Friday, August 05, 2005

but my intentions were good ...

I dragged 41 pounds of books into the post office in an M-bag this morning.

Already at the counter (ahead of about 5 people) was K. - just finishing up sending some packages to one of our soldiers.

Knowing she was going to need to be reimbursed for shipping, I asked her if she wanted me to put the order on the church credit card.

"Sure," says she, "that would be a great help!"

She hands me the paperwork, and goes home. Clerk #1, who was helping her, now has a half rung-up order, and me standing there with 41 pounds of books.

At this point clerk #2 (the only other clerk) announces, "I'm going on break."

So ... the five people who I just jumped in front of are now waiting for clerk #1 ... the one who's dealing with me and my problematic little M-bag.

Because, you see, Clerk #1 doesn't know how to do M-bags.

So she calls her supervisor, who helps us.

And we discover that 41 pounds is way too heavy ... gotta split it up. (There are now about a dozen people waiting).

I fill out another customs form (I'd done the first one before I came in), and split the books into two bags.

I'm hearing murmuring from behind me, and Clerk #2 still hasn't re-appeared from his break.

The drawstrings on the bags aren't working properly ...

When I finally left, Clerk #2 had just returned, and there were about 15 people waiting.

I've been watching the news all morning for news of the post-office riot ...

To all who I've offended today ... I'm so sorry ... I was just trying to make K.'s day easier, as I turned yours into a giant hassle!

Trinka

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

What's an M-bag?

Carol L said...

I think Americans are the only ones who get an attitude about standing in line more than 2 seconds. I hear in Europe they've come to expect it as a fact of life - lines, that is, and slow ones.

I'm sure nobody starved to death while waiting that extra 3 minutes for you and your friend to get your M-bag situation straightened out - even if Clerk #2 did take his break. My God in heaven!

I'm also quite sure that no one's bladder burst while giving Clerk #2 the opportunity to attend to his. If Clerk #2 hadn't put his foot down to take care of his own bodily functions for 15 minutes - even if it was just to quiet the rattle in his brain from having people making demands on him constantly - and had he taken 2 more customers, would the line have died down? No. 6 more people showed up, and so they had to stand in line maybe an extra 5.3 minutes. I'm quite sure they'll get over it! I'm quite sure no one will be traumatized for life.

For that matter, when do we ever go to the Post Office and not see a line? Well, there are those very, very rare occasions. Instead of being grateful for that little break we had that one time, we take it as a license to expect it every time. And what IS up with that any ol' way???

I was thinking about some of this just today as I stood in line at the 99 cents store. I prolly stood in line for a whopping 7 minutes and 38 seconds - if that. Egads! I didn't time myself standing in line! What if it was actually *GASP* 15 minutes or more? It all adds up, ya know. I don't know what the door prize is after it's all tallied up, but I might'a missed the bonus for that one...

Today, before reading your blurb here, for some strange reason I just decided to get over it - the whole...line...thing. So, now I want everyone else to get over it too.

C'mon, people, follow the leader here; beeee like meeeee!!!

Okay, lemme take my break with Clerk #2 and cool off! :D

Where did we in our culture get the idea that everything had to be instantanious, anyway???

Anonymous said...

If a line moves too fast it's probably filled with lemmings and that is not going to go anyplace good. No Sir.

Carol L said...

lol...

It's a good thing I'm not a cat...

http://www.snopes.com/disney/films/lemmings.htm

Cheers,
Carol :)