Do you ever make up stories about people you see in public?
By The Horse
@TheHorse (217891)
Walnut Creek, California
January 31, 2016 10:34pm CST
I was just at the Chevron station near my house. It's on a main thoroughfare between some nice neighborhoods and some not so nice neighborhoods. You see all sorts of people there.
This evening, there was a woman in front of me in line. She was 30 or so, almost pretty, and looked angry. She was tossing $1 bills at the cashier (an older guy who is nice) and acting as if he didn't exist as a human being. She moved fast but didn't speak to the kind old man. My first thought was "meth head." Finally, she said, "$18 on...pump 6." She stormed out, not listening as he repeated what she said to make sure he had it right.
I knew as I headed toward my truck that she'd be driving some old beater, and probably returning home to her meth-head boyfriend who beat her regularly.
What I saw instead was a really nice grey BMW wit no plates on it yet. My "story" had been dead wrong.
As I drove off, I couldn't help but wonder. Was she an "entitled" Walnut Creek house wife? A drug dealer? A prostitute? The low-life girlfriend of a professional athlete?
I was (metaphorically) scratching my head the whole way home.
Do you ever make up stories about people you see? Do you ever wind up dead wrong and/or confused?
13 people like this
12 responses
@paigea (36318)
• Canada
1 Feb 16
@TheHorse your suspicions have substance, as when it happened to me I am sure I remained scrupulously polite. And that no one saw how flustered and frustrated I actually was with my hair mussed and my face flushed and trying to rush home to relieve the babysitter!
1 person likes this
@irishidid (8687)
• United States
1 Feb 16
I believe you read a book (so to speak) by its cover. ;)
3 people like this
@mommaj (23112)
• United States
1 Feb 16
Maybe she feels entitled, had a bad day and is taking it out on the world, or the first thing that popped into my head was a stripper. ONES.
Interesting. So did you judge her because of the way she was acting or the way she looked? Just because you have money doesn't mean you are a nice person, nor does it mean you are entitled.
3 people like this
@infatuatedbby (94914)
• United States
1 Feb 16
I have to admit, sometimes I may judge. 
But not career wise though, heh. Just sometimes if the person is rude ~ I would be like I hope I won't ever come across that lady again!
I thought your story would be about finding $50 since I looked at the picture first, lol 
Maybe she's a gambler? $1 bill's because she's angry she lost and has a nice car??
But not career wise though, heh. Just sometimes if the person is rude ~ I would be like I hope I won't ever come across that lady again!
I thought your story would be about finding $50 since I looked at the picture first, lol
Maybe she's a gambler? $1 bill's because she's angry she lost and has a nice car??2 people like this
@infatuatedbby (94914)
• United States
1 Feb 16
@TheHorse Doesn't want to use a credit card to rank up more debt from gambling. 
Any casinos nearby your area?
Any casinos nearby your area?2 people like this
@TheHorse (217891)
• Walnut Creek, California
1 Feb 16
@infatuatedbby Yep. We're teeming with them in California.
2 people like this
@infatuatedbby (94914)
• United States
1 Feb 16
@TheHorse Or, maybe she just wanted to get rid of spare change. I know I paid about $20 worth for gas in all dollar bills before. And before I even go to pay - I will make a quick explanation, I am getting rid of my change.
I know I paid about $20 worth for gas in all dollar bills before. And before I even go to pay - I will make a quick explanation, I am getting rid of my change.2 people like this
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
1 Feb 16
I think we all do lol. She was probably and unhappy housewife with too much time on her hands,
3 people like this
@mommaj (23112)
• United States
1 Feb 16
@fishtiger58 Like me except I don't have a husband. HAHAHA
@TheHorse maybe the car was older than what you thought and not worth as much.
3 people like this
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
1 Feb 16
@TheHorse Yup he probably did lol poor thing
1 person likes this
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
1 Feb 16
Sometlmes I have and i found outI was wrong.; I saw this handsome man andwished he was singl e. I wondered if he was not a eacher. I fo und out e was the husband of my boss and too he was a detective. My boss introduced him to use. The madfe a lovel pair,bot reall good l ookng and smart and fun to know.
2 people like this
@DaddyEvil (137249)
• United States
1 Feb 16
Hmmm... pony... Interesting.
Yes, I do think about and wonder what type of life someone may have when I see them in line somewhere... I like to be entertained as well as entertaining to others. Just because other people don't know they are entertaining me is no reason not to indulge in it!
Quite often the scenario I envision for that person matches up with other clues you see while watching them. (Surreptitiously, of course.)
The young woman in your scenario could be several different things and any of them could have an attitude such as you describe, pony... The most off the wall one I can supply right now would be that she is a pole dancer driving a car supplied by her lover. He didn't fill the tank before dropping off the car, so she is angry and taking out the anger on the clerk.
I would be willing to lay you odds that she is in some type of public service industry, either really a dancer, a sales clerk of some type or a waitress, possibly. It seems like when someone is rude to a public service worker, that person turns out to be a public service worker themselves or used to work in public service of some type.
2 people like this
@Marilynda1225 (82582)
• United States
2 Feb 16
I love to people watch and make up stories all the time
@karlmarxx (91)
•
1 Feb 16
i guess we often judge people and many a time we do get wrong.
2 people like this
