HB: Mind Ya Business

I was on my lunch break the other day when I slid my card across the counter to pay for my meal. The man behind me, in what I believe he thought was a noble act, told me to watch how I held my card because he could see the numbers on it.

"My numbers?"
"Yeah, your numbers."

And that was that. He didn't accompany this sage wisdom with a warm smile or follow-up information, he merely looked down his nose at me and carried on with his day. I, on the other hand, had to swallow some serious attitude.

In a preface, I understand that this was supposed to be a form of helpful advice, but it was the most condescending encounter with a stranger I've ever had.

If I'd have thought he could have handled my truth, I would have asked him whether it was because I was young or a woman that he assumed I didn't understand or care about identity theft. I would have asked him how he'd prefer me to hold my card to hand it to a man who needed to see it. (I assume he'd have wanted the card cupped between my hands, only uncovering it when the cashier's sweaty hands overlapped mine.) I would have asked him if he could have recalled all of the information required to use my card for a transaction on the Internet since I've never seen someone pay for their meal at a Subway using a debit card number sans debit card. I would have asked him if he shreds all of his important documents and safeguards his computer, if he covers up the keypad every time he enters his pin number, if he has a long enough password for his bank account.

I would have asked him to mind his own fucking business.

But I didn't. He was obviously a crotchety old man who thought he was doing a good deed, but he was merely exacerbating my distaste for this horrible two-step that some people do back and forth over a very specific line between being friendly and being a nosey asshole. There's a big difference.

I'll take a good samaritan any day of the week, but the next time someone tries to get in my business merely for the sake of it, I might have to give them the Honest Bitch slapdown. Or, ya know, get on here and complain about it again.

If you have any ideas for HB entries or gonnas, email me at imgonnadothatgirl@gmail.com!