Am I allowed to say “God bless you!” as sarcasm when some random guy tells me “F*** you.”

I was walking on the street the other day, in NYC, and crossing the crosswalk and a guy was crossing from the opposite side, holding his Hans with his daughter’s, and then suddenly shouted at me “MOVE THE F*** OVER.”

I just ignored him because I feared I could be shot if I said “Go F*** yourself.” Anyone could carry a gun to intimidate people, and I do hear gunshots time to time in my neighborhood.

To keep myself not intimidated and defeated, i would like to say something to him if it’s possible., but I don't want to say anything that could provoke him. Can I say “God bless you!”?

I know probably just ignoring him would be the ideal answer, but anger lingers on me afterwards. I want to say something to him, but not something nasty.

Question

Am I allowed to say “God bless you!” as sarcasm when some random guy tells me “F*** you.”

I was walking on the street the other day, in NYC, and crossing the crosswalk and a guy was crossing from the opposite side, holding his Hans with his daughter’s, and then suddenly shouted at me “MOVE THE F*** OVER.”

I just ignored him because I feared I could be shot if I said “Go F*** yourself.” Anyone could carry a gun to intimidate people, and I do hear gunshots time to time in my neighborhood.

To keep myself not intimidated and defeated, i would like to say something to him if it’s possible., but I don't want to say anything that could provoke him. Can I say “God bless you!”?

I know probably just ignoring him would be the ideal answer, but anger lingers on me afterwards. I want to say something to him, but not something nasty.

Answer

Yes, that's a perfect reply! It will make him feel guilty.

Answer

Yes, you can say "God bless you!" as a non-provocative, sarcastic response, but it’s important to gauge the situation carefully. In a place like NYC, where tensions can run high and people may react unpredictably, even a sarcastic tone could escalate things. If your priority is safety, ignoring him might be the safest option. However, "God bless you!" is generally less likely to provoke a dangerous reaction than something overtly hostile.