Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Tick..........Tick...........Tick...........


I think either I am getting really grouchy and crotchety since I have passed the big 60 mark and know that the hourglass is on the diminishing side, but my patience with people seems to be waning.

Yesterday, stopping by at a Starbucks standing in line I notice that the clerk is not a multitasking individual.

What I mean is that he cannot provide change and talk at the same time.

Now I know where "Can't walk and chew gum at the same time came from"!

I wish they had a sign that said, please do not interrupt the employees while they are waiting on you.

That one question that set off the clerk and put a screeching halt on productivity and profitability for the corporate world was " How many shots are included in a cappuccino?"

Who cares you would say? I do.

I happen to have greed in my motivation.

You see, some while ago my financial guru, a person who said that he would take a few thousand dollars and turn it in to my financial future convinced me to buy couple hundred shares of Starbucks.
So, since it's MY company I get pretty annoyed at employees that need a kick in their butt, so to speak.

Ok, I understand that the pay rate for an entry level cashier, coffee jerk is pretty minimal, but with all the people looking for a job you would think that there would be some better choices out there. You would think.

But the the next person in line came to the starting gate.

This middle aged mommy had been standing there for about 3 minutes or so, with the worlds ugliest 10 year old kid, who had been trying to moon walk on the ceramic tiles of the floor in front of the pasty counter for the last point in time.

Clerk: What can I get for you mam?
Mom: Well , let's see........tick.....tick.....tick.. oh give me a double latte something or other"
Tancho: ( To himself,,,,,what the hell is a double latte something or other")
Mom: "And make that with soy, please."
Clerk: Will there be anything else?
Mom: Turning to her ugly spawn, Johnny what do you want?
Johnny: Attempting to do the moon walk in front of the counter back and forth looking....
Mom: Oh, come on Johnny.......
Tancho: tick,.....tick.....tick........tick.......tick........
Mom: Oh, come on Johnny........... there are people waiting........tick......tick.....tick.
Johnny: Oh , ..................tick.........tick..........tick........nothing I guess.
Clerk: Are you sure?
Mom: Oh just give him a glass of water please.
Clerk: Goes gets the water, pours it in, puts the top on and brings it to the counter....Will there be anything else?
Mom: Oh, Yes can you please put ice in that for him?
Clerk: Why of course. Returning to the water station, taking off the top, putting a scoop of ice in, replacing the top , returning to the counter and placing it down on the counter.
Tancho: I just hope the other 5 people behind me have better patience than me, and don't need their caffeine fix at a attach level yet.
Mom: Oh, I think that will do it.
Tancho: ( just give him the damn credit card and please don't ask any questions of the clerk while he is processing your payment otherwise we will be here another 10 minutes)

By that time her double latte whatever was ready and waiting.

Clerk: May I help you.
Tancho: Large , Bold coffee please.
Clerk: Anything else?
Tancho: No, thank you!
Clerk: Have a nice day!
Tancho: Yeah, sure......you too!

So, my next question is why can't super mom, teach the value of time to herself and to her ugly brat, to know what they want so as not to waste the time for everyone else in line?

Is that asking for too much, after all is that just common courtesy?

You would think that they would know what they want when they, pull the door open to enter, wait in line for their turn at the counter or after someone ask what they would like, instead of having the Jeopardy time clock start when they are ask what they want?

Maybe it's just me........

Have a nice day!
Tancho: ( Yeah, you too have a nice day...............)


Yep. it's 4 am, I can't get too sleep after waking up and taking the dog out........inspiration for this post.......
tick......tick.......tick........

9 comments:

Don Cuevas said...

You've been away from Mexico too long.

Saludos,
Don Cuevas

Calypso said...

Dude CHILL - I am guessing you wrote this piece shortly after drinking that BOLD coffee ;-)

Actually my lovely child bride admonishes me often about talking to people while they are counting change or doing anything else requiring some dual concentration.

But, I type and listen to her a lot - go figure ;-)

Nancy said...

I think you've been up North too long. Down here you would need to ask after the clerk's Mama, ask how baby sister is doing and whether Mama enjoyed the party last week before you could even order. Then you'd make promises to get together soon, soon!

1st Mate said...

Looks to me like you need to get back to Mexico and relax.

Tancho said...

Yep, that must be what it is......
Wife back, car filled, crossing the border non too soon.
Be nice to get back to sanity, even twisted reasonable logical understandable sanity.....
See you all soon!

Steve Cotton said...

We both need to get out of here.

Tancho said...

Well I guess everyone has figured out my low tolerance level which is exacerbated by the unfortunate location of my body.
There is something that leaves my soul when I pass the 26km checkpoint after Nogales.
It's like things no longer matter, and I revert to " whatever" and "just get with the program, nothing is really that important anymore".
Every time in the past I had promised myself that I would hold on to the special spiritual values that gets bestowed upon you in Mexico, it vanishes after a few days of the surroundings NOB.
I need to get back to my routine of stuff that's really important.....Nothing except time to do it!

Hurry up Steve! Times a wastin!

norm said...

On a different note: when I am in Mexico, I order two beers to start off because that second one can take forever to get there and you know it's hot...

Tancho said...

Hey Norm, that makes a lot of sense, but I hope you consume the first beer in time for the second one not to loose it's cool temperature.