What stupid things happened to you today?

-- Anonymous, November 06, 2001

Answers

I was out biking, up and down hills today. Three times, people jumped into my path in an attempt to "scare" me for their own amusement. I've never had to worry about people trying to get hit ON PURPOSE before today. I mean, geez. I'll just put my head down and take it on the helmet. Stuuuuupids.

I don't know whether to address the jokers in a humorous tone because they are obviously amused, a reproachful tone because they are causing a dangerous situation (I'm in the road), or to ignore them completely to deny them the attention they are seeking.

-- Anonymous, November 06, 2001

Tonight I went to dinner with Alice at Kim's Vietnamese restaurant in Mountain View. Before we could order, this young white guy with a clipboard and a laminated ID like you could make up at any Kinkos walked in and started talking to us, ignoring all the social signals I could think of to make to get him leave us alone. I think his clipboard said something about "Shave the Whales."

He had just launched into his sales/begging/whatever pitch when I stopped him with the most hostile eye contact I could manage, and said slowly, flatly, and clearly because he was obviously too stupid to be polite, "I don't think you should interrupt people who are sitting down to dinner." His pitch sputtered out and he moved up to the next table of diners. They had just figured out that he was soliciting for something and waved him away when I walked up behind him and told him, again as flatly and clearly as possible, "I don't think you understood me. I don't think you should bother anyone in this restaurant." I shouldn't have added the question, "Do you have permission to solicit here?"

As an aside here, let me point out that I'm one huge dude. I don't think I am normally all that menacing, but I do have a slightly evil beard, I am 6'8", solidly built, and had been roused to stand up and hover over this really normal size guy. I remember when I was normal sized (that would be briefly in the 7th grade), and I would have been terrified of me as a huge angry dude. On the other hand, I wouldn't have been rude to begin with.

He said "yes," he did have permission, which was pretty bold. Not believing him, I asked the waitress if it was true. She really didn't have a clue (and probably barely spoke English), so I asked her to get the manager, while I stood there to block his progress through the restaurant. When the petite Vietnamese manager lady (who turns out to be my usual waitress, and even knows my regular order) came out, she was initially confused at who this guy was and what he was asking, and finally kicked him out. Then she came over and asked if I wanted my usual big bowl of vegetarian pho, plus hot tea, and apologized for the interruption.

If I had it to do over again, I'd just grab him by an ear and drag him out the door, but I wasn't sure whether or not he had permission to be there.

I thought things over later, and was glad that I had (literally) stood up for myself. I am tired of blithe rude people, and my usual tendency is to have huge guy syndrome, which is roughly the opposite of short guy syndrome. I've seldom let myself get angry, especially physically, because if I really did, someone could get hurt. (There's a famous case in which Kermit Washington, 6'8" basketball player, just about killed a guy with one angry blow, and felt horrible about it for years afterwards.) But in this case my righteous anger got rid of a pest.

Later Alice told me some shocking things that I must still think over.

-- Anonymous, November 07, 2001

I left work Mon. and had to go back on Tue. This will probably happen for the rest of the week. Leave and come back, leave and come back. I guess it is just a stupid habit.

-- Anonymous, November 07, 2001

Not exactly today...but events the last couple of weeks have been contributing to my cranky mood. My snail mail is not arriving due to the act that not only Princton's main post office had an anthrax scare last week, but the distribution center which services it is closed down (That Hamilton/ Trenton one which is the office where those fatal anthrax letters went through) because they're still cleaning it up. Since my pay checks arrive via mail, this has become bothersome. Also, my local bank had been closed for a week, again due to an anthrax scare, and I've been having to drive way out of the way to do my banking, as well as paying constant $1.50 surcharges at non- branch atms. In addtion, yesterday, I had to go to the Federal building to file some corp papers, parking four blocks away in downtown Trenton, near what appeared to be a crackhouse in downtown Trenton. I walked to the Fed building to find out that they wouldn't allow me in because I was carrying a cellphone and a palm in my purse (new rule it seems). So I had to walk all the way back (in about thirty degree weather) to my car, deposit my phone and palm under the backseat, while worrying that the crackheads were spying on me. Then I walked back to the Fed building, only to set off the alarm with my car key and was interrogated about it quite rudely, and actuallybrought into the 'back' until finally they understood that the key had an actual chip in it, and wasn't some high tech terrorist attack tool. I know this is all very unPC to complain in light of the events that have happened most recently, but here I am!

-- Anonymous, November 07, 2001

Hi Jen. First I hope you are feeling better. How can you say such a thing about our brave and fearless leader George W. Bush? After all he is doing to make America safe both now and in the future, you should be more sympathetic. It is certain that he will go down in history as one of the most honorable and decent men ever to hold the office. And he will be remembered as one of the very best Presidents to ever lead our nation. As someone that is extraordinarily intelligent and articulate, you could set a great example for the rest of us by making positive and reassuring comments about the our great President!

-- Anonymous, November 07, 2001

I found the glass cleaner today.

-- Anonymous, November 07, 2001

Stupid things not just today but everyday: passive/aggressive roommates people who don't use turn signals, ESPECIALLY while in traffic internalized road rage

Hope you are feeling better Jen. Bad moods are temporary, just remember that.

-- Anonymous, November 08, 2001

Hey Jen sorry to hear your stressed but while you are traveling getting to see different scenery think about those of us {me} who have to sit and stare at a nasty colored cubical wall all day. Those of us {me} who has a picture taped up of a window frame and view from home. That should remove some of the gloom.

I have a new stupid thing happen well more like intimately meeting a stupid person. I'm driving to work in light trafic. Trafic comes to a stop and the guy in front of me starts up again. I wait until he's about a car length away then start up myself. I'm traveling at about 20 MPH and he is pulling away from me then this guy slams on his brakes he must have used both feet cause the back end of his car went up so high that I just drove right up his ass with his bumper ending up on my hood. So my hood is buckeled up and my bumper has a new aerodynamic design like I hit him at 100MPH while his car has a scuff on the underside of the bumper. To make this even more embarasing it wasn't like I hit a semi or SUV this guys car is smaller than mine. Maybe it's a guy thing about the size I dont know. I get out and look at both the cars he gets out walks strait up to me without even looking at the cars and says he just wants to let it go. {lawsuit later?} Now I'm the one that ran into him and I keep insisting that we report it. As I'm trying to convince him to report it an IDOT truck pulls up and asks if we need help and if we want to call the state police. Instantly the guy says no but I ask the IDOT worker to call anyway. So were waiting for the state police for about 5 minutes and the guy comes up to me gives me his business card with his drivers licens and insurance policy number and says "MY wife has got to take a mean piss and I got to get to work. We don't have time to wait so here's my info see ya." And that was it he left.

-- Anonymous, November 09, 2001

Well, I just hope you stuck around so the cop could give you your ticket for following too closely and/or driving without due care and attention.

-- Anonymous, November 09, 2001

Dear Dave

Do you drive? Maybe you have not have had the pleasure of driving behind one of these fine examples of our skilled driving comunity. I actually did the right thing and waited for the state trouper. There is something new out there to protect good drivers from those who purposly lock up their brakes thinking that they are instantly innocent. Now both parties are listened to and the stories averaged. If he was at a stoplight or something yes I would be at fault. If you are both moving it is usually dual fault unless it is obvious that one of us is recless. I did not recieve a ticket. Did I mention that I was his 5th accident this month? 3rd person to rear end him in fact the last person to rear end him was the day before I hit him.

-- Anonymous, November 12, 2001

Well, I didn't run into Jen while I was in San Diego. I guess it's not such a small world afterall, Walt.

-- Anonymous, November 12, 2001

In her journal entry, jen wade said: "They had plenty of every other soda. What way is that to run a store". A convenient way? If I want Acme Raisin Bran and they are routinely out of Acme's brand but carry several other kinds of raisin bran, and what is more, they carry many other kinds of non-raisin bran cereal, am I not fortunate? Lots and lots of alternatives. I'd say the store was poorly run if they were out of my favorite brand names and also were woefully short supplied of other options. But a store that carries " ..plenty of every other.." anything, well, that's a store that gives me options. I have favorite journals that I read and often am disappointed when particular writers routinely understock a given month's entry postings. But I am fortunate that the internet offers many many other brands of journals from which to choose. Well, not a precise analogy, that. And pardon this off-topic detour. Thank you.

-- Anonymous, November 14, 2001

john:

I most certainly have "had the pleasure of driving behind one of these fine examples of our skilled driving comunity." However, because I was following at a safe distance and paying attention I did not slam into the back of them. Here is the equation for you to remember, john:

"Safe-distance" + "paying-attention" = "no-slammo"

-- Anonymous, November 14, 2001

Thanks Dave I'll write that down and tape it to my dashboard. Oops can't do that cause I wouldn't be focusing on the road. Damn I'm screwed. No wait now that I'm not driving it would be a great time to think up driving aids. I thought the three second rule was good enough but if there is something else enlighten me. I could duct tape a safe distance driving stick to my hood. Could you give me an exact measurement of the safe distance? Maybe some sort of brace so I'm only able to look within the "paying attention" area along with 1/2 a botle of No-Doze as I get behind the wheel. Velcro might help to keep my hands at ten and two. Any other sugestions or matmatical formulas you could think of or even better yet if you could give me driving lessons so I can be a better driver would be so helpful. Maybe after all this other drivers could sleep at night knowing that I have been enlightened and trained to live up to Dave's standards of driving.

Agh screw it I'll just sell my car and get a bycyle with training wheels.

-- Anonymous, November 15, 2001

Yea I know Dave is giving good advice. But he's starting to sound like my dad. With a little more wit and a lot less spit {maybe cause he's typing} but just as deaf.

I like the highball idea. Drunk driving on a bicycle is alot of fun but I'm not gonna tell those stories.

I went to driving school for the discount too. Did they go over not having loose stuff in the back seat and the stats that a 15 pound baby turns into a 300 pound projectile in a 30MPH crash and that most people in crashes are not killed by the crash but by the people in the back seat. It was a pretty morbid class.

Though I just recently found this site from what I have read seems like Jen would be on the winning side. {she's on some work field trip thing}

-- Anonymous, November 15, 2001

I think I probably heard the thing about the baby before, but I'd forgotten. I have to keep my car baby-free anyway, as it's a two seater.

-- Anonymous, November 15, 2001

Not today, but the other day. I was telling my sister how I found out from my ex-girlfriend that baby wipe wasn't just for wiping baby bottom. Apparently, she thought it was pretty funny. I thought it was stupid that she even laughed at me. I mean, how would a single unmarried guy know anything about using baby wipe. Maybe all single unmarried guy are stupid in one way or another...

-- Anonymous, November 25, 2001