tell me a story

[cos]

Tell me a story of something someone said or did that was so outrageously beyond chutzpah, it could only have happened if the person in question had not only a breathtaking sense of entitlement, but also no idea how out of line they were. They didn't just have a lot of nerve - they had no clue they had a lot of nerve, and observers could barely believe it happened.

Comments

[awfief.livejournal.com]

How about my co-author plagiarizing tons of material from the MySQL Manual and Wikipedia? And then acting as if it's all a part of the editing process?

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

http://community.livejournal.com/arisia/294390.html

[annodomini.livejournal.com]

This was what I thought of. In fact, I was wondering if the original post was inspired by this, since there was discussion if it actually counted as chutzpah or if it was due to sheer obliviousness.

[cos]

I had read it, but for some reason wasn't thinking of it as an example when I posted this post, so I'm glad she posted the link to remind me of it. It's just the sort of example I want.

[hermitgeecko.livejournal.com]

This is not a terribly exciting story, but it does qualify.

There is a lovely (and very highly rated) bakery/sandwich place called Flour that is off South Station, and it has a rule about No Cell Phones At The Counter. People are very good about this under normal circumstances, so derspatchel and I were stunned the day that a businessman detonated at one of the servers over the policy. The man had been on his phone (to the annoyance of the regulars), and the server had said politely, "I see you're on the phone, so I'll go to the next person and help you once you're not busy."

The man whipped around yelling something like: "I'm just checking my VOICE MAIL! It's critically important for me to CHECK my VOICE MAIL because I receive very important voice mails that cannot wait! I can multitask and talk to you while I'm on the phone, why can't you multitask and pay attention to me when I'm on the phone? What kind of friggin' incompetents are you? All I was doing was checking my voice mail! You have no right to speak to me this way! I want to speak to your manager, NOW!" This was all at a volume to shut down all other conversation entirely.

We stared at him in shocked silence and hated him with our brains. Sadly, his head didn't explode. We really, really wished it would.

[cos]

I know Flour! When I was working at Blue State Digital, a couple of blocks away, I'd go there every week. Actually, a bunch of the people at Blue State have this tradition that 3pm is Flour time, so some of them go (almost) every afternoon, but I didn't always join them.

And yes, this is a good example I may be able to use :)

[slipstreamborne.livejournal.com]

While on a term overseas one of the guys in our group accused the girls of being anti-social because we locked our hotel doors at night.

The same night that he made this accusation another student group in the hotel had a local 50-something male break into their room and slip into bed with one of the girls.

When we explained to the guy in our group all the shit we as women had to deal with and the precautions we had to take while travelling he was honeslty shocked, and he was a really smart guy otherwise.

[lil-brown-bat.livejournal.com]

Why do you want such stories?

Try http://community.livejournal.com/customers_suck/ if you want some stories of outrageous entitlement. I have plenty, also coming from a c_s job where I deal with rich entitled people.

[ceo]

This.

[drwex]

Oh that's AWESOME.

[fuzzbean.livejournal.com]

When I was going through eight months of IBS hell last year (and accordingly missing a large number of social engagements), a "friend" informed me that I was clearly codependent with my boyfriend and that she had very thoughtfully made up a list of things that I needed to do to become less codependent. She made this announcement in a public forum. When I said, very politely and after a great deal of consideration and re-writing to be as tactful as possible, that this was inappropriate, she told me that I was acting like a spoiled teenager throwing a tantrum and that I didn't appreciate the love and concern that she was showing to me.

I don't talk to her any more.

[cos]

This is a good example of this other thing I've been running into stories of recently: When someone realizes / figures out / gets used to the fact that people in some particular situation or mental state show a certain pattern of behavior, and then start a) looking for and seeing that pattern even when what they're seeing may not exactly match it, but bears some resemblance, and b) further, assuming that every instance of such a pattern of behavior must necessarily indicate the same underlying cause they've got in mind.

There oughta be a word for this one, too...

[fuzzbean.livejournal.com]

Confirmation bias?

[cos]

That's related to part a), but it completely leaves out part b), which I think is the meat of the issue.

I sometimes idealize part b) for illustration as follows:

"Did you take the cookie?"
"No, I did not."
thinks: { ahah. someone who took the cookie would probably deny it. she denied it, which fits the behavior pattern I'd expect from someone who took the cookie. that means she took the cookie. }

[pikake.livejournal.com]

... omg. i definitely HAVE to share such a story with you very soon.

not today though.

[cos]

Awww. I look forward to it some other day, then.

[silvernin.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure if this is entitlement or terminal ignorance, but a friend of mine from college was from Ghana, and had a classmate ask him if he wore clothes when he went home. B/c of course all people from Africa walk around naked all he time, right?

[cos]

*ROFL* That reminds me of a kid I went to school with, assuming that I must've ridden camels for transportation back when I lived in Israel. But that was elementary school, so as exasperated as I was at the time, I realize in retrospect that it was excusable :)

[electricube.livejournal.com]

I did this@that-> D:

[tisiphone.livejournal.com]

A person in my social theory seminar a few days ago claimed that homosexuality wasn't illegal anymore, so there was no reason to complain.

[bouncingleaf.livejournal.com]

I don't know that this is *breathtaking* but I'm pretty sure this lady didn't know she was out of line at all.

A friend who owns a store had a sidewalk sign out, with several balloons tied to it. A woman walking by started helping herself to a balloon to give to her child. When another friend who was helping out at the store asked her not to take the balloons, she got all pissed off and called him a nasty name, in front of the kid.

That story's in my mental encyclopedia under "entitlement".

[cos]

This may actually be the easiest example for me to use, because I can fit it into one or two sentences. Thanks!

[mdyesowitch.livejournal.com]

I know that store! (or at least that story. Ah, life in Lowell!)

[preraphaelite.livejournal.com]

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view/2009_01_29_DA_intern_booted_after_arrest:_Cops:_Law_ace__bar_don_t_mix/

[integreillumine.livejournal.com]

I know a guy that had sex with a girl who was HIV-positive, and then didn't tell the next girl he slept with (within six months after). When he casually mentioned to her later that he'd tested negative, she didn't initially realize the significance.

Later, he indicated that he didn't realize HIV was that big of a deal, that he figured it was part of the anti-pleasure liberal fear campaign.

[cos]

Wait, I thought the anti-pleasure fear campaign was conservative these days. Huh.

[integreillumine.livejournal.com]

He was a 2nd-gen Oist who didn't trust health-info put out that supported things like, say, limiting cigarette smoking.

[cos]

Oist?

[integreillumine.livejournal.com]

Objectivist ~ Ayn Rand fan/supporter/follower.

[cos]

Ahah! Never heard/seen them referred to as "Oists" before.

My housemate Valerie thinks an Oist is someone who plays the O.

My housemate Molly thinks she'd like someone to play her O.

Valerie is disturbed by Molly's interpretation.

[gravitrue.livejournal.com]

Well, the most obvious historical example I can think of is "Let them eat cake".

My mom has immense amounts of chutzpah, but is generally aware of this, so that when she does things like compel an NYC subway car full of morning commuters to sing happy birthday to her, or hails a cab on the NJ Turnpike, it is with full knowledge.

[rightkindofme.livejournal.com]

"My mom has immense amounts of chutzpah, but is generally aware of this, so that when she does things like compel an NYC subway car full of morning commuters to sing happy birthday to her"

This is so full of win. I like your mom already.

[ellipticcurve.livejournal.com]

My workplace has a shuttle service to and from the airport. (This is not as odd as you might think. We're very near the airport, and a LOT of us are traveling ALL THE TIME.) The shuttle makes only two stops: airport and campus.
So. I was taking the shuttle back from the airport. The only other person aboard the shuttle with me demands to be let off at the corner of whatever and whatever. I find this odd--she's been working here longer than me, and even I know that the shuttle doesn't do that. Driver guy says sorry, no can do.
"Well," says the lady, "I'm sure you can make an EXCEPTION." Just this unbelievably snotty tone of voice.
Driver says no, sorry, insurance won't let him make random stops for people who have mistaken him for a taxi or something. (Actually, he just says that the insurance doesn't let him make unscheduled stops. I filled in the rest in the privacy of my head.)
Lady gets ANGRY. After some invective directed his way, she turns to me and rants about how the service has gone downhill since HER day, blah blah blah, and it's probably because he's MEXICAN and everyone knows they're lazy, etc. (The driver was Hispanic, but spoke great English when I exchanged pleasantries with him earlier. And he was within earshot, of course.)
I am mild-mannered to a fault, but still.
"Dude," I said, forcefully, "He could lose his JOB. What if he lets you off and something happens to you there?"
Lady's face falls, then turns to anger.
"You know what? Why don't you mind your own business?"
I contrive to ignore her for the rest of the trip (not difficult, as it's nearly over). I hand the driver my business card, so he knows he has backup in case the lady decides to file a complaint or something. Guy smiles and says that that kind of behavior isn't uncommon.

I weep for humanity sometimes.

[sadisticseraph.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure this actually counts but a friend of mine who was about 23 or 24 bought a bottle of wine. When the clerk said "I guess I'll have to see some I.D." my friend heard "I guess I don't have to see and I.D." so my friend said "No, you don't." and took the wine.

[sadisticseraph.livejournal.com]

Ok, I've got one that's probably more relevant.
A co-worker from my ticket job was working in the window and a woman (for reasons I don't remember but which weren't particularly compelling) wanted a refund. We don't give refunds, period, and he is in no position of power to make an exception, nor can he reach anyone who is. So he simply says "no" in as many polite ways that he can think of. Finally he said "Look mam, I'm sorry, but I'm just doing my job." to which she replies "Yeah, like the Nazis" At which point he barely overcame the desire to kill her and refused to speak to her anymore.

[eirias.livejournal.com]

From my recent experience, there's this (http://eirias.livejournal.com/291860.html) (woman calls me expecting a list of everyone who's called for her since September).

This (http://www.andiamnotlying.com/2008/murky-coffee-arlington-hold-that-espresso-between-your-knees/) might also count -- the customer, not the employee (customer pissed off because a coffee shop won't serve him an espresso shot over ice).

[cos]

I remember that first story, and you're right, it's perfect!

Second link doesn't seem to work. Times out and I get a server error every time :(

[estheruth.livejournal.com]

I have many many stories about this. Telling you them would violate HIPPA, and would also involve bodily fluids.

[mattblum.livejournal.com]

At my brother and sister-in-law's wedding 15 years ago, my now-ex-wife and I were chatting with my SIL's (Christian) uncle at the reception. He'd had a few drinks, but still seemed reasonably lucid. Somehow we got to discussing religion. He knew my brother and I were Jewish (this is important to the story).

"Jews and Christians are pretty much the same, right?" he asked.
"Well, there are similarities, sure," my ex-wife or I (I don't remember who) said.
"I mean, we believe in the same things," he said.
"Weeeellll," one of us said, "some of the same things, sure."
"I mean," he clarified, "we all believe in Jesus as our savior, right?"

My ex-wife and I were flabbergasted, of course, but I managed to say "Uhhh, no, that's pretty much the biggest difference."

[cos]

*laugh* Just cluelessness, without the other aspects. Still a fun story though.

[listgirl.livejournal.com]

OHOH OH! I have one. but I can't tell you because the person who did it may very well see it. My mom brought it to my attention. It's kind of crazy really. Just pretend I told you and gasp in horror.

[cos]

I can't gasp in horror convincingly if I don't feel it! You should email me :)

[adaptively.livejournal.com]

Oh! Like my now-ex, who claimed that blockading me in a room and throwing things at me wasn't abusive, and I shouldn't call the cops, because none of the things he'd thrown had ever hit me! :D

(The icing on the cupcake-of-loathing involved him sliding photocopies from a self-help book about learning to respect your romantic partner under my door. LOL.)

[cos]

Hah. The last part especially. He had a lot of blagojevich to do that! Perfect example.

[jedusor.livejournal.com]

Hi! I've seen your comments around all over LJ, and OkCupid just spat your profile at me with a 98% match, so I figured it might be time to check out your blog. I know this post is ancient news, but here's another tale of blagojevich for you.

An ex of mine with whom I'd stayed friends called me once, saying he needed to talk to someone. A woman he knew had just sent him a text message informing him that she had breast cancer and asking him not to tell anyone, and he wanted to rant at me about the fact that she'd told him via a text. He felt that it was impersonal. Upon my suggestions that a) he should be focusing on her needs rather than his just then and b) he shouldn't be identifying her by name to me if she had asked him not to tell anyone, he blew up at me for being insensitive to his feelings.

[cos]

Hey there. That's a perfect story, just the sort I was looking for! Clearly he had no clue what he was missing, which is when people show true blagojevich.

98%? I think we should meet! Feel free to write me there. Huh, and I notice we have several LJ friends in common.

[jedusor.livejournal.com]

Sure. I'm in Worcester, but I come out to the Boston area every now and then. I'm sorryihaveacat on OkCupid. :)