Shared spaces require a little consideration from everyone. Communal areas like parks and fields are not private property, and people generally need to learn to coexist with others who use them differently.
A woman didn’t seem to understand this fundamental tenet of being a sensible adult when she tried to chase a fellow dog owner out of a shared field. She apparently wanted the entire space for herself under the guise of protecting her pets’ safety.
Unfortunately for her, the person she crossed wasn’t backing down that easily. And she learned her lesson about basic human decency the hard way.
Shared spaces like parks and fields are not private property, nor should anyone treat them as such
This woman, however, wanted an entire field for herself
Unfortunately for her, the fellow dog owner she crossed wasn’t having it
At this point, the author started hatching a petty revenge plot
The plan worked like a charm
The author also clarified some comments on the story
People who feel psychological ownership toward something public are more likely to gatekeep it
Based on the author’s account, the woman suddenly came up and staked a claim to the field without saying it directly. According to experts like University of Wisconsin professor Joann Peck, some people may feel ownership toward something they can manipulate. In this case, she may have thought she could have the entire field for herself and felt she could gatekeep it.
“If you can physically control something, you feel more ownership. And anything you feel ownership for, you’re going to feel more responsible for and take better care of,” Peck explained.
According to Peck, people who claim ownership of a public space care more about it. But in the story’s case, the woman wanted it for herself, which drove her to push the other person away.
This kind of entitled behavior causes friction among people, strangers or otherwise. If you’re dealing with the former, you may have a harder time than handling the arrogance of someone you knew.
You can never reason with someone who refuses to properly communicate
Dealing with anyone who refuses to reason as a sensible person will always be difficult, almost impossible, even. And the person who loses their cool first will likely be the reason the situation goes off the rails.
That is why most experts offer one common piece of advice: stay calm and show empathy. The NSW Government even has a strategy referred to as LOWLINE:
Listen to the other person’s concerns, Offer reflective comments, Wait until the person has released their frustrations, Look and maintain appropriate eye contact, Incline your head slightly to show you are listening, Nod to confirm you understood the issue, and express empathy.
But when facing an entitled individual, you sometimes might need to make exceptions. In this story’s case, the author chose petty revenge. It didn’t hurt anyone and got the message across.
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