We have a hardware franchise called Bunnings that is for home and garden supplies. I was there to get gardening stuff, I was in an aisle with several people in it looking for my own items. An old man started talking to me about the weather and I was like ‘mmm’ then he asked me find him X item, I told him ‘I don’t work here, perhaps you can find an employee to help you?’ Then he kept asking me to find him the item, I kept telling him no and I don’t know what that is when I was trying to find my own items, I didn’t even know what the product he wanted is so even if I wanted to help him idk what tf he was looking for. I decided to start ignoring him and like a child he kept asking me to help him find this item, saying ‘excuse me, excuse me!, EXCUSE ME!’ then he was actually throwing a tantrum while I ignored him to the point he started shouting at me to help him.
Which actually got an employee to come running down the aisle to ask what was wrong. I kept ignoring the man, people were staring at us, and when the employee asked him what was wrong he basically shouted ‘Can you help me find X item because SHE won’t help me!’ as if it was my responsibility then the employee acted as if I was a villian because I wasn’t helping this man, turns out the item wasn’t even in the aisle I was in. This old man was just pacing around and out of all people in the aisles he saw me then decided to ask me to help him find the item. I think he wanted an excuse to try force me to hang out with his old ass, the employee came back to almost berate me for not helping the man and I also told the employee I still don’t work at bunnings/I’m not an employee.
I’m pissed off because people acted like I was the asshole when 1. That old man could have went and asked someone else after I said no or found an employee but decided to stand there and scream at me instead 2. I didn’t go there for a side quest with some old man who was roaming around looking for someone to bother. If he really wanted that item he would have moved on though it was like he was trying to pressure me to do what he wants via a tantrum.
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We have a hardware franchise called Bunnings that is for home and garden supplies. I was there to get gardening stuff, I was in an aisle with several people in it looking for my own items. An old man started talking to me about the weather and I was like ‘mmm’ then he asked me find him X item, I told him ‘I don’t work here, perhaps you can find an employee to help you?’ Then he kept asking me to find him the item, I kept telling him no and I don’t know what that is when I was trying to find my own items, I didn’t even know what the product he wanted is so even if I wanted to help him idk what tf he was looking for. I decided to start ignoring him and like a child he kept asking me to help him find this item, saying ‘excuse me, excuse me!, EXCUSE ME!’ then he was actually throwing a tantrum while I ignored him to the point he started shouting at me to help him.
Which actually got an employee to come running down the aisle to ask what was wrong. I kept ignoring the man, people were staring at us, and when the employee asked him what was wrong he basically shouted ‘Can you help me find X item because SHE won’t help me!’ as if it was my responsibility then the employee acted as if I was a villian because I wasn’t helping this man, turns out the item wasn’t even in the aisle I was in. This old man was just pacing around and out of all people in the aisles he saw me then decided to ask me to help him find the item. I think he wanted an excuse to try force me to hang out with his old ass, the employee came back to almost berate me for not helping the man and I also told the employee I still don’t work at bunnings/I’m not an employee.
I’m pissed off because people acted like I was the asshole when 1. That old man could have went and asked someone else after I said no or found an employee but decided to stand there and scream at me instead 2. I didn’t go there for a side quest with some old man who was roaming around looking for someone to bother. If he really wanted that item he would have moved on though it was like he was trying to pressure me to do what he wants via a tantrum.
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OP has offered the following explanation for why they think they might be the asshole:
> I didn’t want to help some old man who approached me to ask me to help him find things. People were looking at us and people (besides the employee) have expressed I should have helped him.
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Contest mode is 1.5 hours long on this post.
NTA. It wasn’t your responsibility, as you’ve said.
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NTA
you REPEATEDLY told him you didn’t work there (AND TO FIND AN EMPLOYEE) nor did you know what he was looking for, he blatantly ignored your requests. The employee also made a crummy action to blame you for not helping someone you literally can’t help, because you don’t know where (I’m assuming) a good majority of the stuff is in the store.
NTA. You don’t work there you said no and he threw a tantrum that’s on him not you.
Lmao nah you’re NTA at all. You’re just trying to buy your damn gardening stuff, not get drafted into a side quest from some random old dude throwing a public tantrum. You told him multiple times you didn’t work there and didn’t know what the item was like what more were you supposed to do? Magically become a Bunnings employee and product expert just for him?
The real AH here is the guy for refusing to take no for an answer, and honestly the employee too for acting like you were obligated to help. You’re a customer, not unpaid staff. The entitlement is wild. Good on you for holding your ground and not letting the guilt trip win.
Also, the whole “SHE won’t help me!!” line is giving toddler energy. Who raised him??
Yta. Not for not helping the old man, but allowing the actual ppl that work there to berate you.
I would have made a complaint to customer services about their behaviour.
You’re not staff. If the old guy needed something heavy lifted off a shelf and got injured, you’d be injured. The stored employees insurance wouldn’t cover u.
Its not your problem, but it is sad if he was that lonely.
Sounds like maybe he had dementia. You couldn’t help, that’s fine and your NTA for that. But you could have explained casually to the employee that you’ve stated over and over again that you can’t help them and they won’t leave you alone. I can see why the employee would look at you weird if you were still intentionally ignoring what was now both of them.
NTA. Bunnings have a ton of staff whose whole job is helping.
When this happens to me I give a firm “I don’t work here” and move some distance away (which is a massive pisser if that’s where my stuff was), but I have the kind of face where people ask me shit in shops all the time. Either that or bad fashion sense.
NTA You politely told him you didn’t work there, and couldn’t help him.
It’s on him if he decides to lose his temper.
Older people can be a trial and I are one. We can’t hear as well, we make mistaken assumptions, and we can be ridiculously stubborn. Regrettably, you won the Trifecta. He was alk three, and threw in rude for a bargain.
Of course NTA but he sure was.
YTA. Dementia is a thing.
NTA. I would have complained about the Bunnings idiot too. Hope you got an extra snag on the way out
NTA. Make a complaint. That staff member was beyond out of line and should be out of a job
Next time I’m in a hardware store, I’m going to ask for fork handles.