Impossible Compliments

I am an attractive woman. At times I believe it; at times I don't. My observation of this must not be taken as an indication of my own self-involvement, but rather as an ability to see the truth about myself at times.
My own reflections on my appearances, in this particular case, are not relevant. What is relevant is that two days ago, as I was in line at the grocery store to buy a sandwich, the man in line in front of me found it necessary to point out to the woman behind the counter how good looking I was. While he might have meant it as a compliment, the only thing I could think of is how uncomfortable this made me and the woman behind the counter.
When I did not respond to the compliment, the man continued to talk to me about how much weight he lost. He very well, might have just been a friendly guy wanting to share his achievements with others. However, I could not help but wonder why he did not share this achievement with the 60 year-old woman behind the counter. Why was she not worthy of hearing of his success while I was?
If he just wanted to tell me about himself why should he have told me how attractive I was? Perhaps he thought the compliment would make me feel good about myself. It did not. Rather, I just felt awkward and uncomfortable, as if I regretted appearing attractive.
I did not want a compliment; I wanted to be left alone.
Still, while he went on talking, I smile politely and listened to what he had to say. Why is it that so many of us feel it necessary to be polite to those that inconvenience us or make us feel uncomfortable? I didn't ask for a conversation, yet I was forced to endure one with a man that made me want to cover myself up even more so than I already was.
Whatever brave soul that might be reading this might think I'm being bitchy in this small manifesto about the inconvenience of an unwanted compliment and conversation. I might be. I cannot think of a better justification for my complaints other than the fact that there are so many people in the world like him who feel as though a young attractive female who is out in public is just asking to be hit on.
It seems as though so many forget that people are people no matter who they are: young, old, thin, fat, pretty ugly, male, female. We are all trying to go about our lives as if we aren't there for other people's amusement.
It has occurred to me to treat some arrogant person who acts the way the man at the grocery store acted as I was treated, but something tells me that people like that would crave the attention too much. Perhaps creating a small, melodramatic, type-faced, rant is the only justice left in the world.