Patronizing people.

Over the course of my life in this world, I have had the displeasure of being interrupted by patronizing people who absolutely believe they have a greater understanding of all things related to me. Tonight was one of those moments.

Coming out of the post office and untying my dog's leash from a side door, some random woman starts talking to me from halfway inside her car. Of course not understanding a word she's saying, because she's talking to her car window, I say to her, "Excuse me, I didn't hear what you were saying; something about my dog?"

With a gesture of disgust - as indicated by her frown and her slightly rolled eyes - she stepped one leg outside of the car and roll down her window down halfway. She then pointed out that she's had my 'type' of dog in the past and that she could tell that my dog was nervous around a 'strange' (her exact description) person.

Of course, knowing my dog, I thanked her and told her that, in fact, it was not necessary because my dog is actually quite good around strangers whom he does not trust. Clearly this frustrated her, because she had to explain again, that in fact, she had to stand there to watch my dog because there was a strange person that my dog was afraid of, and that I shouldn't tie my dog up outside alone.

Now, at this point, I'm trying to explain to her that she doesn't know my dog and that my dog is very good around strangers when left alone. While talking to her, I contemplated going into depth about how my dog walks off leash, and has done perfectly fine - including not eating donuts from strangers - when tied up over at least a thousand times, outside the supermarket and the post office, and how he'll actually pull out of his collar and run away to find me if something is wrong.

Before I could relate stories of my dog's intelligence, apparently I had set her off. In a rush of disgust, she exclaimed as she closed her door - again talking through her car window to talk to me - that, "Okay, well I'm just making it up, then!"

Now, throughout the brief conversation to which I stepped towards her to politely inquire what it was that she was trying to say to me, it was clear that she thought that she knew my dog better than myself, because of her past experiences with my dog's breed. But her last words to me - to which she left without giving me a chance to respond - solidified the point that in fact, she was not looking to converse. Rather, her entire intent of speaking to me was to issue her reprimand and instructions on how things ought to be done.

I wonder if she stayed overnight at the Holiday Inn?