A not-so-little rant

Sorry, folks, no pictures today. Instead you get to read about the old grouch Magdalena and I had a run-in with on the metro...

Coming home today from teaching English class, the metro was quite crowded. We got on the car where there are spots reserved for strollers, but it was so crowded that we didn't get all the way into our nook. At one stop, an elderly man got on and said something behind me about the seat nearby. I told him he could sit down. "Of course! I know I can sit down!" He fussed at me. I thought that perhaps he'd misheard me, so I smiled weakly at him and rearranged the stroller's position.

Not 2 seconds after he sat down, he began railing me that the stroller should be on the other side of the car. I pointed to the sign saying that strollers could be where we were and politely, but firmly, informed him of this and that there wasn't any room on the other side. In a raised voice, he insisted that strollers can also be on the other side and that I was blocking the doorway. (We weren't.) Two ladies across the car - bless their souls! - shouted to the man I could be where I was. He wouldn't stop his ranting though. Since I couldn't tell him he was rude and to shut up (that would be very unchristlike), but that was all I wanted to say, I merely turned the stroller so that my back was to him.

Guess that still wasn't showing Christlikeness, but at least it ended the conversation and saved me from crying in his face from anger! After the car cleared out, I moved to the other side. One of the ladies previously mentioned (a defender), said to me that he wasn't nice. I agreed saying even though I don't understand Czech well, I knew he wasn't nice. It made me feel better to know that at least someone sided with me!

Czech Grandmas are notorious for fussing at young mothers on how to care for their babies properly, but I've never been scolded more strongly than by this Czech Grandpa!