I had two things on my calendar today and managed not to do either of them. I wimped out on a Volksmarch because it was cold out when I got up and the idea of walking 10 kilometers was less appealing than the idea of crawling back under the covers for another two hours. And I never even RSVP'd to Bill for the story swap tonight because the weather forecast was dreary. It looks now like we're going to get just rain and not even sleet, but heavy enough rain to make the idea of going out anywhere an unpleasant one, much less driving to Beltsville.
So, of course, I must have accomplished a lot at home, right? Yeah, sure. I did change a lightbulb in the study nook, which is more signifiant than it sounds because I hate climbing on the top step of the step stool. Notably, hours after I did this, I discovered that there is a built in fluorescent light in the study nook as well - something I managed not to notice previously in the 2 months since I bought the condo. And I did also go grocery shopping and buy ingredients for chili, which is perfect cold weather food. Of course, I still haven't unpacked the pots and pans, but I really do intend to do that this weekend.
But much of my day was wasted because of a rude person. I like Freecycle most of the time. My pleasure in decluttering by giving things to people who will actually use them is greatly diminished, however, when somebody gives me a two hour window during which they will come to pick up an item and doesn't show. I've had a few times when somebody called last minute to reschedule and that is mildly annoying, but at least I am not stuck waiting around. When I am the one to make the call (at the end of that two hour window), you can bet the freecycle administrators are going to get an email. There wasn't anything specific I needed to do, but I would not have been sitting around at home either.
A more frequent problem, by the way, is people who tell you they want an item you are offering and then don't reply when you send them a note asking them to set up a time to pick it up. As far as I can tell, however, that is not explicitly against policies. It is, however, still rude.
By the way, I do have plenty of other rude people complaints. For example, in the supermarket this morning, I said "excuse me" to someone who had parked her cart in the exact middle of the aisle, blocking me from getting by. I know she heard me because she said, "um hmmm" but she did not move her cart. In the end, I pushed it to the side because it was obvious she had no bloody clue. I know that I am the last person in North America who actually says "excuse me" but I believe the phrase should be commonly understood.
And don't get me started on metro rider behaviors. The worst example was the oblivious man who actually rolled his rolling briefcase over my foot on the platform at Rosslyn this week. I'm not exactly an invisible obstacle - he was just selfish and oblivious and not paying attention to where his bag was going. Nearly every day, I have to fight my way off the orange line in the morning because these jerks don't grasp the idea that letting people out will actually free up room on the train. You can step out the door and you will be able to get back on. Really. If you happen to be on the platform, you might also consider that standing immediately in front of the door is rude as it doesn't allow people to get out without them being rude by running you over.
The afternoon problems are a bit different. In short, let people move into the center of the car and more people can get on the train. If you are standing at a pole, hold onto it with one hand. Even two hands can be okay, as I know the ride can be kind of jerky. Your entire back against the pole, however, is not acceptable.
I still believe the rude folks are the minority, but lately I have to wonder.
Copyright 2007 Miriam H. Nadel