Community Chat

[beach-mom]

In San Francisco, two women were waiting to check out at the Nordstrom Rack store. The first woman was babysitting her 2-year old nephew. She took a toy from him, and the boy started throwing a tantrum (of course that's NEVER happened to any of us!). The woman behind her in line "asked her to quiet the boy down" (in the 2nd woman's words). The first woman told her to "mind her own business" - again, this is all from the 2nd woman's perspective. The two women argued, then the first woman followed the 2nd to the parking lot, beat and punched, and sat on her. That was all caught on surveillance tape. No word on what she did with her nephew before she attacked the second woman. Now the first woman has been sentenced to 4 months in jail and has to attend anger management classes.

I certainly don't condone any violence, and I think the first woman went to extremes and should be punished.

But I have to wonder what would have happened if the second woman, who is 20, had been a little more sympathetic to a woman struggling with a crying child. I've been in that situation too (as the second woman) and the woman with a crying child will turn around and apologize. I always say, "That's OK - we've all been there," or "Must be nap time," or something else to put the woman at ease.

When DD was three she threw herself down on the floor of the mall, kicking and screaming. I could barely pick her up she was struggling so much. I got her to the car and put her in the car seat, while she was still sobbing and arching her back when I tried to get her in. We pulled out from the parking space and she was asleep before we left the lot! I got some strange looks, but no one was unkind. Today, the police would probably show up to investigate. 

Does anyone else who lives in the San Franciso area know anything else about this story?

Again, I think the woman should be punished and attend anger management classes, but I'm not sure I agree with the jail sentence. What do you all think? 

[blackhole99]

You never know how people are going to respond today, so unless you have something nice to say, keep your mouth shut.

[Bird mama]

Am I understanding it correctly that the first woman with the kid, deliberately followed the second woman into the lot to knock her out?

[hckynutjohn]

I think "assult and battery" is a crime and should be punished as such.

[luv-the-Q]

I think the first woman was a rude hothead and the second woman was rude and inconsiderate.  Neither has any class.

[Laura14]

Forget the child aspect.  If she beat and punched and sat on someone who was walking away from her and no longer causing an issue (and the only issue it seemed she caused was maybe a fresh mouth), that's assault and battery.  

Actually the fact that this aunt had a child with her who may have witnessed her incredibly violent bad behavior is even more egregious in my opinion.  I can't even imagine a child watching that.  They must have been terrified.  I say good for the judge.  I hope she serves all four months.  

[Puzzle Piece]

The first woman deliberately took a toy from a child??? Why? Sounds like a not nice person to me.

She also followed the other out to the parking lot to beat on her - again that sounds like a bully and an abusive person. 

Saw a mom make a child cry - Yes, she made the 1-/2 year old cry deliberately so she could deliberately hit her in front of her friends at the table at a restaurant.  Of course we all had to hear the screams of the child and have our meals/conversations disrupted.  that was not a mom, a real mom.  Just another bully who gave birth and harms things. 

[YorkieonmyPillow]

@beach-mom - why shouldn't she have to go to jail? She followed the woman and beat the ****** out of her.

Just because someone is rude or unsympathetic doesn't give you the right to assault them! SMH

[NoelSeven]

I remember this story from quite awhile ago, it was discussed on Viewpoints.  Maybe as long as a year ago.  I think there was also video of one woman following the other in the parking lot.  I don't know if anything else ever came of it.

FYI:  The Nordstrom's Rack in question isn't in San Francisco, it's in Colma.

[Peaches McPhee]

Unless the line in the store was snaking through the store, they would not have to wait that  long.  Not long enough for the first woman to be that annoyed at the crying child.  She could have bit her tongue for the length of time it takes to go through a store check out.

Both women have frighteningly short fuses.  

The only one with criminal behavior if the mother of the crying child, though.