"How wude!" - Jar Jar Binks

I am the picture of politeness, or at least I try to be, when out it public. I always say 'excuse me' when I need to get through an aisle, or when I walk in front of someone as they're perusing the merchandise. I have a problem with people who are so self-focused that they are not aware of those around them, or how their actions affect others.
In my family of jokesters, and smart-alecks, however, instead of saying 'Excuse me' when accidentally, or (more likely) purposely bumping into someone, we usually say 'Excuse YOU'. Of course this is only done with immediate family, and in good humor. As of today, however, I've decided that I should probably stop saying it at home if I don't want to say it elsewhere.

As I was walking through the mall with my munchkin, some rude guy elbowed by, and managed to bump into me pretty forcefully. Immediately, without even thinking, I said "Excuse YOU".
I guess I just can't be polite ALL the time.

He half turned and looked at me in surprise, but I don't know what he was so shocked about. Did he not notice that he'd nearly bowled me over in his haste to get out the door? Did he mistake me for a mannequin? Maybe he had that disorder where you can't feel anything...so he was unaware that he'd made hard contact with another human. Or maybe he was just rude, and too caught up in himself to be bothered with common courtesy.


Who knows? Who cares? I excused him.