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Nightline -- My "Blogslappings"
I couldn't find the video or story up yet on ABC (or on YouTube), but here's the preview:

In addition, and not altogether different, we feature the work of Amy Alkon, who runs a Web site called advicegoddess.com. After years of suffering rude and discourteous behavior, Alkon decided to record such behavior on a Web site. She posts pictures, names and even the telephone numbers of the offenders. And she's not the only one using the Internet as a form of social correction. How it works, and how it feels to be highlighted, will be revealed tonight, and it's not entirely comfortable.

The hate mail is trickling in, though! Much of it from the semi-literate, like the ?guy who repeatedly spelled "disgusting" as "discusting"!

And then, there are those who think they can fool me. This person was supposedly seated in the empty cafe near me (and the three-person camera crew). Now, if you know anything about news crews, pro camera and sound people make it their business to blend into the background. Most hilariously, the idiot had me for a second -- until I realized they'd e-mailed me before the show had run on the west coast. I ran a locate on their IP and it was Illinois. Here's what they wrote. PS My "fro" is naturally curly, thank you. I can't find time to get to the grocery store. Who the hell has time to get a "perm"?

Also, we went to the cafe (Mediterrina, in Venice...very good food!) at around 2:45, when nobody was there, so we wouldn't be in the way. We had permission from my neighbor Josh, the chef who owns the place. (His and his wife's pot roast-shaped Yorkie, Leroy, is Lucy's boyfriend):

Here's the email, subject-headered "Carrots":

Hey you walking carrot, I just find it pretty amusing how you explain to the world how you will fight back against the "rude" people of the world (i.e. those who have conversations at restaurants) yet you subject the public to the horror that is you. I have a story for you and your blog - I was having a peaceful lunch at a nice little outdoor cafe when this walking carrot (I call this thing a walking carrot due to its bright orange afro-perm with bangs, orange lipstick, orange jacket and orange scarf) strolled in with a camera crew. It sat down and began showing off its "craft" by typing on a laptop. I'm not sure what the interview was for but from the looks of the subject matter it must have been something for the home and garden network explaining how if you don't keep proper care of the carrots in your garden they may grow up and become bloggers. Anyhow this carrot truly ruined this nice little afternoon that I had planned for myself. So if you would please urge the other walking carrots of the world not to bring camera crews into restaurants and not to type right in my face I would greatly appreciate it. Thank You, WC

Here's my response:

Actually, assclown, this e-mail was sent from the midwest, and the story hasn't run on the west coast yet, and you obviously weren't there. Filled with hate, are we? Must say mean things about my appearance? Woooo, I'm so hurt. Sorry that something's obviously terribly wrong with you and you must lash out at me to feel better, but whatever it takes to make a pathetic schlub like you feel good. Furthermore, we were quite far from the few other customers, and it's quite a large patio, and, as I wrote earlier, we were given permission by the owner, who's also my neighbor, and went at a time when nobody would be there. Furthermore, the "crew" was a cameraperson, a sound guy, a correspondent who sat with me at the table, and a producer who sat quietly at the table behind us. Not exactly Cecil B. DeMille's cast of thousands. Poor dear. Hope it gets better for you.

I'm getting lots of supportive e-mail, though. Much, much more than the hate mail. My mail's running about 20-1 supportive to hate. Here's one of the supportive letters:

Hello Amy,

You go Girl (an Endearment/not a slam).

Too many people have no respect of their neighbors we are all neighbors. Keep up the GOOD work. I saw you on Night-Line. I watched it three (3) times I should have taped it.

I can't tell you where I work but it's in retail and it sounds like a favorite fruit, "As good as _______ Pie". and I see so many arrogant, snobbish, misbehaved people/children all the time. I want to yell at them and I am a 60+ year old Vietnam Vet who can take care of my self and nothing fazes me, except the condescending and misbehaved people/children that I meet daily. It seems like the world has left their morals, decency and all good value judgments somewhere else. Where, I don't know.

I will tell my wife that you are yelling for me.

Keep up the good work and please don't use my name.

Thanks, A fan

And a few people who do a few things of their own wrote, too:

Hey Amy - You're interesting. I believe in your cause, although our family vehicle is probably larger than you would like to see (LX 470). Personally, I feel that the only thing uglier than a person driving a Humvee is a person driving a Humvee on the phone. However my bigger issue is with the cell phone drivers (hands free or not) almost to the point of obsession. I display large signs in my side windows that exclaim "HANG UP THE PHONE AND DRIVE". While I'm sure this isn't obsessive by your standards I still feel compelled to share the sentiments of many of my friends and family "Be careful girl some of these angry people could run amok and harm you." You should be careful and avoid harm so you can be around to annoy these people another day. Good luck in your journey, Johnny

Here's the boring repeat of an e-mail I often get:

Do you really think today's SUVs are worse for the enviornment and guzzle more gas per mile than your pink Rambler?

I wrote back:

I drive a 2004 Honda Insight, which gets about 60 mpg on the highway if I don't drive too fast and there isn't too much traffic. The Rambler was the first car I ever bought, and all I could afford at the time. My problem isn't with people who need a large vehicle (contractors, for example), or who can't afford a less polluting vehicle, but with people who could do with less car or can afford a less polluting, less endangering vehicle, and still drive something named after a mountain range.

So...what do you drive? 98 percent of the time, I'd guess, people who send me e-mails like yours are the bunwads who endanger their kids in some giant rollovermobile so they can look cooler when they pull up to the golf club. Not that a gigantic SUV makes you look like more than a monkey to trends. I mean, on an objective level, is driving a giant whored up moving van really attractive? If you were actually rich, and actually classy, you'd have, maybe a Jag, not a Lincoln Navigator.

This was the most entertaining e-mail (besides the hate mail, since it gets dull after a while correcting the grammer of the pre-literate). The subject line, "Holy shit...I can't stop laughing":

Alright. I just found your site and feel the need to tell you about my day. First and foremost I was here in my hotel flipping channels and stopped on a show (Nghtline maybe?) that was showcasing your website. The opening was "When did people get so rude?" I had to stop.

More on my day now and it will all tie together!

So, I am on a break from working for a few weeks...that basically means my job was eliminated and I am trying like hell to find a new one. I have a friend who is a mobile marketing rep for a doorknob company. Exciting, I know. She asked me if I wanted to tag along with her for a few weeks. Hell...free hotels and corporate card dinners every night...how can one turn that down? So, she gets her weekends to do as she pleases. We had been in San Francisco and Sacto for the week and she got the brilliant idea we should go to Reno. Yep, I said it...Reno. Now keep in mind, I braved Las Vegas for New Years with this girl and maybe would of preferred the end of the world to the shit time I had. How could I think Reno was going to be a good idea? I knew. In my head all I could think was...this is gonna be bad, real bad.

The day started out leaving Sacto and driving part of the way with her on a hunger rage. She needed Arby's. Why does anyone ever need Arby's? Not the point. As I slugged down coffee and smoked cigs profusely, she soldiered on thru her haze of hunger. We finally arrived 8 miles outside Reno to spot an Arby's. That's right...8 miles. With all the choices that we would have if we just drove 5 more minutes, we stopped at Arby's. We ordered and as she waited at the counter for the food, I picked up the necessities such as napkins, straws and "horsey sauce" which is the only thing that can help wash down a beef and cheddar. I found a both in the fairly crowded restaurant. I sit and as soon as my ass finds the warm spot on the plastic chairs I hear my name being called very loudly across the room. My friend is screaming across the room to see if I need any sauce for my potato cakes. I look down, utter a silent prayer and say in a meek voice "No thank you."

She then proceeds to sit down and within the first minute I hear it...her phone. The ring is not a normal ring. It's not even a peppy little Journey ringtone that I could laugh about. It's the loudest most irritating discoteque glowstick loving rave beat I have ever heard. And did I mention that it is turned up on high as she sticks it in her purse where it is covered in lipglosses, receipts from 2 years ago, makeup compacts, hairbrushes, gum packs, etc. So, for her to be able to hear it, it must be full blast. Wait...I feel that I have left something out...her purse is the size roughly of a remote control. So...that being said you can understand that she cannot usually find it for a full minute and a half since it is on the bottom and covered and crammed by everything else. So, as I sit and listen to it ring as she tries to find it she finally grabs it and pulls it out. She then stops and looks at it as it is still ringing to see who is calling and opens it up to I guess maybe check the persons thumbprint and DNA to make sure it is indeed them calling. I finally lose it and say "Answer the DAMN THING!" She looks up from the phone with big doe eyes as it is still ringing..."Why are you yelling at me?"

Okay, so yeah...we're in Arby's. I get that. It is not the swankest of establishments and there ar probably not that many people half as irritated as I am. But this is a 3 year annoyance in the making. When I step in a public shared space, I put my phone on vibrate and place it in my pocket. If I do get a call that absolutely cannot wait, I step outside to take it. This is just common sense to me. I guess I am still baffled that it is no common sense to everyone. I have thought long and hard on the subject more times than I really care to count and just cannot come to terms with it.

Approximately 2 minutes later, the same thing happens with a woman sitting next to us. I give her a dirt look and say very loudly "Really? Is it that important to interrupt your Big Montana? Really?" She give me a dirty look and starts talking even louder. This is all within 2 hours of being awake. Someone kill me please.

I am gonna skip over the checking into the El Dorado hotel and casino part of this saga as well as the dinner portion of the evening that involved a Grande Burrito which was the most expensive menu item as well as having brown lettuce upon it. I will just skip to the casino portion of the evening.

My friend and I have very, very different fashion sense. Her little stumps have not seen the light of day without the covering of a pair of stiletto's since she was 16. The jeans are tight on the ass and perfectly altered. The belt must match the earring which must match the necklace which must match the lip gloss that matches the toe nail polish which matches the purse which matches the perfectly blown out hair...you're getting the idea.

I guess I've lived on the road for entirely too long. Comfort plays a big part in my day. I am an avid makeup fan and would rather spend 5 extra minutes throwing on a coat of mascara to hide my bloodshot eyes than waiting for the straightening iron to heat up to straighten my already straight hair. I threw on a pair of cute but worn in True Religions and an old band t-shirt with my vans and a blazer. I was ready for Reno. Really...it's just Reno.

My friend apparently does not understand the clientele in a town like Reno. We head down to the casino and on the way there a street man cat calls at my friend. She giggles nervously and looks at me with the perfectly shadowed and lined eyes and says..."ewww...gross!" Well sweetie, get ready for the casino cause shit knows it's gonna be 10 times worse than that. We walk thru the El Dorado and men of every nationality look her up and down- "Yo, mama...damn!", "Shit girl!" and "Grrrrr...." were a few of the calls that were shouted out. Now, don't get me wrong, my friend is cute. But in a town like Reno...she's a god damned supermodel- all 4'11" of her.

We continue on thru The Nugget, The Lucky Leprechan, Harrah's, Circus Circus and the Silver Legacy. At this point...it's getting old. As we are walking by a brewery 2 very cute indie rocker lookin boys walk by us. I make the eye contact...finally! Maybe someone cute and fun to hang out with, right?!?! This night might be salvagable. WRONG! We turn to say something and see that we are being tailed by three incredibly ghetto fab, slightly overweight, sideways hat wearing Middle eastern men. The cute boys look at us, look at them and shake their heads. NOOOOOOOO!!!! WE ARE NOT WITH THEM!!!! They apparently were walking so close behind us or aka "tailing us" that the cute boys thought that we were a group. At this point I lose it for the second time that day. I turn and the first words to fly out of my mouth are "What the fuck do you think you are doing? I will tear off your arms and beat you with the bloody stumps if you take one more step closer to my ass!" Yes, a slight over reaction in my part. I will fully admit it.

However, when did it become appropriate for men to think that growling, catcalling, "tailing" and just plain leering is the way to pick up a woman? Don't get me wrong- there was not a chance in hell that either of us was going home with or hooking up with any of the men that made their attempts, but what really is the appropriate response to these comments? "yeah baby, let's just swipe off the Texas Hold 'Em table and get down to business!" or "uh yeah...follow me to the buffet and it'll be just like 9 1/2 Weeks!" Not gonna happen.

The only solice I have is the dirty martini that I am drinking right now as I write this and the fact that my friend got sick from one of the free casino drinks mixed with the french dip dinner so we got to come back to the room early. As I sit here watching a film from Julia Roberts "I'm not being so selective about my roles these days" phase and sip my martini and recall the day's events- all I can think is- Damn. When did people really get so rude? When did people stop thinking about social consequence? When did people become some very self centered, technology addicted and caveman-like all at the same time?

At least I can attempt to look back on it in humor and with laughter. But shit...really? Come on people...come on. It's a simple matter of common courtesy and for all you lecherous men in the casino- try dating within your own ...nevermind, I'm only opening myself up for a complete backlash if I say what I really want to to end that sentence.

So, now that I have all that out of my system I fully intend upon spending the next few hours sifting through your website and reading some more of these tidbits that seem to say exactly what I find going through my head more than 90% of the day.

Thank god for people like you that still have the guts to say what reall needs to be said. Things that people don't like to hear. Well guess what- I don't want to hear cell phones ringing and cat calls either but I have to. So, if I have to hear that shit- then I'm glad someone had the balls to post things like your blogs.

Reading and Regurgitating in Reno

I like this girl. A lot.

In addition to the comments about my blogslappings, I've also been getting a lot of comments and e-mails from people who've never read my column before, who are surprised they don't get to read it in a paper near them.

A features editor who does run my column recently explained why I'm not in more dailies. According to her, it's because I'm ""not dowdy" and it makes some features editors who see me at their conferences mad -- as does the fact that I go to their conferences at all to try to sell my work. How dare I?! (Apparently, you're supposed to be a small gray sparrow sitting around waiting for them to "discover" you.) John Carroll, the former LA Times editor, told me that's why they were angry at me in the LAT features department: I pitched them my column and stories too often! Seriously, that's what he told me. (How often was too often? The same four or five times I year I sent mailings out to all the other papers!)

Anyway, if you'd like to see my column in paper near you, if it's an alt weekly, please write to the editor, and if it's a daily paper, write to the "Life" or features editor.

And if you'd like to see more of my blogslappings, hold on, because I'm working on a book...just finishing the revisions from my agent on the proposal, which should go out soon. And, in the meantime, check back here. There's no shortage of rude people around these United States!

Posted by aalkon at January 20, 2007 4:20 AM

Comments

I usually don't have the balls to tell the vulgar multitudes yapping away on their cellphones to take it outside, so I'm personally grateful for your special form of activism, Amy. You're changing the world, one humiliated assclown at a time.

Posted by: Lena at January 20, 2007 6:32 AM

I was so glad to see you last night!

Anyone who takes exception to curly red hair on a girl should be flayed.
There are some things that are hard to scehdule, but I make time for a perm a couple of times a year because having kids flattened my hair.

Posted by: Deirdre B. at January 20, 2007 7:00 AM

Aww, thanks guys. You warm the cockles of my tiny little lump of coal heart!

Posted by: Amy Alkon at January 20, 2007 7:10 AM

Gah! I fell asleep early last night and forgot to set the Tivo. Hopefully someone will put it up on YouTube.

Posted by: deja pseu at January 20, 2007 7:28 AM

The Chossen Walking Carrot of Buttage.

So they were good to you? They didn't tell lies to make better TV?

Posted by: Crid at January 20, 2007 7:38 AM

"There's no shortage of rude people around these United States!"

Speaking of which, here's something I've experienced several times in lovely Scottsdale AZ.

I'm trying to cross the street, at a crosswalk, and with the right of way when some trophy wife in a Caddy Escalade will almost run me over while yakking on her cell phone & doing her nails.

Then, and this is the kicker, they get pissed off - at me! That really is the height of rudeness. "How DARE you make me run you over!"

Posted by: Todd Fletcher at January 20, 2007 7:57 AM

Thanks, but I think the wisest advice comes via example, from LaShawn Barber, who wrote about you:

One of my resident trolls (who exhibits evidence of mental abnormalities) managed to slip this one through, but since the comment itself is not objectionable, I’ll allow it to remain. - Admin


Posted by: Amy Alkon at January 20, 2007 12:50 PM

What kind of nasty image are you trying to evoke with the invented insult "bunwad"? Means nothing to me....

Posted by: Stu "El Inglés" Harris at January 20, 2007 1:07 PM

Stu, by bun, I don't mean the hot cross kind.

Posted by: Amy Alkon at January 20, 2007 1:33 PM

"I'm not sure what the interview was for but from the looks of the subject matter it must have been something for the home and garden network explaining how if you don't keep proper care of the carrots in your garden they may grow up and become bloggers."

As insults go, that was kind of funny.

Posted by: Jim Treacher at January 20, 2007 1:36 PM

Amy,
I was so excited to see you, (I don't get cable, so missed the other TV times), and you looked fantastic! I think you were very well-spoken, composed and very non-vengeful. Just honest and willing to do what needs to be done.

The only thing that bothered me was how often they cut the tape in the middle of your sentence. How rude!

I don't think the Reno girl above is legit, but she is amusing. Possible guest blogger for you!?

Posted by: Donna B. at January 20, 2007 3:41 PM

Brava, Amy! You are a refreshing blast of orange in a dull cultural landscape. I hope this is your ticket to fame. You deserve it.

Posted by: Monica at January 20, 2007 4:59 PM

My boyfriend linked me to your site tonight. I want to tell you how glad I am to know that someone does what you do.
I have two experiences that wore on my patience more than anything else they are as follows:
First - I was visiting my parents for the holidays two years ago and my mother took me out to a local Chinese restaurant for a dim sum lunch. As was tradition, we brought my great grandmother along. My great grandmother is ninety five, deaf and blind. She refuses to eat out because she gets sloppy and embarrassed, since dim sum is all finger foods..Well..It was her paradise. Anyways, back on topic, we're all sitting there having a quiet lunch - yes, we were quiet talking to a deaf person. My mother and I were both raised to be extra polite in restaurants, so we were leaning over to ask grandma questions and trying not to bother other patrons when a cell phone goes off. On high. Obnoxious tune ring. The man at the table takes his time answering. when he eventually does, he shouts into the phone. I try to ignore him at first thinking that he'd end the call soon. He goes on for five minutes shouting at his mother on the other end. I stand up and walk over to his table, if I can be quiet talking to my deaf grandmother he can hang up his phone and talk to his mother later. I ask him politely to end his call or go outside because he is ruining my dining
experience. All he does is glare at me and say "NO I'M TALKING TO MY MOTHER I HAVE EVERY RIGHT", at this point his wife turns bright red and whispers that she'll try to get him to leave. It took her another ten minutes.
Second - I was at the zoo one day taking photos and there was a young boy tapping on the glass. I got his attention and explained to him why it is a bad idea to tap on the glass of the cages. His father overhearing this looks ready to punch me, says to me in a nasty I'm Intimidating Because I Have Too Much Testosterone voice "You don't
talk to my son that way! [Name of kid here] Tap on the glass more, hell kid BANG on it!" and he and the kid start banging on the glass. Flustered I walk toward the zookeeper building (I worked there for a summer and knew it was around the corner) caught a volunteer coming around the corner towards where they were banging and brought them to the man and his kid. The guy didn't notice us standing there, but when he turned around he was escorted straight to the exit of the zoo.
I still cannot believe what an asshole he was.

Posted by: Edi at January 21, 2007 8:58 AM

My boyfriend linked me to your site tonight. I want to tell you how glad I am to know that someone does what you do.
I have two experiences that wore on my patience more than anything else they are as follows:
First - I was visiting my parents for the holidays two years ago and my mother took me out to a local Chinese restaurant for a dim sum lunch. As was tradition, we brought my great grandmother along. My great grandmother is ninety five, deaf and blind. She refuses to eat out because she gets sloppy and embarrassed, since dim sum is all finger foods..Well..It was her paradise. Anyways, back on topic, we're all sitting there having a quiet lunch - yes, we were quiet talking to a deaf person. My mother and I were both raised to be extra polite in restaurants, so we were leaning over to ask grandma questions and trying not to bother other patrons when a cell phone goes off. On high. Obnoxious tune ring. The man at the table takes his time answering. when he eventually does, he shouts into the phone. I try to ignore him at first thinking that he'd end the call soon. He goes on for five minutes shouting at his mother on the other end. I stand up and walk over to his table, if I can be quiet talking to my deaf grandmother he can hang up his phone and talk to his mother later. I ask him politely to end his call or go outside because he is ruining my dining
experience. All he does is glare at me and say "NO I'M TALKING TO MY MOTHER I HAVE EVERY RIGHT", at this point his wife turns bright red and whispers that she'll try to get him to leave. It took her another ten minutes.
Second - I was at the zoo one day taking photos and there was a young boy tapping on the glass. I got his attention and explained to him why it is a bad idea to tap on the glass of the cages. His father overhearing this looks ready to punch me, says to me in a nasty I'm Intimidating Because I Have Too Much Testosterone voice "You don't
talk to my son that way! [Name of kid here] Tap on the glass more, hell kid BANG on it!" and he and the kid start banging on the glass. Flustered I walk toward the zookeeper building (I worked there for a summer and knew it was around the corner) caught a volunteer coming around the corner towards where they were banging and brought them to the man and his kid. The guy didn't notice us standing there, but when he turned around he was escorted straight to the exit of the zoo.
I still cannot believe what an asshole he was.

Posted by: Edi at January 21, 2007 8:58 AM

My boyfriend linked me to your site tonight. I want to tell you how glad I am to know that someone does what you do.
I have two experiences that wore on my patience more than anything else they are as follows:
First - I was visiting my parents for the holidays two years ago and my mother took me out to a local Chinese restaurant for a dim sum lunch. As was tradition, we brought my great grandmother along. My great grandmother is ninety five, deaf and blind. She refuses to eat out because she gets sloppy and embarrassed, since dim sum is all finger foods..Well..It was her paradise. Anyways, back on topic, we're all sitting there having a quiet lunch - yes, we were quiet talking to a deaf person. My mother and I were both raised to be extra polite in restaurants, so we were leaning over to ask grandma questions and trying not to bother other patrons when a cell phone goes off. On high. Obnoxious tune ring. The man at the table takes his time answering. when he eventually does, he shouts into the phone. I try to ignore him at first thinking that he'd end the call soon. He goes on for five minutes shouting at his mother on the other end. I stand up and walk over to his table, if I can be quiet talking to my deaf grandmother he can hang up his phone and talk to his mother later. I ask him politely to end his call or go outside because he is ruining my dining
experience. All he does is glare at me and say "NO I'M TALKING TO MY MOTHER I HAVE EVERY RIGHT", at this point his wife turns bright red and whispers that she'll try to get him to leave. It took her another ten minutes.
Second - I was at the zoo one day taking photos and there was a young boy tapping on the glass. I got his attention and explained to him why it is a bad idea to tap on the glass of the cages. His father overhearing this looks ready to punch me, says to me in a nasty I'm Intimidating Because I Have Too Much Testosterone voice "You don't
talk to my son that way! [Name of kid here] Tap on the glass more, hell kid BANG on it!" and he and the kid start banging on the glass. Flustered I walk toward the zookeeper building (I worked there for a summer and knew it was around the corner) caught a volunteer coming around the corner towards where they were banging and brought them to the man and his kid. The guy didn't notice us standing there, but when he turned around he was escorted straight to the exit of the zoo.
I still cannot believe what an asshole he was.

Posted by: Edi at January 21, 2007 9:00 AM

My boyfriend linked me to your site tonight. I want to tell you how glad I am to know that someone does what you do.
I have two experiences that wore on my patience more than anything else they are as follows:
First - I was visiting my parents for the holidays two years ago and my mother took me out to a local Chinese restaurant for a dim sum lunch. As was tradition, we brought my great grandmother along. My great grandmother is ninety five, deaf and blind. She refuses to eat out because she gets sloppy and embarrassed, since dim sum is all finger foods..Well..It was her paradise. Anyways, back on topic, we're all sitting there having a quiet lunch - yes, we were quiet talking to a deaf person. My mother and I were both raised to be extra polite in restaurants, so we were leaning over to ask grandma questions and trying not to bother other patrons when a cell phone goes off. On high. Obnoxious tune ring. The man at the table takes his time answering. when he eventually does, he shouts into the phone. I try to ignore him at first thinking that he'd end the call soon. He goes on for five minutes shouting at his mother on the other end. I stand up and walk over to his table, if I can be quiet talking to my deaf grandmother he can hang up his phone and talk to his mother later. I ask him politely to end his call or go outside because he is ruining my dining
experience. All he does is glare at me and say "NO I'M TALKING TO MY MOTHER I HAVE EVERY RIGHT", at this point his wife turns bright red and whispers that she'll try to get him to leave. It took her another ten minutes.
Second - I was at the zoo one day taking photos and there was a young boy tapping on the glass. I got his attention and explained to him why it is a bad idea to tap on the glass of the cages. His father overhearing this looks ready to punch me, says to me in a nasty I'm Intimidating Because I Have Too Much Testosterone voice "You don't
talk to my son that way! [Name of kid here] Tap on the glass more, hell kid BANG on it!" and he and the kid start banging on the glass. Flustered I walk toward the zookeeper building (I worked there for a summer and knew it was around the corner) caught a volunteer coming around the corner towards where they were banging and brought them to the man and his kid. The guy didn't notice us standing there, but when he turned around he was escorted straight to the exit of the zoo.
I still cannot believe what an asshole he was.

Posted by: Edi at January 21, 2007 10:36 AM

I'm willing to compromise. People have loud conversations on their cellphones in public places near bystanders as long as they're going to discuss something mind-blowingly embarassing for them, but entertaining for me.

Three years ago, I was Christmas shopping in Target, and this woman came in (a schoolteacher)and was discussing a personal difference she had with another teacher that resulted in a fistfight between the two women. She further went on to say that several students had given her attitude about this, suggesting that she was only irritable because another teacher had kicked her ass.

I wouldn't dream of telling this woman not to have her conversation in front of me. I was hoping to learn that the school board had terminated one or both of these women, but if that happened, my friend didn't mention it. Florida must be hard up for schoolteachers.

Posted by: Patrick at January 21, 2007 12:35 PM

I would like to see a day when gas prices are based on the SIZE or WEIGHT of your vehicle. The bigger the vehicle, the MORE you pay!
Maybe then these gluttonous,egotistical, slobs would start downsizing. Same goes for those who live in HUGE houses. These morons have more money than brains!

Posted by: Jan at January 21, 2007 3:33 PM

Cell phones are truly loathsome. I have to carry one to be on-call for work, and the minute I retire, it is gone.

Speaking of manners, why is it that so many people feel empowered to tell others how they should live their lives?


Posted by: MarkD at January 23, 2007 9:43 AM

Gawd, I wish you were around when I was in patient library at Mass General the other day. THree pharmaceutical reps thought it was a place they could have their informal conference. Finally library staff came over and told them that it was a quiet area but she was too nice because they stayed ANOTHER 10 minutes talking loud...they just did it standing up this time.
Complaining about one clinican that was hard to meet with (hah! I thought), about living in nearby New Hampshire, bla bla.

Posted by: anet at January 31, 2007 9:36 AM

Speaking of manners, why is it that so many people feel empowered to tell others how they should live their lives?

It's like helping a disabled person through the door. When people aren't equipped to do it for themselves, they need a little intervention. If your mommy didn't properly teach you to "use your inside voice," and you're assaulting the rest of us (key point here, Mark -- I really don't care if you neglect to pay your phone bill or lie to your wife)...I'm going to pick up where mommy got neglectful. The alternative is suffering somebody's loud rudeness -- I'm only a victim if I agree to be a victim by doing that.

Posted by: Amy Alkon at January 31, 2007 9:49 AM

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