MetaChat - When was the last time you put your foot down?

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11 April 2008

When was the last time you put your foot down? →[More:]So, I was at Subway today, and it was packed. Never seen it so busy. The counter was crowded so I went and stood in line as usual (there were two guys already in front of me, and a girl or two in front of them), and then a guy came in and stood behind me. The girls had a long list of dos and don'ts that they were going through, and I asked the guys in front of me if they'd ordered yet, and they let out a sigh and said no. So I knew it was going to be a long wait, and the guys behind the counter didn't have enough manpower to accommodate all of us at the same time so there was nothing much you could do about it. After the girls were finally done with their order I tapped the guy in front of me on his shoulder and asked him to go ahead and give his order, and waited in line. The guy behind me understood that there was a queue system and didn't say anything. A minute or two passes and another guy shows up and walks straight to the counter. I don't even pay attention to him thinking that he probably doesn't know that he's not going to get served unless he joins the line, but the guy behind me is obviously wondering if his place is going to be taken. And sure enough, as soon as the guy behind the counter finishes up with the order of the two fellas who were in front of me, in swoops this asshole and starts ordering. I'm like what.the.fuck? dude, you just walked in. The guy behind me obviously gets pissed and starts saying something to the guy to the effect of "Hey, can't you stand in line?" and I tell him, it's okay, I'll take care of this. I call the guy behind the counter and ask him what's going on? Isn't he supposed to be taking orders from the other side of the counter where I and the gentleman behind me have been standing for the past fifteen minutes. He says, well, I thought that the other guy (who's standing next to him) was taking your order. Well, he's not I say, and even if he were, you could've started taking the order of the guy behind me right? To which the guy behind me thinks that I'm implying that he get served first so he says no that's alright you go ahead. The guy behind the counter doesn't say anything and I start to give him my order. At first he's a bit rude, so I'm a bit curt right back and when he sees that I'm not going to back down if he's not he cools off, so I don't push any further either, and by the end of the whole shebang the guy is wishing me a good meal and I'm a little surprised. Here's a guy who was all hot and bothered not two minutes ago and now he's the one who's trying to please me. WTF?

Human behaviour is CRAZY yo!

post by: hadjiboy at: 08:15 | 16 comments

I was arguing with my girlfriend about something. Boy, I put my put down alright.

Then she ran over it. :-)

posted by chillmost 11 April | 08:59

*sigh* I know that's true, hadjiboy. Most of the time, once one acts rude and demanding people respond by being very eager to please. Which sucks. I hate it, and even though I can be pretty good at intimidating people, I never do unless I'm really fed up/pissed off.

The last time I did this, I think (and it was quite a few months ago), I was with my husband in a big shop that sells cosmetics, accessories, stuff like that. I had been in a couple of weeks earlier, and while I was looking at something from a shelf in the "self-serve" section (as opposed to the expensive Estee Lauder, etc. section. there's even a sign that says "self-serve"), one of the salespeople was helping one of those uppity sort of ladies (you know the sort I mean, right?) and she came over to where I was, took the item I was looking at out of my hands and put it back on the shelf, and went about getting whatever it was the customer wanted. I was just sort of stupefied, and walked out.

So this time, guess what? Same salesperson comes over, takes whatever I'm looking at out of my hands, again, and I blow up.

I'm like, IS THIS SELF-SERVE? IS THIS SELF-SERVE? IS THIS SELF-SERVE OR NOT? I AM SERVING MYSELF, LEAVE ME ALONE. And my husband is gaping at me, and I turn to him and say, ASK HER IF THIS IS SELF-SERVE OR NOT. And suddenly she's falling over herself, "oh, I'm so sorry!!!! I didn't mean to bother you!!" and to my husband, "Tell the lady that I'm sorry!!!"

My poor husband. :) He's always pretty shocked when I let loose, because I'm really incredibly nice about 99 percent of the time. But he's also kind of proud. He tells people, "you definitely don't want to make her mad."

posted by taz 11 April | 09:55

Just last week, in fact. I told the guy I've been working for (I've been calling him my boss, but actually I work for a variety of people depending on what's going on) that I might be going to Alabama for a few months. He was happy for me, but then said, "So, if I get a big job, can I call you to come back and work?" He was serious. I laughed, and said, "Uh, no." Okay, it's not on a level with the other stories here, but seriously? You want me to fly a bazillion miles and travel for 2 days to help you out on a painting job? For reals? Uh, no.

Also, taz, WTF? She took something out of your hand? She's lucky she didn't end up with it in a place that would make it uncomfortable to sit down. And line-butters-in drive me mental.

posted by elizard 11 April | 10:38

I told a very loud and profane teenager on the bus to shut up. It made me feel about a thousand years old, but there was an old guy sitting right behind her (she was standing, it was packed) who could have been my grandfather. And I've heard my grandfather say "shit" but I sure as hell don't want him to be subjected to a girl screaming "fuckin' douchebag" on a crowded bus.

So I quietly (and rather pleasantly) said, "Hey, you might want to tone down the language a notch." She GLARED at me. I mean shot me DAGGERS. Started fuming about how she'll say whatever she wants, etc. And I calmly said "You just never know who you're going to offend." and refused to break eye contact. She fumed some more but didn't swear again.

posted by Specklet 11 April | 11:41

speaking of this did ya'll hear about this 60 yo man in Long Island who goes around harassing and yelling at people who talk on their phone on the train? I don't like people yelling into their phone either but they have the right to do that if they want. The ex cop says he "just wants to be left alone"....um dude they are talking on the phone to someone else not you. Why should they stop talking when its him not leaving them alone?

posted by meeshell 11 April | 12:48

When I woke up this morning my laptop was not in its usual place on the coffee table. You better believe I put my foot down to my (sleeping) roommate about this. I had to do it in text messages as I was on my way to work, but had I done it in person it would have been less "put my foot down" and more "put my foot up his ass."

posted by jtron 11 April | 15:48

line-cutters make my blood boil. I try so hard not to let it ruin my day but if I don't speak up, it'll eat me up all day.

posted by dabitch 11 April | 17:07

I tried to read that. Paragraphs are your friend.

posted by arse_hat 11 April | 22:39

Sorry that was rude.

But.

Still.

posted by arse_hat 11 April | 23:35

arsey is putting his foot down about paragraphs. PARAGRAPHS, USE THEM.

posted by taz 11 April | 23:37

Fu. Ckin. G.

Righ. Tia. M.

posted by arse_hat 11 April | 23:45

I'm like, IS THIS SELF-SERVE? IS THIS SELF-SERVE? IS THIS SELF-SERVE OR NOT? I AM SERVING MYSELF, LEAVE ME ALONE. And my husband is gaping at me, and I turn to him and say, ASK HER IF THIS IS SELF-SERVE OR NOT.

Oh god, that was classic taz, score one for team bunny!

On Preview: hahaha, I was just going to tell arsey to cool it and not let the non-paragraphs offend him:)

Seriously, what's the big deal about having to read stuff without line breaks. I have this friend, who's a fucking amazingly talented writer, and once you start reading his work you could care less if it didn't have a fucking line break, which it rarely does. But then maybe I'm not as good a writer as he is (of course I'm not), so that could be a reason.

posted by hadjiboy 11 April | 23:57

Is your friend's name "James Joyce"?

But seriously? One really should master the basics of an art form before defying its conventions... Some people never have to bother with that. Right out of the box, they're already a genius and can bypass all the normal honing and crafting stuff and swing with their own unique iconoclastic style. But almost none of us are those people.

posted by taz 12 April | 00:13

Plus, y'know, it's just basic courtesy to the reader. When I see a huge block of unbroken type, I generally won't bother to read it - partially because it's difficult to do so, and partially because it feels like being flipped off by the author.

posted by bmarkey 12 April | 00:21

I get get headachy when reading large blocks of text on a monitor. A few times I've felt almost nauseated. I just won't read it. See, that big paragraph up there, if I really wanted to read it, I would have to copy it and paste it into notepad and add my own paragraphs. Which I'm not going to do, so I just move on.

taz, I would have freaked out. I don't know the ettiquette or rules of the stores there, but is it ok if it's not self-serve to grab something out of a patron's hands and put it back on the counter? I actually admire your restraint.

posted by iconomy 12 April | 15:34

I told a very loud and profane teenager on the bus to shut up.

Waiting patiently at an isolated bus stop, I was minding my business and reading my book when a group of teenaged boys sulked their way over in my direction. Three of them were teasing the fourth, though I couldn't get a read on it: was it friendly kidding or sheer nastiness?

Then they started pulling up clods of dirt from a neighborhood garden and hucking them at him. I opened my mouth* and, to my surprise, rang out a very authoritative "Hey! Cut it out!"

For a moment, I wondered "Uh... if they don't cut it out, what then?" It's just me and these young men; we're the only people in the neighborhood, except those whizzing past in their cars. I have no authority over these kids, only the hope that they would heed the voice of A Grown-Up.

And they did, luckily. I had authority in that situation because they thought I had authority.

Whether this did any good for the kid they were pelting with dirt is debatable at best, but it seemed necessary to remind them that this is not okay; even if it was friendly joshing, they were trashing a garden. And the pelt-ee did hover near me until the bus arrived, so I guess he wanted the support.

*I initially typed that as "I opened my mother." Freudian slip, much? Guess where I learned The Voice of the Grown-Up?

posted by Elsa 12 April | 16:57

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