see my halo

People who have never worked in a service minded business can be such assholes. I just got out of the Starbucks’s line at the Salt Lake City Airport and their system was down so add airport pandemonium to your regular Starbucks morning craze and you’ve got what I just witnessed. The lady behind me kept sighing so loud I felt bad for her airways, the man behind her was cussing at the girls working frantically to take manual payments and lots of people stormed off, the way you can only storm off with trolley bags that can only go so fast without tipping over.

Now, this might mean these are truly bad people; the kind the flight to hell will let board first and if you’re lucky, the seats will fill up before they get to all the not so severe sinners in coach. Or, or…it might mean that they just don’t know how to fake politeness, a truly valuable skill I just mastered with flying colours while waiting for my soy latte.

I did feel for bad the girls working, that wasn’t fake. And even though I kept starring at the clock (peer pressure; everyone else was) I was in no danger of missing my flight since I had a three hour lay over, which also made it easier to stay calm. But it was like the rudeness and disrespectful behaviour of those behind me made me want to be as saintfull and holy as possible.
I tried to smile peacefully and say “don’t worry about me, I will wait however long it takes for my coffee and my chance to pay and if there’s anything I can do to assist you in this uncomfortable pickle, do ask!” with my eyes.
But making eye contact with me was clearly not a priority for the baristas so my mute and sympathetic condolences went unheard.

Finally I got to pay my $4.80, my debit card read manually and I signed one of those slips they used back when cell phones were a rare commodity used only by pilots and journalists. I wanted to be as quick as possible, and the huge grey and blue slip confused me, so I forgot to tip. I also forgot to ask for my receipt. AAUW are reimbursing me for all food expenses while on this trip as long as I save my receipts, which is why I got Starbucks in the first place, but now it seems this whole experience is going to be my own treat.

Oh well, that’s ok. All I really feel bad about is that I forgot to tip. Honestly, cause that’s how good of a person I am.