I'd actually prefer to be yelled at because at least then the confrontation has started and I don't have to guess what's making them angry. It's very challenging to confront passive aggressive people who make snide, back-handed remarks. I know yelling can be frightening, but at least the person is just being straightforward. Backhanded remarks are too much of a game for me to deal with. And in my experience people can be shaped to behave better when they are angry versus unlearn passive aggressiveness. IME.