Roiled Cloyce

We rented a cabin in Hessel, MI in the Upper Peninsula for years, and for years this one fella rented almost at the same time. I'll call him Cloyce just to give him a name. The thing is, his rental and ours offset by one week, meaning Cloyce and his family left during the middle of our two week stay.

The cabins rented Saturday to Saturday. On Cloyce's second Saturday one year the family which was renting his place next arrived, rudely, at 7 AM. They knocked on his door and basically demanded to know when he was leaving. Cloyce, properly annoyed, answered, "Checkout time is 11." He thought for a moment and then made it a point to explain further, "And check in time is 2."

They didn't like that. Yet they were the ones being insensitive. They figured if they sat nearby staring it might hurry Cloyce up.

They were barking up a tree, and those of us who knew Cloyce knew that.

He quite understandably took his breakfast: at around nine. He then took one suitcase to his van. Then he took one article of clothing out the cabin, folding it at the van door and putting it in the suitcase. Filling the case one piece of clothing at a time took about a half hour. Then he filled, in the same way, a second suitcase. Then he took about 15 minutes finishing the last cup of coffee from the kitchen, sipping it on his porch as he watched the watercraft go by. Then he emptied the fridge one item at a time, after bringing out the cooler empty. Lastly he packed his fishing gear one piece by one. Finally he took the folding chairs from the porch and tied them to the roof of his van.

The he sat on the stoop of the porch and stared back at the early arrivals. Eventually he looked at his watch and called to his wife, "Okay hon, let's go. It's 10:59, just about checkout time." And they were on their way home.

My guess is that it was actually about 10:59 and fifty-five seconds. I'm surprised he didn't pack the loaf of bread one slice at a time, because I wouldn't have blamed him if he did.

Parked in the driveway

I don't know if it's rudeness or stupidity. Perhaps they just can't see it because their blinders are on too tight. But I continue to be amazed at the rank lack of consideration among people today.

As I approached the entrance to my Shop yesterday I saw that a man had parked his bike across the driveway as he checked his bags and spoke on the phone. There were no cars on the street on either side of the drive, and a complete lack of obstructions on the sidewalk. Yet he was stopped, standing astride his bike checking things out right smack in the way of anyone who might want to get to my Shop. Like me.

I sat with my signal on, and he looked at me as though What's your problem? After a few seconds I gave up and circled around to another point of entry. I came in the back, a block away.

And he was still there when I arrived at the front of the Shop. I briefly considered saying something to him yet decided I would not. There was no reason: if he didn't see by then that he was a problem why should he if I brought it up? That just risks escalating a situation and that's when things can spin out of control. Better to be the adult, a task which even I can occasionally accomplish.

It still rankles me though.

Just plain rude

Just when you think you've seen it all, you see something you never think you'd see. This one had me doing a slow burn.

As I walked into UPS yesterday to ship a small package there was one woman in front of me with six packages. Oh well, those things happen. She got in there first and that's that. But what ground my gears was that none of the packages were taped shut. The attendant was doing that. He was also attaching the preprinted address labels.

Are. You. Kidding. Me? This young woman brought in a half dozen parcels which were not addressed, which were not even taped shut (in short, not ready for shipment at all) and had the UPS employee doing all that for her, while me and the soon four people who came in after me waited. What the (insert preferred inapropriate adjective here).

As I said, I could live with the fact that she got into the shipping office ahead of me. That stuff happens. But to bring unclosed, unaddressed parcels into UPS and have the clerk secure them?

Just. Plain. Rude. The height of being inconsiderate.

Gas station rudeness

I've opined before that I'm intent on becoming a curmudgeon; indeed, that I welcome it. Something which I saw this morning only solidifies that desire. I witnessed for the umpteenth time an act which just plain infuriates me.

As I pulled into the neighborhood gas station, not for gas but for a coffee and a paper, I dutifully and rightfully pulled into a parking space over to the side. As I walked to the door, this inconsiderate boor, also not buying gas, parked right in front of the door, to run in and grab a pack of cigarettes. This action effectively blocked access to half the gas pumps, as well as semi-blocking the station door.

Again, this has happened often over the last several years. The more I see it the more it rankles me. It's. Just. Rude. The world ain't all about you, dude. Be considerate of people; park to the side where you're supposed to if you aren't buying gas.

This missive surely doesn't fully express my ire. But if I'd had a walking cane, I sure would have been waving it at him malevolently.

Rudeness at the gas station

I've opined before that I'm intent on becoming a curmudgeon; indeed, that I welcome it. Something which I saw this morning only solidifies that desire. I witnessed something which just plain infuriates me.

Actually, this same thing has happened several times over the years. It's just kind of coming to a head lately.

As I pulled into the neighborhood gas station, not for gas but for a coffee and a paper, I dutifully and rightfully pulled into a parking space over to the side. As I walked to the door, this inconsiderate boor, also not buying gas, parked right in front of the door, to run in a grab a pack of cigarettes. This action effectively blocked access to half the gas pumps, as well as semi-blocking the station door.

Again, this has happened often over the last several years. The more I see it the more it rankles me. It's. Just. Rude. The world ain't all about you, dude. Be considerate of people; park to the side where you're supposed to if you aren't buying gas.

This missive surely doesn't fully express my ire. But if I'd had a walking cane, I sure would have been waving it at him malevolently.