How to shake off some young harassing punks (or how to stop being "that guy")?

Question

I once briefly worked at an establishment with some younger people. I'm almost 30, they were more like 19-21. Somehow I became some kind of joke to them. They didn't really bother me when I worked with them, but I could tell I was probably a popular target of jokes at their after-work hangout (for example).

It's been over a year since I worked there, but fairly often, at least once a week, I'll be driving around town and spot one of them or a group of them in their cars. At the very least they'll smirk, and then turn and comment to each other as I pass, or sometimes they'll actually shout things.

For a while it was easy for me to brush it off. I'm a mature adult, college-educated, with goals, deep relationships and all that stuff. As far as I can tell, they are some young punks who are still in the "driving around passing the pipe with their friends" stage of life.

I have some difficult things happening in life right now, so to know that when I leave the house and go out to do the day's business, I may be laughed at by some naive little *******, doesn't help much.

What can I do to stop them? I never really respond to them, I just keep driving/walking/whatever the case may be. But contrary to the typical advice of "Just ignore them, they'll get tired of it and stop" they haven't stopped. I seem to be permanently imprinted on them as some guy to make fun of.

My patience is running out, and it's starting to make me furious. But they haven't done enough that I could call the cops or anything, though I will given half an excuse.

Any ideas on either how to cope with this, or ideally, how to stop them? It's just really, irritating and sad and I don't need it right now.

Answer 1

"All the world's indeed a stage and we are merely players"

For a start, stop whining about "being that guy" and simply stop. Why would you care what young & dumb kids busily passing the pipe around laugh at?  They probably laugh at their own reflections.  Since anything in their world is potential for a guffaw, that means you too- along with the rest of the world.  Do you get upset at the improper use of grammer by a homeless person shouting at passing traffic?

If you don't care for the comments, see if they can give as good as they get.  Tell em you're going to the hardware store and wonder if they need any lightbulbs, since theirs aren't on upstairs- whatever.  

Some people laid-back & friendly- others are uptight & aloof, some are self-absorbed, others selfless. The world is full of all types, so why get upset when you run across any particular specimen?

If you choose to be upset by the opinions of "young punks" you have no one to blame but yourself.  Tell them if you've got an issue with their behavior, but getting bent over what you think they're thinking is just crazy talk.

Perhaps it's simply their lot in life to be stupid.  You can leave them to it, or not...

Answer 2

Yeah, I'm in the same situation except I still work with the little b-itches and they are friends with the manager (who is apparently in a mid-life crises and is desperately trying to hold on to her long-gone youth!). I can only hope these people will be in my shoes at some point. Hang in there.

Answer 3

You need professional psychiatric help.  Which can not be done on yahoo's answer.

Answer 4

I guess your from a really small town or something if you are always running into the same punks huh?  It's a tough question to answer and I'm sure it gets old having them talk about you like you are a nobody who doesn't have feelings.  But the truth is short of taking a baseball bat to their face and going to jail there is little you can do save for what you have been doing and that is ignoring them.  

And if you want alternative advice, I used a book called change your aura, change your life to help me cope with a negative work situation.  Your attitude will change as you call and use the color ray meditations into your life and there is even one to change or turn around neg work situations/others attitudes toward you.  Your giving off the wrong vibe.  Anyway there was this guy who used to give me problems at work but since I had changed myself/attitude I changed how I dealt with him.  You can get the book on Amazon.

Answer 5

I sort of know how you feel.  I once had a girlfriend who turned into a depraved, sad person when I broke up with her, and though I don't even live in a small town (200,000) I just KEPT-RUNNING-INTO-HER!!!  It was really exasperating and she usually did not make it a pleasant experience.

One thing to consider, maybe *you* have imprinted them in your own mind, as people who make fun of you.  So when you see them you're expecting it, and somehow it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.  Try to meditate or something and clear it from your mind.  Make a list of all the more important things you have to think or worry about (which is probably almost everything else).