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Life is too short for me to get this aggravated!
(by Luigi Luciano - July 05, 2007)
There are so many things that bother me in life. Some are really silly yet others are not so silly.
In fact many times I see what bothers me and I say I will not let it bother me but it does. I even get so upset that I find my blood pressure rising. Luckily I am not a violent guy and I’m not someone who starts screaming at people or making obscene jesters.
Something on the lighter side that bothers me is woman and their pocketbooks.
The pocketbook is a Mystery to me. Why is it called a pocketbook? I have never seen one pocketbook my wife owns that could fit in her pocket. These things are larger that most suitcases. In fact only out last trip my wife was forced to check her “pocketbook” in at the airline desk because it was larger than the carry on bag.
What’s worse it the fact of what’s in it. In fact this is another mystery unto itself. Even the owner of theses pocketbooks do not know all the contents of what is in it.
I remember on one trip I was lost and my wife pulled a map out of her pocketbook. Not just any map a world atlas!
You would think that with a bag that big they would have everything in a place so they can find what they want easily. NO.
This is my biggest pet peeve. Standing on a checkout line and a woman is in front of me. They give her the amount she owes and the adventure begins. There are three scenarios for this. She is either paying by cash, check or credit card. She proceeds to open the mouth of the behemoth and reaches inside as if she is searching for the lost treasure. Not finding what she is looking for she plops the pocketbook onto the counter, which sends a seismic shock throughout the line. Looking inside she finds the “Wallet”. Another fairly large item overstuffed with credit cards, some money and receipts. She searches for the credit card she wants to use to pay for the goods. Not having much success she takes out the stack of cards which in many cases is larger than a standard deck of cards. She sorts through them until she finds the one she wants. Sliding it through the credit card machine it is approved. She signs the machine, gets her receipt and stuffs it into the already crowed “wallet” and then does what is even more annoying than the search. She proceeds to pack everything back in the “wallet” then into the pocketbook before leaving the counter.
If she is paying by cash you think it would be easier? NO. She again opens that large sack and again reaches in searching for the wallet. When she find the wallet this time she opens that little snap to release the dollars that are stored in it. She takes out the bills needed to pay. At that point the game changes once again. She then tells the cashier that she has the 54 cents change. She reaches back into the bag either scrapping the bottom like the mouth of a backhoe searching for those elusive coins. She reaches in and gets yet another item. The “ Change purse” this is another purse in the larger purse next to the wallet. She fumbles around till it is found then opens the clip. She will take out 54 pennies if she has to but will take the coins out almost one at a time counting. If she only had 55 cents she hands that to the cashier with the bills and gets her change. She puts the coins back in the change purse, closes it and puts it back in the bag. Then puts the bills back in the wallet with the receipt and puts that back in the bag. Then has to fold back up the pocketbook and grab the straps to put back over her shoulder before leaving the line.
The last scenario is the pay by check. The first question is who still pays by check? Didn’t these people ever hear of a debit card? Granted it might take just as long given what has to be gone through to get to the debit card but it should still be faster. In most cases when paying by check the person has to provide a drivers licenses along with the check. This is similar to the process of paying by credit card or cash but there is an added procedure with a check. She has to write the name and amount of the check in the check register before leaving the line and before packing it all back and getting off the line.
This is tiresome. How hard is it to have what you need to pay with ready and when you are done move off to the side and pack your bag out of the line?
As a guy I am ready. I put my stuff on the counter. I have my credit or debit card in hand or at least ready. In fact when at the grocery store and some others I actually swipe my card before the order is done and have it back in my wallet and wallet back in my pants before the cashier is finished. I sign the receipt grab it and leave the line assuring the next person gets prompt service and really does not have to wait.
This is really something that bothers me a lot. Not that some men aren’t slow. I have seen many men that have the money in their wallet (I keep mine in my front pocket learned that from walking in crowds if they take your wallet at least you still have your cash) and wait till the end to take it out rifle through it for the cash and then have to put the change back in the wallet before returning it to the pants.
Please I beg all woman and men try to be a little more considerate when there are others waiting behind you.
Quickly, here are some other things that bother me:
The idiot who refuses to move out of the fast lane even though they see you up their rear mirror with a long line of other cars behind you. MOVE OVER and cruise in the slow lane.
The nut that speeds up and cuts you off to get into the middle lane from the slow lane then you have to go into the slow lane to pass the idiot who JUST HAD TO get into the middle lane for no apparent reason.
Then there is the oblivious driver. The one who sits in the middle lane has cars going around them from both sides but is on the cell phone with no headset talking away like there are no cares in the world.
Speaking of headsets. How cheap do you have to be not to have a headset on your cell phone while driving? Apparently very cheap because I see so many people who still in 2007 are holding the phone in one had and trying to drive with the other.
SPEND the 10 bucks and by the headset.
In fact let me here from you. Go to www.mtoliveweekly.com and take my survey on driving and what bothers you.
Visit Luigi on the web at www.listentoluigi.com. Luigi wants to know what you think and will be happy to answer e-mails sent to him at luigi@listentoluigi.com. Some e-mail may be published in The Weekly or on the
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