For 20 years, I've walked past this truck, 5 days a week, at the exact same time, on the way to my office. And the same two old guys have been outside the truck. Through rain, snow, (usually snow, and more snow), and occasionally sunshine, we cross paths:
They usually block the path to the building door, being all officious and security-minded, rushing their little handcart with money boxes or whatever, up to the truck. This usually forces me somewhat off the sidewalk and onto the pebbled landscape area. If we're both approaching the same space, they rush their preciousness closer to the truck, in front of me, and glare at me. This is usually accompanied by a little gun-check (very similar to a guy "crotch-check"). I usually smile, walk a wider berth around them (carrying all my own junk, many times walking with a walking-cast because of problems in the past), but having to walk further to get to the warmth of the building because of their work. This may not sound like a big deal, but when it's 40 to 50 below zero windchills here, trust me: it's a big deal! Besides, I'm lazy, and usually late, and don't WANT to walk further to get to work.
Until a few years ago, I really didn't much care--just two old, grumpy guys who looked like they hated their jobs, felt rattled by my dangerous presence, and were jumpy, (with their matching cups of coffee in the front window of their truck.)
Then one day, a "sweet young thing" came out of the bank drive-up building, and crossed their paths. Let the sunshine roll in!!!!! They grinned, and radiated joy, and slobbered with drool in their greeting and body language!
OK, no more Ms-NiceGuy from me!
Now, I don't bother to yield and take a wider berth around them. If they've intruded into my space while I'm walking to the door, doesn't matter if they've glared at me; I usually just smile back, and "obliviously" keep on walking. If they have to hurl their bodies onto their handcart to save it from me, sucks to be them! Once, I even dropped my keys on the ground, and had to stop and pick them up; so clumsy of me! And then last week, from a good-sized distance, I took this photo.
So, if I ever get shot on my way into work some morning, it'll probably be my own damn fault! Kids, don't try this at home! Guess I'll have to label this blog post with my "cranky woman" label!
4 comments:
Well, it looks like I'm first here in the comments. I guess this is an advantage to having a blog. You can have your say about those little annoyances in life if you choose. It's probably good theropy. That is amazing that this has been going on all of these years.
I'd be majorly irked too! Hope it feels good to get it off your chest. What a couple of grumpy old men! Sheesh!
ROTFLMAO! You have such a menacing presence; it's easy to see why they do a gun check every time you approach . . . NOT! Unless you count humor as a weapon, then you are a pretty scary lady.
I tell you, it's hard not to fall back on male stereotypes when you see behavior like this, and, unfortunately, I see it much too frequently.
Atta girl. Sometimes you just have to plow on through the arbitrary impositions of life. The guilty voice of conscience is the one keeping you from becoming such an obstacle.
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