Things That Irk Janiece, Volume 2

Wednesday, July 30, 2008
I need to add something to my list as a result of an exchange I witnessed this morning.

Today I dropped off poor Boogie-Dog for his splint change at his vet's office, where there's a big ole sign at the counter that says "Please turn off your cell phone." I was discussing Boogie's care with Wendy, the office manager (and the doctor's wife - it's a family practice), when the woman waiting behind me's cell phone rang.

She, of course, answered, and then proceeded to chat in a loud voice to whomever had called her. Wendy couldn't hear me, so she asked this woman to take her conversation outside. She had to ask her twice.

Judging by this woman's reaction, you'd have thought Wendy suggested she engage in public lewdness. She huffed out, telling her caller, "I have to go outside, because this woman is distracted by my talking on my phone." Wendy just looked at me, shook her head, and said, "I am SO OVER people trying to talk on their phones when others are trying to have LIVE CONVERSATIONS."

Once off the phone, the woman proceeded to complain loudly that her appointment was at 9:20 a.m., and why was she still in the lobby? This was at 9:25 a.m. She was apparently also blind to the sign that said emergencies were handled before appointments, and evidently also missed the tearful, frantic man who came in with his (obviously) hurt kitty. Perhaps because she was too busy talking on her damn cell phone and complaining about Wendy.

Wendy was a lot more polite than I would of been. I'm pretty sure my own reaction would have included commentary to the effect that the whole fucking world doesn't revolve around you, bitch, so shut the fuck up before I shove a rectal thermometer up your...cell phone.

How come people are so oblivious?

I hope that man's kitty is all right...

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Updated 7/30/2008 2:00 PM.

The kitty will live, but will be hospitalized for a while.

8 comments:

Jim Wright said...

Don't even get me started on this Janiece. Seriously, I think it ought be legal to unleash the fist of death on these people.

Janiece said...

Reading Jeri's Irk list inspired me to write it.

Since Jeri also thinks these inconsiderate asshats need a good smack with the Shovel of Doom™.

Jeri said...

I find my cell phone to be a useful tool - but they also seem to be the bane of modern civilization and the death knell of any form of courtesy.

Should they ever be approved for use on airplanes, I predict lots more on-plane violence as cell phones are inserted places where the sun doesn't shine.

I hope the kitty is ok too. :(

Anne C. said...

Awww... poor kitty! I hate seeing animals in danger (lions eating antelopes are fine as that's "the circle of life").

Self-aborbed people, however, boooooo!

Cindi in CO said...

Stupid bitch.

Nathan said...

A corollary to this is cashiers and other customer service people who answer the phone while they're serving me. I don't expect them to just let the phone ring, and have no objection to them making some signal that they're going to answer it and then do so. I do have a big fucking problem with them then proceeding to behave as if I wasn't there.

Fine. Answer the phone. If someone's asking for your address or some other brief piece of business, by all means, finish the call. If it becomes apparent that it will take any fucking time at all to deal with the caller, you had damned well better tell your caller, "I'm with a customer right now, can you hold or leave a number where I can call you back?"

I showed up at your fucking store. Serve the person in front of you, not the jerkoff at home in his bathrobe.

Oh, and my brother is a vet in Florida (largest practice in North Florida, as a matter of fact.) His receptionist has a list of other vets in the area. Any customer who behaves like the woman in your rant, is handed the list and politely told, "Here are some other fine practices in the area if you'd prefer not to wait."

He really hates people who abuse his staff.

vince said...

Nathan, good for your brother.

And as I noted in an updated to my irks, I really want of these cell phone jammers. I know they're illegal in this country. But they shouldn't be.

MWT said...

When I was working at the takeout, I made damn sure that I helped every customer in the order that they arrived. This included phone customers. If it rang while I was helping someone at the counter, I asked them to hold. There were times when I had both phones on hold while there was a line at the counter, and I put everyone in order by when they set foot in the store and when the phone rang. This mostly went over very well with the customers.

I also tried really hard to put the order tickets in the order that I received them, but the kitchen staff under that second manager wasn't quite so good about getting that part right. (I had to do a lot of apologizing on their behalf sometimes... we had some very upset people when they were first to order and last to leave, 40 minutes later...)

Meanwhile, around the corner was a Subway. For some reason, their policy was to try to make everybody's sandwiches at once. So the guy would ask five people in line what they wanted, cut open five loaves of bread, put meats on all five, put veggies on all five, then ring up all five. If you were first in that line, you were left waiting for your sandwich a REALLY LONG TIME. I mean, he'd finish up my sandwich and put it in a bag with the napkins, and then instead of ringing it up, he'd go work on the sandwich of the guy behind me. I finally got irritated enough by this that I point blank told them to quit it.

Erm. Sorry, I guess Nathan's comment got me going. >.>