more on etiquette... sometimes I can be a tad crass

more on snow etiquette...

okay... don't walk in the cross country skiier's track
and then remember... clean out your parking space
don't move it or accept that it will not be vacant if you decide to go out for a drive
what else?

in this region of the self important I am often aggravated by some of the behavior around me...
a few weeks back I was getting a slice of pizza at a deli downtown
there is a system of ordering... having that slice heated
some people pay while their pizza is being cooked while some others pay once they have the pizza hand
either way... the line to the register is obvious

the other day after I paid and then stepped over to get my pizza from the oven
then I turned to my side and mentioned to the people along side of me that they had stepped in front of the women behind me in line
the man came forward correcting me
I did not get into it with him... but we were already in line when he and his power lunch partner came into the deli

there was no discussion... there should have been an apology to the two woman that they had snaked
even if they had done this inadvertently
instead... he held his ground that he was right and correct in his actions
while I had objectively witnessed otherwise

then last weekend on my way back from a funeral in Chicago with my family we got in the security line at the airport
when we got to the front of the line Lisa and I ushered the kids through
they know the drill... jackets and shoes off... everything in the bins
bins go through the x-ray
while people one by one step through the metal detector

as we were doing as four paying customers do a man behind us asked if he could go in front of us
being more focused on the task at hand than his needs I said no
he had not given any reason other than he wanted to be in front of us
after I said no... he proceeded in front of us

there he was standing in front of us
I leaned over and said... "I said no... are you going to be a PRICK and go in front of us?"
one of my boys asked... "what did you say?"
I dropped it... we went through and went on with getting to our gate

at the gate I ran into my dad
we went to see if we could get a Chicago Style Vienna Sausage in O'Hare before we left home for Washington
while we walked up... and then back down our section of gates I saw that same man
that same man who was so important that he had to go in front of us

I pointed to him and told my dad... that is the one... that is the guy...
this man had Starbucks in one hand and McDonald's in the other
I guess he was in a rush to make his plane
there was some emotion from my end that I could have thought more kindly and said yes
but I knew that I said no... he asked... I responded... and he still did what he wanted to do
even after I said no

time passed... we were all in our seat on the plane
I was able to get the women next to me to switch with Dean but I could not get the women in the aisle to switch with five year old Grant
which was fine... everyone was fine... everyone was occupied
Dean was reading and Grant had a new Atlantis Lego creation

then I saw him... it was that guy... it was that same guy
I turned back and got my brother's attention telling him that this was the guy... that this guy was on our plane

on the flight I thought about if I got shoulder to shoulder with him I would apologize for calling him a prick... and see how that goes
that never happened... it is all behind us

sometimes it is best to just let it slide
but sometimes... I just have to be me