Random Lady at the Sbucks

[morgana]

Oooh, can we also do it for people who block traffic making illegal left turns and who throw cigarettes out the window and who blast their stereos, and for construction trucks that spew sand onto the windshields behind them?

No, for those guys you use the bazooka.


~M~

[RecoveringKinkoid]

What you didn't see was him coming back out two minutes later, assisting his elderly and infirm grandmother by carrying her shopping bags for her.


I'm all "yay go" on punishing the freaking nitwits, but Erin's right, only do it if there's no placard. Sometimes the car is legit, the reason is legit, but the one person you see moving doesn't "appear" to need it.

You know, you are absolutely right. And of course, I never thought of that. But I should have.

However, I think it's safe to say this was not the case...he was in front of a dollar movie and a sleazy nightclub in a crummy section of town. But you are right, it COULD have been. So next time, I will remember this conversation.

[protege]

Incidentally, why is that people have an overwhelming urge to park as close to the store as possible? What, the extra minute walking is going to cost them a ton of time?

For some people, getting around is difficult. My grandmother is nearly 90, and sometimes doesn't walk very well. She's afraid that she'll fall in the parking lots, and usually tries to park as close as possible. She also doesn't want one of those placards, simply because she doesn't consider herself handicapped, and doesn't want to take one from someone who needs it.

I should mention that after her accident in '94, she had to undergo *massive* amounts of physical therapy to walk again. From her appearance, you'd never know that she had 2 broken shoulders, massive damage to her legs (including a half-dollar-sized hole where the brake pedal shaft had poke her after it sheared off), and large amounts of cuts from flying glass (safety glass, it ain't!)

(For those who don't know, some dumbass in a gravel truck rear-ended her car...pushing it into the path of a logging truck coming the other way How she survived that, we'll never know.)

[Salathram]

I have to jump in on this. By the way, nice to be back. Anyway, as far as someone saying "Use the bazooka" on people that throw their cigarette butts out the window, sorry, my bad. You see, cars nowadays don't have these little things in them called "ashtrays." If they actually did, I'd use it. Seeing as my car doesn't have an ashtray, and I am an addict, I flick it out the window. I know I'm a dirty, evil smoker, but don't lump me in with the lazy assclowns that don't put away their carts or park in handicapped spots. I've taken 5 carts at once back to the cart return because the wind was kicking and beginning to push them into cars. Sorry to get defensive, but just because I smoke doesn't mean that I'm lazy and/or the Devil.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Just an FYI here...butts are litter. Don't believe me? Look in any gutter next to a stop light. Litter sucks. Why not get a can or something to put in your car so you don't have to litter?

Two little fables here:

1. When I was working at public television, my boss and I had to put out a fire in front of our building that was in the gutter, about 20 feet long, and headed down the back road our building was located on. The cause was a guy flicking a lit butt out the window, which landed in the carpet of fallen catkins (it was Spring) from the trees. The entire back lot of cars were in peril because of this one buffoon.

2. I've seen pictures of what happened to someone's car at Pennsic (the SCA biggest event of the year. Picture what would happen if you cross Burning Man with a Ren Faire.) when someone flicked a butt out their window on the interstate and it ended up blowing into their back seat. To say it ruined their vacation is an understatement.

So please. Don't do this. It's dangerous, it's littering, and it sucks.

[Erin]

What you didn't see was him coming back out two minutes later, assisting his elderly and infirm grandmother by carrying her shopping bags for her.

There have been times that I was parked in the handicapped spot, put my mom in a wheelchair and taken her into the store. Later, when we were leaving. We get to the door. Notice that it's raining. So I'll leave my mom (and my dad usually) at the door while I run thru the rain to get to my car and bring it up to the curb. More than once I've had people bitch at me because to them it appeared that I was a capable person who had parked illegally in the handicapped. If my parents are in sight of the person complaining to me, I'll just point at them and tell the person I'm picking my mom up at the curb so she doesnt have to get all wet.

Sometimes I just ignore the complainer...depends on just how bitchy I'm feeling that day. They'll probably watch me drive over to the curb anyways. People like that like to stare.

[Banrion]

I have to jump in on this. By the way, nice to be back. Anyway, as far as someone saying "Use the bazooka" on people that throw their cigarette butts out the window, sorry, my bad. You see, cars nowadays don't have these little things in them called "ashtrays."

Sorry, but as a fellow smoker, there are solutions. I have one of these in my car.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...nce&n=15684181

They are great, you just plop the butt down the hole, and it extinguishes itself. $4.00 on Amazon, but I just picked up a couple at Wal-mart for $2.50.

[ladodger34]

For some people, getting around is difficult. My grandmother is nearly 90, and sometimes doesn't walk very well. She's afraid that she'll fall in the parking lots, and usually tries to park as close as possible. She also doesn't want one of those placards, simply because she doesn't consider herself handicapped, and doesn't want to take one from someone who needs it.

I completely understand that. Heck, there were times when my back has given out on me that I probably tried to park close if I had to go to the store.

I wasn't talking about those folks. I was talking about folks who have no pains, handicaps, etc. I was just wondering why able-bodied people have this undeniable urge to park as close as possible. Most of the time, I park where I can find a space and I'm in the store while those dolts are still looking for parking.

[XCashier]

Anyway, as far as someone saying "Use the bazooka" on people that throw their cigarette butts out the window, sorry, my bad. You see, cars nowadays don't have these little things in them called "ashtrays." If they actually did, I'd use it.

Don't they sell automobile ashtrays at auto-parts stores? I'm sure I've seen some there.

Here's another thread about cig butt litter: http://www.customerssuck.com/board/showthread.php?t=592

[air914]

Speaking of rude people at coffee shops, -back when I used to work at one, we had this large family come in adn sit at the ONLY handicapped table in the whole place - RIGHT next to the door and RIGHT next to a trash can. You have to pass the trash can to get out the door....... and they left the biggest mess I had ever seen there - they didn't attempt to pick up any little thing. Coffee Shops are not usually restaurants and ours at least didn't have bussers or anything - I understand sometimes if you don't know where to put your plate, but when the trash can is RIGHT next to you and you can't throw out your own freakin trash it drove me nuts. It was just especially rude b/c they did it at a handicapped table (it had a sticker on it). Not that I ever saw any handicapped people come in, but still - clean up after yourselves!!!

[chainedbarista]

i agree; if you had to clean up after smokers enough, like i do, the 'little things' they do become 'hugely annoying things' quickly. i've lost count of how many smokers, after complaining loudly over us not having an ashtray (because people steal these ultra cool $.99 ashtrays ALL the damn time), we rig up something else to work for them, then they DON'T BOTHER USING IT OR THE ASHTRAY when we do.

i have little, ok, check that, NO sympathy for smokers, period. i've lived with them growing up and have cleaned up after them as an adult far too many times to care about their 'inconvienences' to care. you're creating a potential health hazard for me and don't care, so i don't care about your 'inconvienence,' either.

[kerrisan]

I've always said that if I weren't going to be a teacher, I would want to be a cop. I would looooooooooooooooove to dish out the justice to this lady. I also have a touchy spot for thoughtlessness like this because my boyfriend has CP. That woman deserved coffee poured on her car or something. GRRRRRRRRRR.

[Salathram]

This may be a long response, so I apologize in advance. I just have to get a few things off my chest that have been festering for a while. As far as smokers go, I've cleaned up after smokers as well. Back in college, our school got rid of all the ashtrays around the campus. Smoking was still allowed, but they got rid of all the ashtrays. My fiancee and I always put our butts in our pockets or back in the pack, but several of our other smoking buddies, even when told repeatedly to put their butts out and throw them away, just chucked em'. I can't count how many times I've spent close to half an hour or more picking up butts just so that we could still smoke. Now, me saying that I picked up my butts but still chuck them out the window when I drive may sound hypocritical. Maybe it does; it's just a habit that I picked up and haven't been able to drop. I'm going to quit when my fiancee and I decide that we're going to have children, and I'm not going to pick the habit up again. Nevertheless, I will always fight for a smoker's right to smoke, no matter what. The government has raised taxes on cigarettes left and right, outright banned it in almost every building, and resent smokers on an almost fanatical basis. Yet, still, taxes aren't as high on alcohol, you can drink at practically every restaurant, and people have more sympathy for alcoholics. Double standard, much? Before I continue, and finish, I just want to add that I do have a cousin, a Vietnam vet, that was an alcoholic. So don't accuse me of not having sympathy for alcoholics, or addicts period, because I do. If I smoke a carton of cigarettes and get behind the wheel of a car, I'm not going to be too impaired to drive. If I drink a case of beer, on the other hand, bad things might happen. I'm not trying to be confrontational, and I'm stepping off my soap-box at this point. I am going to get one of those butt-things for my car to try and stop my littering. Hell, at least I'm not the lady I saw yesterday outside work that dumped her entire, full, car ashtray right on the parking lot pavement. I'M not even that bad. Again, sorry about the length...

[RecoveringKinkoid]

All due respect, but what is the difference between throwing thirty butts out all over town, and dumping the same number out at a stop light all at once?

It's still litter.

I am glad you plan to stop littering, and I wish you best of luck. Habits are hard to break.

Here's my two cents on the smoking thing. I do believe you have every right to smoke. However, your right to smoke ends at my right not to.

I like to drink. My right to drink ends at someone else's right to not get wiped out by me as I drive home. This is why I do not drink and drive, under any circumstances.

People resent smoking because it is very difficult for smokers and non smokers to coincide. My tequila will stay out of your glass. But your smoke does not stay out of my air, or my lungs. That's not really fair. We feel out right to NOT smoke is infringed upon by your smoking. Hence the resentment.

Anyway, good luck on the stopping smoking, too. I daresay that will be much tougher than the littering thing, and I wish you the best. It wont' be easy, but it sure will be worth. it.

[Mixed Bag]

Oh, THAT kind of bazooka...at first I thought you meant pelt them with wads of gum.