
@moffittjc (118579)
• Gainesville, Florida
9 Jun 19
@paigea Definitely a sad situation for him, to go through life like that!
2 people like this
@MommyOfEli2013 (82129)
• Rupert, Idaho
7 Jun 19
Wow, that's all I know to say about that situation! I am in agreement with you though...for sure!
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118579)
• Gainesville, Florida
8 Jun 19
@MommyOfEli2013 Somebody has to stand up for the little people. Or in this case, the elderly people.
Wow...I just realized when I wrote that how long of a way I've come since I was a teenager. I used to make fun of old people; now I'm defending them! haha
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118579)
• Gainesville, Florida
8 Jun 19
I mean, in my post I'm basically making fun of the guy, which is kind of mean for me to do, but that dude really rubbed me the wrong way. I really wanted to punch him in the face and then ask him how threatened he felt then! lol
2 people like this
@MommyOfEli2013 (82129)
• Rupert, Idaho
8 Jun 19
@moffittjc Oh yeah, I get that.....I don't think it's mean after how he acted!
2 people like this
@marguicha (215866)
• Chile
8 Jun 19
Lately, youngsters think that they own the universe. It is good that somebody tells them they don´t.
1 person likes this
@marguicha (215866)
• Chile
9 Jun 19
@moffittjc We were all young once. I agree. But I was grounded if I misbehaved.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118579)
• Gainesville, Florida
8 Jun 19
In defense of youngsters worldwide, we ALL were young once! haha
But yes, I know what you mean. They think the world revolves around them. I have no problem convincing them otherwise.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118579)
• Gainesville, Florida
9 Jun 19
@marguicha Me too! Our parents would discipline us for misbehaving. I think parents are afraid to discipline their children these days, they don't want to hurt their feelings. Kids today are coddled too much.
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (94921)
• United States
8 Jun 19
Whoa! What's up with he guy? If the women was up in his face putting her hands on him and what not then I can see him saying something but she's just standing there. She's not harming anyone.
Glad you spoke up and he left.
2 people like this
@infatuatedbby (94921)
• United States
8 Jun 19
@moffittjc If she said Hi, that'll be a nice gesture since they were nearby, but regardless he could have backed up or stood somewhere else if he did not feel comfortable. I do that all the time. If I don't feel comfortable somewhere, I'll move! No need to make a big fuss, but if I was in danger than yeah, I'll make a scene if I have to but common, he's young, bigger and should have some sense in him.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118579)
• Gainesville, Florida
8 Jun 19
@infatuatedbby I agree, I think the right thing for him to have done was to step back to help diffuse the situation, instead of just standing there yelling at the old lady to back off. Clearly she wasn't comprehending what he was asking her to do. Any moron could have seen that, but apparently his brain was too small to sense that.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118579)
• Gainesville, Florida
8 Jun 19
Yeah, she wasn't doing anything. I think she tried to say hi to him or something. I think he felt that she was invading his personal space. Maybe she was. It didn't look like it to me. But he should have been the better person, and just took a step back if he felt uncomfortable. And I didn't even mention how disrespectful he was being to someone who was his elder.
1 person likes this
@cintol (11261)
• United States
14 Jun 19
They don't know how to deal with society because they are always on their tablets, phones or computers. They have no socializing skills anymore which is very sad, I feel sorry for that poor woman having to deal with that. It was nice that you stepped in to help her out but I would have said a few things to him that would have been much worse.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118579)
• Gainesville, Florida
15 Jun 19
@cintol It's funny, but my daughter is an adult now (19), and I still watch what I say in front of her! I don't even cuss around my kids! lol
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118579)
• Gainesville, Florida
14 Jun 19
If my daughter had not been with me at the time, I would have said a few choice words to the guy, much worse than the PG-rated talk I gave him due to my daughter's presence.
1 person likes this
@cintol (11261)
• United States
14 Jun 19
@moffittjc I understand, not good to say things like that in front of the kids. I hate it when I see people treating others like that, especially young brats mistreating the elderly!
1 person likes this
@kobesbuddy (74796)
• East Tawas, Michigan
8 Jun 19
The young man was the one who was threatening, not the elderly woman! Thank God, there were other people close-by, to keep her safe from his aggressive behavior:( I'm glad you spoke up to him! I can't imagine that guy being upset, with a woman who has Alzheimer's
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118579)
• Gainesville, Florida
8 Jun 19
Everyone understood that he was the threat, not her! Well, the guy obviously didn't see himself as the threat, but that's besides the point. He just needs to learn people interaction skills so he can function like a normal human being around other people.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118579)
• Gainesville, Florida
8 Jun 19
@kobesbuddy I don't think she had an idea about anything. She didn't even flinch when he was yelling at her. She just stood there looking at him with this kind of perplexed, blank stare on her face. I wonder if that agitated the guy even more, the fact that she didn't bat an eye or even flinch when he was trying to get all up in her face?
1 person likes this
@kobesbuddy (74796)
• East Tawas, Michigan
8 Jun 19
@moffittjc The elderly lady had no idea, why he was acting so agitated and mean!
1 person likes this
@RubyHawk (99423)
• Atlanta, Georgia
8 Jun 19
I hope he's the only young person who would behave so badly. Maybe that's what comes of so many video games and so many youngsters sticking so close to their gadgets rather than being with real people. Thank you for adding your two cents worth. That young man needed to be taken down a peg or two.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118579)
• Gainesville, Florida
8 Jun 19
That's exactly what I think, that he had no real world or people skills because he spent too much time playing video games. Or texting on his cell phone. Or maybe he was just a moron.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118579)
• Gainesville, Florida
13 Jun 19
@RubyHawk Trust me, I interact with morons every single day!
1 person likes this
@RubyHawk (99423)
• Atlanta, Georgia
13 Jun 19
@moffittjc True, maybe he was just a moron, there are still plenty of them out there.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (157337)
• United States
8 Jun 19
I think he may have had some problems of his own that he felt paranoid around an old lady. Some mental problems?
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118579)
• Gainesville, Florida
8 Jun 19
It's quite possible he had some mental issues, or maybe a case of severe social anxiety?
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118579)
• Gainesville, Florida
8 Jun 19
@LindaOHio Yeah, we've been getting a ton of rain for the past several days, and today there were bad thunderstorms off and on throughout the day. It's supposed to be like that the entire weekend.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (157337)
• United States
8 Jun 19
@moffittjc Yeah, doesn't like people in his space. Could have been a number of things. Did you get some of that rain that went through FL? I don't know what part of FL Gainesville is in; but I did see rain on the radar!
1 person likes this
@florelway (23160)
• Cagayan De Oro, Philippines
8 Jun 19
I admire your decision to step in and get involved. Some young people just believed they own the world to themselves and the older ones are no longer part of the society. It got something to do with how they were raised up.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118579)
• Gainesville, Florida
8 Jun 19
@florelway I don't know if I've matured, but I agree that I have changed as I have aged! haha
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118579)
• Gainesville, Florida
8 Jun 19
I used to be one of those young people who thought I owned the world. I wasn't particularly nice to older people when I was a teenager. I guess it's time for me to make up for my past transgressions.
1 person likes this
@florelway (23160)
• Cagayan De Oro, Philippines
8 Jun 19
@moffittjc some people change as they mature and you are one of those. 
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118579)
• Gainesville, Florida
7 Jun 19
They are insensitive, and they do not have coping skills for interacting with other people. I blame the fact that they are glued to their electronic devices, and so they haven't learned any social skills, such as how to interact with others.
1 person likes this
@Nevena83 (65280)
• Serbia
9 Jun 19
@moffittjc Yes, and my son is always on the phone and I'm scared for that.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118579)
• Gainesville, Florida
9 Jun 19
@Nevena83 My kids are always on their phones too, but I make them stop and do other things, just to give them balance. I told them that if they spend too much time on their phones I will take them away from them.
1 person likes this
@lovinangelsinstead21 (36850)
• Pamplona, Spain
8 Jun 19
There are those kind of people everywhere poor lady.
I am so glad you defended her like that and put him in his place big bully.
1 person likes this
@lovinangelsinstead21 (36850)
• Pamplona, Spain
8 Jun 19
@moffittjc
He is a bully and a coward fancy feeling threatened by a little elderly lady goodness me.
He must have a really short fuse that guy.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118579)
• Gainesville, Florida
8 Jun 19
@lovinangelsinstead21 He better hope I don't run into him somewhere else out of the public's eye. We'll see how he acts when I give him an attitude adjustment.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118579)
• Gainesville, Florida
8 Jun 19
I don't know if he was more of a bully, or more of a coward. My guess is that he was more of a coward than anything. But then again, most bullies are cowards deep down.
1 person likes this
@velvet53 (22528)
• Palisade, Colorado
17 Jul 19
I don't understand this guys problem. I wonder if he was high on something and was just freaking out. No matter what he is a total jerk for treating the elderly lady as he did .I also don't understand why the manager didn't come out and do something. Thank goodness that you were there and stepped in. I love the way you handled everything.
1 person likes this
@velvet53 (22528)
• Palisade, Colorado
19 Jul 19
@moffittjc That is a blessing. I believe that you were the one to stop all of it. Hat's off to you.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118579)
• Gainesville, Florida
19 Jul 19
@velvet53 Thanks. I knew there were other people in the restaurant who would have stepped in to help if necessary.
@moffittjc (118579)
• Gainesville, Florida
18 Jul 19
Whatever the reasons for everything that happened that day, it's all over and done now, and nobody got hurt or arrested! lol
1 person likes this
@CookieMonster46 (13447)
• United States
8 Jun 19
every now and then, you will see a situation like that, and no one wants to get involved. Very sad
1 person likes this
@CookieMonster46 (13447)
• United States
8 Jun 19
@moffittjc around here, not so much they are afraid to get involved.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118579)
• Gainesville, Florida
8 Jun 19
@CookieMonster46 I know it's getting like that in many places. But I still live in a small enough community where everyone still cares about each other, at least for the most part.
@moffittjc (118579)
• Gainesville, Florida
8 Jun 19
When this happened I thought no one else was going to step in and help, but as I responded I saw other people coming over to assist as well. So it’s nice to know that people still care.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118579)
• Gainesville, Florida
9 Jun 19
@DianneN Oh, I had a few more choice words for him too!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118579)
• Gainesville, Florida
9 Jun 19
@nela13 Well, he should seek help then. He may find himself in some serious trouble if he acts like that in the wrong place.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118579)
• Gainesville, Florida
8 Jun 19
That's what I was thinking...how could a big man feel threatened by a small little elderly lady.
1 person likes this
@nela13 (55734)
• Portugal
9 Jun 19
@moffittjc he must have psychological problems for sure.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118579)
• Gainesville, Florida
8 Jun 19
People have just forgotten how to behave around other people. From a lack of common sense to a lack of social skills, I really worry about the future!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118579)
• Gainesville, Florida
10 Jun 19
@CarolDM I'm glad my children are almost fully grown. I worry more about my grandkids.
@CarolDM (203451)
• Nashville, Tennessee
9 Jun 19
@moffittjc I know, I am actually glad I do not have children growing up in today's world.
1 person likes this
