Rude interlude

Okay, I just need to rant for a bit:

I left the YW after my workout, and found that my checkbook wasn’t in my car where I thought it was. So, I ran home to see if it was there. Fortunately, its not far from the Y. Now, I live in an apartment downtown, so I have to put up with on-street parking.

In this City, drivers seem to think that the backup lights on a car in a diagonal parking spot means you should speed up to pass behind them. I don’t know about you, but when I see a car with its back-up lights on, I try to stop and let him out. It may cost me some 5 or 10 seconds, but if no one lets that car out, it could cost them a couple of minutes.

On the other hand, there’s an unwritten rule (at least, I’ve never seen it written) that if a backing-up car gets “so much” of its butt out into the traffic lane, then it has “seized the opportunity” and the other traffic stops to let them finish backing.

I drive an 80’s Mercury Marquis. I have a HUGE back window brace, and my back window itself is narrow. I can see one, maybe two car-lengths out and back when I am diagonally parked. The parked cars to the side effectively block my view of the street through my side windows.

When I go to back up, I have to wait for a two-second pause, see no traffic in my back-view, then gun it a bit to get my butt out to the limit, so I can back out of a spot.

I did that today, after getting my checkbook. Sure enough, a car was in that lane, and pulled up at “the distance” while I finished backing out. Then, he lays on the horn.

unprintable grumblings That sort of brainless stupid selfish behavior just instantly pisses me off (even brainless selfish behavior is better than STUPID brainless selfishness). I was livid. I ground my teeth for a moment and see white as I finish pulling my car into the lane. He saw me backing out for 500 feet. He was already at a complete stop, and more over, there was no one in the lane next to him – he could have just changed lanes.

Then, a moment of inspiration! Instead of backing my car full force into his grill, instead, I leaned on my own horn – then reached my hand out my window and waved a friendly wave. Take that, you cow – now everyone will think we are friends saying “Hi”! HA!

I’m in McDonalds (no lectures about McD after my workout – its close and mostly cheep). I order the “McRib meal, SuperSize, Coke easy ice”. I’ve been ordering this every Friday for the last several weeks. Why? The total comes to $5.01 – a number that is relavent to my employer, and I dig cheezy coincidences like that! *smiles*

So the cashier says “That’ll be $5.44”. Wait. Thats not right. I explain to her what I just explained to you up above. “Well, you see, we have 3 different sizes of ‘SuperSize’ – Medium, Large, and SuperSize”. I nod – thats exactly what the POS card on the register right in front of my face shows. And, I ordered SuperSize. I always order SuperSize.

I was prepared to let it go. Maybe the other stores were giving me a discount, and I don’t want to look a gift horse in the mouth. …then, I glanced at the marquee: “McRib Meal – $3.69 SuperSize – $1.00 more”

I’m not a math genius, but unless our taxes just went up HUGELY since the elections on Tuesday, that should NOT total $5.44.

Well, to shorten this story – it took 3 managers with a printed receipt 15 minutes to discuss the “meal” pricing structure, before one of them finally threw up her hands. “Give him $0.43”.

I am not an obnoxious customer. I just wanted to know where the discrepancy was. They could have kept the money. Instead, I got my money, but I don’t know why.

As I am leaving McDonalds, another family is leaving with me. A mother, with 3 children, heading to their car next to mine. The children are ranging down from probably 1st or 2nd grade. All of them could walk, but one is being carried. Apparently, she took her shoes off. The mother – she’s NOT happy.

The kids are not exceptionally clean. The car is not as new as even mine. They are clearly not a middle income family. The oldest child comes over to the passenger side and starts hanging on the handle, waiting for it to be unlocked. “Hi,” I beam to him as I unlock my door.

As I am getting in, the mother’s voice returns my attention to their situation. It is very loaded with supressed rage “just.. get ..in the. car!”. The two younger children climb in back and start roaming across the backseat. The mother opens the front door, and hurls the shoes, one at a time, into the back seat, hitting one of her kids in the face. The child doesnt cry out (he’s probably used to this); the mother doesn’t care enough to notice.

She’s reaching over now to unlock the door, and pull the oldest boy into the front seat. They have the automatic shoulder harness, which is still engaged on his side. The children in the back seat are still roaming as she starts the car. I have a moment to decide what to do: I am appalled by what I am seeing. The kids in the backseat will be bug splatters on the inside of the glass, the older boy will be strangled in an accident (he did not put on the lap belt). Not to mention, this woman looks like someone should remind her of her priorities….

But, I decided, it was not going to be me. The only reason why? She clearly was not going to listen to a word I said. Not today. Not when she is so upset already. In fact, she’d probably pull out in a huff, and have that accident. So I decided God will protect them better than I can, and I will just take that on faith.

Thank you for indulging my rants.