A Sense of Doubt blog post #2531 - Verbally assaulted by maskless guy wearing "Let's Go Brandon" hoodie in grocery store

A Sense of Doubt blog post #2531 - Verbally assaulted by maskless guy wearing "Let's Go Brandon" hoodie in grocery store

So, let's see: what did I get for my birthday?

I got a COVID scare, but then a negative test.

Instead of Covid, I got some mutant flu that made me feel awful and had some gastro-intestinal effects I will let you imagine.

I did have a nice dinner at Takibi in Portland (see below).

And then I was treated to a verbal assault by a maskless guy in a Let's Go Brandon hoodie in the Safeway grocery store.

First, let me start by explaining that like many of you I have been trying to manage my outrage just in general with the state of our country and its people.

I have particularly been trying to manage the outrage when I am out in public, especially at the grocery store, because there are so many people who defy the mask mandate. The grocery store can barely staff the cashiers, stockers, butcher/baker/deli, and so on let alone dedicating one or more people to only admit those into the store wearing a mask and properly wearing one.

I get that.

Early in the pandemic, I did say things to people, especially if they were too close to me.

Given this recent Covid scare of my own,  I wanted to tell people to put on a mask or pull it up over their nose, but I choose not to be that person. As I wrote, I am trying to manage my outrage, AND I just don't want to be super negative.

Then again, when I am back in my class room in the week ahead, I plan to re-iterate the school policy on masks, and I am going to refuse to talk a student within six feet if they are not wearing their mask over their nose. PERIOD.

I am probably going to get the Omicron variant (or one of the next mutations currently incubating in the unvaccinated) like we all will given how contagious it is, but that doesn't mean I WANT TO GET IT. So, I am actively working to avoid it.

Anyway, at the grocery store, I have been making a conscious effort to not roll my eyes, stare with rage, or even feel rage at these irresponsible people who care more about this misguided concept of "personal freedom" than the health of other people around them.

During this incident, I was making a special effort as the first two people I saw -- a mother and her teenaged son --- were maskless despite the big sign on the door about the mask mandate.

This incident happened tomorrow by the date of this blog: Sunday January 23rd. But since I had not finished it yet, I abandoned what I had planned to do and tell you this story instead. I had planned a recap style post with lots of images and text about my life, my work, and my birthday, which is kind of a milestone.

Instead, I get this asshole yelling at me in the Safeway.

So, I am coming up this aisle, and I see him. No mask. "Let's Go Brandon" hoodie. Just like the picture above. Beard. Gray-ing hair. Huge chest on this guy to best display his euphemistic slogan. Maybe 40-50, maybe older. Couldn't tell and don't care.

There's an cart sitting in the aisle, and he stops behind it. I stop a couple dozen feet away, hoping he's going to go around the cart and go by. I am happy to get out of his way. I don't really want to pass him at all, so part of me is thinking I should just turn around. But I am waiting to see what he will do.

Now, sure, I think he's hoodie is stupid.

I wrote about that here:

Saturday, December 4, 2021

A Sense of Doubt blog post #2482 - Let's Go Brandon Stupidity - Weekly Hodge Podge for 2112.04

And as I wrote, I am trying to manage my outrage about everything, but honestly, I didn't even really take in that he wasn't wearing a mask at first because of the huge euphemism stretched across his chest.

And I have written about the mask thing many times, like here:

Thursday, August 26, 2021

A Sense of Doubt blog post #2382 - Washington State Mask and Vaccination Mandates

and here

Friday, April 23, 2021

A Sense of Doubt blog post #2257 - DON'T BE A MASK-HOLE - slow the re-opening down

BTW, what follows is not 100% accurate. It all happened so fast, and I was getting very angry. I do not remember verbatim exactly what was said. I figure my account is 88-90% accurate at least.

Anyway, so, we're in a stand off.

No one words have been spoken yet.

I was just waiting for him.

So, he decides to move and goes around the cart and passes me. I head for the space he vacated, and I hear him say:

"Do you have something to say?"

I turn around.

"Excuse me?"

"Do you have something to say? You were staring at me aggressively."

I am bewildered. I thought I was managing my outrage pretty well. Either I was not. Or this guy is SUPER SELF-CONSCIOUS.

"I really wasn't." I start to leave.

Then he says something about how it's because he's maskless and wearing his hoodie.

Okay, asshole, I think. Bring it.

"Well, your shirt is pathetic," I say, continuing to walk away and get the fuck away from this lunatic who for all I know has a gun under the hoodie for when he gets the dog whistle to start shooting the libs, which somehow I am, though my plain blue rain coat and plain black KN95 mask have nothing to identify me as such.

I can't remember what he said to that, but I just turn to walk away with a "fuck you, asshole" because at this point I feel that's justified.

Then he says something about "pussies like you who say things and walk away because you're not going to do anything about it."

Again, this gets me to turn around, advance a little, and say "excuse me?" again.

There's some more, I forget what was said. I know I got in another "well, your shirt is pathetic" but I also re-asserted that I WAS NOT staring at him aggressively as he asserts again and that "I am just trying to do my shopping here, and I don't need this shit" because I can feel my blood pressure going through the roof.

Eventually, we're both exiting, but I do get in something about him being "triggered" and being "self-conscious for wearing his pathetic euphemism."

AND THEN, I try to calm the fuck down.

Deep breaths. Deep breaths. Made me forget the oatmeal. We're out of oatmeal.

I continue my shopping, carefully checking each aisle for him because at this point I am going to actively avoid him. When I get to the check out, I survey the whole area to make sure I do not see him. And then out in the parking lot, I am very concerned that he is laying in wait for me with his Glock or whatever.

I tell there cashier and the bagger about the experience. They agree that the guy was obviously self-conscious and triggered. I leave out my feelings about the "Let's Go Brandon" hoodie. The customer behind me makes some good jokes about being triggered just hearing the story, and how he has a thick skin so this would not bother him. Well, it bothered me. The customer is wearing a Jacksonville Jaguars jersey, so we joke about football losers since I am a Lions fan.

I do manage to calm down.

Deep breaths.

Deep breaths.

Wednesday, October 27, 2021

A Sense of Doubt blog post #2444 - I Don't Know How to Explain to You to Care About Other People

and

Saturday, April 10, 2021

A Sense of Doubt blog post #2244 - PATRIOTISM IS THE RELIGION OF HELL - Don't Carry a Flag Flat - Weekly Hodge Podge for 2104.10

But this asshole in Safeway confirms several theories I have.

One theory is that he attacked me because he is self-conscious because deep down he knows that being

without a mask is a huge fuck you to everyone around him, dangerous, and demonstrative that he doesn't care about other people.

Deep down these people know that their ideas are just wrong, and so resistance triggers them. I think this is a lot of the "own the libs" and "make libs cry" bullshit is all about. Over-compensating.

And do not even get me started on security-insecurity and men and beards (facial hair).

Clearly, I need to work on my "aggressive stare."

Happy birthday to me.

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- Bloggery committed by chris tower - 2201.22 - 10:10

- Days ago = 2395 days ago

- New note - On 1807.06, I ceased daily transmission of my Hey Mom feature after three years of daily conversations. I plan to continue Hey Mom posts at least twice per week but will continue to post the days since ("Days Ago") count on my blog each day. The blog entry numbering in the title has changed to reflect total Sense of Doubt posts since I began the blog on 0705.04, which include Hey Mom posts, Daily Bowie posts, and Sense of Doubt posts. Hey Mom posts will still be numbered sequentially. New Hey Mom posts will use the same format as all the other Hey Mom posts; all other posts will feature this format seen here.