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New York, 10:49 AM
Sat Nov 28
15 posts in the last 24 hours
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11/16/09
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11/16/09
I was sitting on the Metro in DC next to a guy who kept his copy of the Post wide open across both seats, even after I sat down. Drove his elbow into my arm and everything. I put my bag down, arm-wrestled with him for a minute, and finally just looked at him. he kept staring at the Post.
I said, "Are you kidding?"
And he folded it into fourths, like a normal human being, and we went on our way.
Even yesterday, on our own fair subway, some dickhead had his lunch bag in the seat cattycorner from him (old 2 train) and didn't move it when I asked. So I sat on it, and he yanked it out from under me.
People know when they're being assholes. It doesn't hurt that I'm 6' tall and 2oo lbs., but they generally understand when their mothers would smack them for doing what they're doing. #manners
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And everyone is talking on the phone at all times, including in the middle of business meetings (which is kind of awesome, actually). There is no time in which it is not okay to answer your phone here.
It's really kind of disgusting. #manners
11/16/09
When I was a student in France I once saw a (I'm guessing) 35 or 40-year-old man berate a little old lady for taking too long at the ATM. I mean, she was a bit slow... but still. #manners
11/16/09
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Why must these assholes talk through the movie that I have paid $12 for? Don't they understand this is not TiVo?There is no effing rewind. [Infrequently -- I can't stand movie theaters for this reason.]
Why is this self-satisfied upper-middle-class mom showing zero compunction that her 10-year-old almost flattened me with his scooter? [Last week.]
Why are people, unencumbered, able, and apparently not English, unable to keep to the right on a narrow stairway? [Frequently.]
Why do men occupying two seats on the subway glare at me when I try to sit down, requiring them to close their legs? Do their balls need a separate seat? [Daily.]
Why did that bike messenger who almost killed me while barreling the wrong way on a one-way street curse me out and keep riding? [Last month.]
Why when I complain am I always the bitch?
11/16/09
We who read your contributions here know that you're not. And just FYI, it's our opinions that count, right? #manners
11/16/09
11/16/09
Thanks. I was being sarcastic. I'm not a bitch, I'm just trying to stay alive.
I have a true terror of being killed by a bike messenger. I have had numerous close shaves. #manners
11/16/09
11/15/09
I used to live on Mount Washington in L.A., which is a hilly residential neighborhood only accessible by extremely narrow two-way roads running along the lip of deep canyons. Going up or down the hill at night, I'd inevitably come across at least 10 a-holes coming at me with the brights on full blast, fucking blinding me in the immediate vicinity of gaping chasms.I've honestly considered flipping a U turn and chasing them to their destination, just to bitch them out. #manners
11/15/09
Or, being Mt. Washington, they could just be shining their brights to scare away the Avenidas members from carjacking them.
(Highland park represent! Send me a message if you're around and I'll take you out for a drink) #manners
11/16/09
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11/16/09
Speaking of which, I recall a nite-time driving marathon to Las Vegas from LA on that godforsaken Interstate I-15 highway. Desert on the right, desert on the left. No lights whatsoever. Gas stops are 45 miles in between, or more. It's like driving on Mars. It's enormously difficult to negotiate that 4-hour stretch in the dark as it is, but bitch-ass bitches tailgating you on the highway with the high beams on adds to the stress like nobody's business. I admit that I was sincerely praying for my life during those whole 4 hours it took me to drive from LA to Vegas.
I know peeps are like, "Oh, we'll beat the traffic and drive to Vegas at nite!" Do yourself a favor and don't.
11/16/09
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11/16/09
p.s., nothing says reckless [depraved] indifference to human life flashing six 300 Watt halogen bulbs into oncoming traffic on a long and winding road overlooking the bluffs of LA.
pps in NJ, the motor vehicle code mandates you leave them covered while "on road" #manners
11/16/09
That said, maybe we need three degrees of lights at this point: city, highway, and country. #manners
11/16/09
I've meet girls who land at LAX from London, rent a car (opposite side traffic), drive to LV, arrive around midnight and report: No, I'm not that tired, the last part of the trip was pure serenity. Let's have drink.
If you get tailgated there you probably are one of the "55 mph on the leftmost lane no matter what's the traffic" ass-wizards. #manners
11/16/09
11/15/09
(Hint: Holding a business meeting at SB is pathetic.)
It was impossible to do anything but listen to Mr. Stentorian, the shop was so tiny. Finally, I did a check by asking an older, patient-looking man who happened to be sharing my table.
--Is it me? Or is this guy kind of loud?
--Oh, no, it's not you. He's selling to the room.
So I got up and walked over to other fellow's table and asked him softly if he knew how loudly he had been speaking.
But as you know, you can't reason with an asshole:
Indignation. Who did I think I was? Did I think I owned Starbucks? Did I think that if I got on the subway that I owned all the subway seats?
YOU SHUT UP! (He later lied and told the manager that I'd said that to him.)
Conversation stopped. Everyone stared at us.Meanwhile the young companion tried to pretend none of this was happening.
In the end, it was Seeräuber Jenny who got the free coffee, so I guess I won.
In case in you're wondering why I didn't just get up and leave I could plead cold weather and a really hot latte, etc., but basically it's not in my nature to give in to assholes.
11/16/09
11/16/09
That's happened to me, too. My solution: If I'm ever really in a hurry I call ahead.
Have you ever heard of anyone calling ahead to a Starbucks? I do. Anything to ease the foreseeable frustrations. #manners
11/15/09
and by "brunt", i mean "shoulder into the sternum".
sorry, lady, maybe you should have picked up some common sense in the seventy-odd years you've been alive.
11/15/09
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11/16/09
11/16/09
I've noticed a big difference depending on the time of day. On my morning commute, the tired people just trying to get to work or finally stumbling home with a hangover almost always wait for everyone to exit before getting on. My evening commute is much worse as the trains are then packed with teenagers, tourist families, and the just beginning to be really drunk. #manners
11/16/09
11/16/09
The very worst was during the Yankees parade a few weeks ago. When the train got to the Park Place station (pretty much across from City Hall), the massive crowd of large, loud creatures just swarmed into the train, not allowing anyone to get off, especially the petite mother with two small children. #manners
11/16/09
No, I am not going to get out of their way (sometimes I couldn't do that even if I wanted to do so), so unless they look up and move, they're getting an elbow.
I perfected that move after I had major abdominal surgery and was paranoid about one of these assholes walking into me and making me hurt even more. #manners
11/16/09
11/15/09
Ok my headache's better. #manners
11/15/09
But after you give them one chance, to allow for ignorance, you are free to deliver some sort of verbal smackdown. But you have to do it House of Lords style- "Sir, you will comport yourself as a gentleman and stand down!" #manners
11/15/09
Appropriate regional variations are quite appropriate in these cases, from a Southern "bless your heart" to a Midwestern, "gosh, I betcha didn't realize." #manners
11/15/09
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11/15/09
I know I'm not making a new point here, but with the photography thing, sometime it seems like recording the experience gets in the way of actually experiencing it at all?
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11/16/09
11/16/09
I would imagine it is also amazing for the folks who celebrate it in a park with a friend who got ordained online, or jumping out of a plane with a local magistrate in parachutes, I just haven't experienced any of those. This is something I'm not cynical about. #manners
11/16/09
One father even did it while on the bimah during the ceremony. Oy. #manners
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