AITAH for getting poison ivy everywhere?
So I just finished weed-eating a yard, in which there are isolated poison ivy plants I've been unable to locate and get rid of. Naturally, the front of my pants were plastered with grass clippings and particles when finished, and given the potential of some of it being poison ivy, I elected to not rake the front of my pants off with my hands before getting in the car and heading home.
Upon arrival, I carefully took off my clothes just inside the door, so they could be washed immediately. But upon exiting the shower, my wife confronted me, and said that I should have raked off my pants with my hands, previous to getting into the car, to limit the number of poison ivy clippings/particles that could have potentially hitched a ride.
I explained that I didn't want to rub my hands on (potentially) freshly cut poison ivy, and deemed the risk of a reaction to be less from any clippings that incidentally fell off in the car. I added that the oils from the poison ivy would become less potent/effective as the plant clippings died/roasted in the hot car.
Throughout the conversation, she's using a slightly raised voice, and saying that my thought process was/is stupid. Which I reacted to by being dismissive with responses such as "uh huh", "yeah ok", and the like. At which point she called me a jerk, and a jackass, and walked off.
Upon entering the room where she went, I asked whether she was feeling any better. At which point the conversation began again, and she proceeded to provide internet sources that claimed poison ivy oils can remain on objects for 1-5 years. I responded by saying that I doubted the veracity of such claims, given their natural implication - that anything touched by a poison ivy plant/it's oil would be creating rashes for years to come. And consequently, people would be getting it all the time. Which I asserted doesn't happen - that people's reactions are generally limited to the weeks after immediate exposure.
After which, she said I always think I know everything, think I'm smarter than everyone who put together said information, etc., and walked off.
AITAH?
Posted Aug 4, 2024, 10:10 PM UTC