Since moving to California, a British woman has found everyone she has met to be “so polite and kind.” However, a trip to the pharmacy changes that when she has her first experience with a rude Karen. The woman is shocked at how the lady’s behavior is publicly tolerated, despite butting her out of line and making a scene.
Apparently, it takes the pharmacist too long to look through her family’s records. The woman hears over her shoulder, “Hey, are you going to be much longer?” Her attempts to ignore the lady don’t work as she shouts, “I’m only here for a script! Why is she taking so long?” The pharmacist tells her to wait her turn, with the woman thinking the lady should mind her own business. As the lady hovers, the British woman can’t take it anymore. She suggests letting her go first, as she could “feel her pacing up and down behind [her].” The behavior makes her feel uncomfortable.
Despite stepping aside and allowing the lady to go forward, this is not enough. The California Karen snaps, “Will you move out of the way? This is private.” She takes a few more steps back. At this point, the other customers are “looking over because she was so loud.” However, the British woman chooses to take the high road and reminds herself that perhaps this lady was having a bad day. The incident leaves her in shock as she explains that things like that don’t happen in the UK, as “people do not tolerate disrespect like that.” This would have gotten “a mouthful back.”
Mixed Reactions To The California Karen
The woman’s shock has caught the attention of those who have mixed reactions to how the situation was handled. While no one is surprised at the lady’s rudeness, some believe she should have been confrontational. Others think she reacts perfectly. While some blame Walgreens and tell her that she shouldn’t “take it personally.”
One commenter doesn’t like that the woman chooses to move: “Don’t ever reward bad behavior.” The British woman explains, “I was so surprised at the rudeness I wasn’t really sure how to react.” Another calls out the California lady, saying, “Even if she was having a bad day, there is no excuse for that rude behavior.” One wouldn’t take the high road, claiming, “I would have made the encounter at the window twice as long as it needed to be.” Another says it’s okay if the behavior shocks her and to give it time, “It’s a bit of a culture shock! There’ll come a day when you react.”
Another sympathizes, stating, “There’s rude people all over the world.” Others blame the California Walgreens for the behavior, with one saying, “Everyone is angry at Walgreens.” The woman agrees, having made the same observation: “I said the same to my husband; everyone in the store seemed really angry.” Another has a theory as to why everyone is angry, “They have the WORST customer service, so you get bad customers + bad staff.” Another says she did the right thing, “Best to keep angry interactions to a minimum.” One commenter agrees that it is good to “always be the better person.”
