I realized that had I behaved in a less polite manner myself, I would not have felt very good about myself. Yes, I stood my ground, yes, I wasn't willing to allow this couple to subject me or anyone in my party to such disrespect, but I also managed to keep my temper in check and to hold my tongue. In retrospect, thinking of all the things I could have said in anger, I have much gratitude that I didn't. I can breathe a deep sigh of relief that I don't have to regret my behavior, and shudder at the thought at how close I came. I'm thinking that rudeness is another bad habit that too many adopt without being aware of its full consequences.
Rudeness creates stress to say the least.
If rude behavior isn't kept in check or eliminated, I can only see how it would escalate over time. Road rage, actual physical altercations are a few manifestations that come to mind. This doesn't include the fact that rudeness can be quite contagious. Children learn from parents, friends learn from friends, strangers pass it on to others, and the cycle widens at every confrontation. Sorry to say, in the end he doesn't realize how successful his plan was, but in theory it does work beautifully.