I am SO MAD. NPGR - sorry if unnecessary.

HeyStVincent · September 2014

I was out walking in my neighborhood today, and as I round the corner from our building, this homeless guy is walking in my direction on the sidewalk. I can tell he's looking at me. When we get within normal smile-at-a-stranger-length, I look him in the eye and smile at him. I think I said hello. This is the exact same thing I would do to any human I encounter on the sidewalk who I'm aware is looking at me. His response is to stick out his left arm like a chicken wing to jostle me as he passes me, which knocks me off balance and pushes me. He then says, "Ooooooops". Yeah, because that was an accident. Mind you there was plenty of room on the side walk for both of us to pass, so no reason to push me out of the way.

So, I continue on, don't respond and don't look back. Just keep going and pretend it didn't happen. Well, he must have noticed I was holding my phone because two or three seconds later I hear him shouting at me (while running toward me), "Hey, I need to use your phone. Can I pay you a dollar to use your phone? I need to call me sister." He runs after me, and so now I'm forced to have to engage with this man who just elbow-jabbed me and pushed me - which I apparently deserved for treating him like a human being and looking him in the eye and smiling at him.

He tries to tell me that he hurt his foot because he "got jumped on" last night and he needs his medication for his foot, and thus needs to call his sister. So I ask him what the medication is "because I'm a nurse" (letting him know he better come up with something legit, because I'm going to know if he's lying to me). His response is to not know what the medication is and to show me his foot, which appears to be perfectly fine - especially if he hurt it last night. Anyway, I tell him I'll call his sister for him. He then proceeds to stutter around three different phone numbers. He then skates on the situation because he can see he's getting no where with me and now other people are on the street and they're paying attention to what's going on.

A dog walked by right before he peaced-out and starting growling at him too.

Anyway, the reason I AM SO MAD is because who the F@CK pushes a pregnant woman and then chases her down for her phone???? I am not anti-homeless either. Much of the population at the clinic I work at is transient. Most of them are good people with complicated situations. I get that there's a lot of mental illness that goes into being homeless (not mention a lot of other problems that are stacked against homeless people). But I felt like what he did was just wrong. Normally (in a non-pregnant state), I think I would have just gone on my way and felt very "whatever" about that situation, but something about today made me want to punch him in the throat. I was so angry when he left that I was shaking. I wasn't scared, I was MAD.

Anyway, thought I'd share. Has anyone else felt more protective of themselves since becoming pregnant? I mean, the rage I felt was pretty crazy (for me). I'm usually so mellow.

kefttsc · September 2014

What a dick! I'm afraid that with my mood today I would have called the cops.

Wimcgrath · September 2014

Ugh, I'd be pissed, too. I would've been pissed either way (homeless or not), but I think we're all the more cognizant of physical threats/ issues now that we're pregnant.

HeyStVincent · September 2014

It kind of scares me how angry that made me. I didn't know I had it in me to get that mad (to want to get into a physical altercation with someone).

Also, I think had he NOT been homeless I would have definitely called the police, which doesn't make a whole lot of sense when you start thinking about it. We should hold everyone to the same standards for things like that.

@krendel1990 - that's scary. I'm glad that you were OK. I don't know what I'd do if someone was trying to run me off the road....yikes!

jennjilljo · September 2014

Honestly it sounds like he was a weird dude that was trying to playful in an odd way and did it wrong then decided to take advantage of a situation. Mental illness may be spot on in this case.

That said, I would have been livid in your shoes. You were very patient and that's commendable. I think we are more aware of dangers that affect us because they affect our babies now, too. I had 1 fear before DS was born but now I question how safe everything is for me because my health and safety directly relates to my son's safety and happiness. Now, my poor dog gets scolded everyone she gets jumpy and playful around me because her tail alone has left welts on me from her excitement.

CatLadyTX · September 2014

Wtf? Unfortunately, I think pregnant women are seen as more weak or more sensitive to other people's needs.

lizzybean · September 2014

Even if I wasn't pregnant I probably would have reamed him the fuck out after he pushed me. Who does that?!

Some random chick showed up at mine and DH's apartment when we were 18 asking to use our phone and DH let her. She was standing in the hall for so long chatting aimlessly to someone for like 10 minutes and I was so furious I told her to get off the phone and out of our building. And she had the nerve to tell me to hold on a sec!!!! DH had just assumed she lived in our building?! Ugh I hate shit like that and have no patience for it.

maltwin1 · September 2014

Honestly it sounds to me like the mamma bear feeling. Your body and mind know that a threat to you is a threat to your child and reacted in a way that would prepare you to defend your baby if you needed to.

I imagine how I would have reacted if that happened to me while I was walking down a street with DS and I felt like he was in a potentially dangerous situation...he wouldn't have gotten a scene, it would've been a full broadway musical. At least you're safe and know that your cable of throwing down to protect your LO if you had too. Good job!

agm04 · September 2014

Like you, I generally make eye contact and smile with anyone I pass on the street. A couple of years ago, while living in NYC, I did this with a homeless man I passed EVERY DAY and smiled at EVERY DAY, and out of nowhere he threw a sandwich at me and called me a bitch. It was a gross sandwich btw. It hit me in the leg and mayo was dripping down my leg and I cried.

I'm sorry that happened, it really sucks.