Last Saturday afternoon I’m walking from my car to the bistro. In one hand I’m carrying my work shirt, cleaned and pressed. In the other a steaming hot delicious Starbucks latte.
I reach the crosswalk across from my job stopping to wait for the “WALK” sign to turn green. You have to be cautious in my neck of the woods. Drivers tend to treat red lights like they’re suggestions.
The light turns green. I pause a few seconds then walk into the street.
All of a sudden I hear the skittering of tires behind me. I know what’s happening. Some idiot is blowing though the red light to make a right turn. I’m gonna get run over.
These thought processes are, of course, occurring on a pre conscious level. My sphincter puckers, the adrenaline jolt hits my leg muscles, and, like a Jedi guided by the Force, I leap several feet backwards. My latte flies into the gutter.
Brooooom! A large SUV flashes past my eyes along with my life history. It’s that close people.
But what happened next really pissed me off.
The SUV stops in the middle of the street. The passenger side window lowers and a Yuppie matron sticks her head out saying, “Excuse me could you help us?”
I walk over to the window. I notice the truck is a Lincoln Navigator.
“Where can you park around here?” the matron asks.
“Lady you almost ran me over back there.” I say angrily but politely.
“Whaaaat?” the matron whines uncomprehendingly.
I stick my head in the window. The woman’s husband, a porcine gold chain sporting artificially tanned bald guy, is busy talking on his cell phone. “No that price is too high too high” he rants animatedly into his handset.
“Hey buddy,” I say, my temper rising, “While you were blabbing on your cell phone you almost ran me over back there.”
“Hang on,” the man says. He looks at me. “Hey where can you park around here?”
“Didn’t you hear what I just said? You almost ran me over” I repeat.
Gold Chain blinks. He’s confused. Car horns are blaring. He’s stopped in the middle of a busy street.
“I’m looking for a parking spot.” he continues petulantly.
When I get scared I get angry. When I am angry and ignored I blow up.
“IF YOU DON”T GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE I’M GONNA PARK THAT CELLPHONE SO FAR UP YOUR ASS IT WILL BE COMING OUT YOUR MOUTH YOU FAT DUMB FUCK!” is my calm measured reply.
“EEEEK he’s crazy!” the wife shrieks.
Gold Chain drops the phone and throws the truck into gear taking off. I pull my head out of car to avoid decapitation. The SUV roars down the street barreling around a corner out of sight.
I take a deep breath and continue across the street. Several onlookers stare open mouthed. I notice my shirt is splattered with coffee. Perfect
Inside the bistro I discover the lunch waiter forgot his shirt and used my backup. Things are getting better and better.
I clean my shirt with seltzer to the point where it’s almost presentable. I make an espresso and get the specials from the chef. I call the other waiters over to review the night’s festivities.
“Nice shirt.” says one of the waiters giggling.
Without looking up I flip him the bird.
The hostess interrupts my review of the specials. “You have a table.”
“Already?” I say looking at the clock, “We don’t open for half an hour.”
“They sat down anyway,” she says shrugging.
“Fine.” I cinch up my tie, plaster on the happy face, and walk over to the window seats.
My first table is Gold Chain and his wife.
I groan inwardly. This can’t be happening to me.
“What happened to your shirt?” Gold Chain asks.
“Excuse me?” I reply a tad indignantly.
“Your shirt is dirty.” he says simply.
Holy shit. The dumb bastard doesn’t recognize me. Hey – he only saw me for a second, I was wearing an overcoat, and my face was, how shall put it? – contorted in rage. It stands to reason.
I’ve caught a break.
“Just an accident sir,” I reply.
He harrumphs and asks what the specials are. His wife stares glumly at the menu.
Everything proceeds normally. They order. They eat. Gold Chain makes a dozen calls on his cell phone. I act like a total professional. They never recognize me. They pay the bill and leave.
I go over to the table. The tip is 12%. Why am I not surprised.
Then I notice Gold Chain’s cell phone lying on the table. He forgot it. My face breaks into a smile. I grab the phone and go outside.
I spy them halfway down the block. “Sir you forgot your phone!” I yell.
The man walks back towards me sheepishly. While I’m waiting I calculate how much force it will take to jam the phone up his rectum.
“Thanks.” he says stretching out his pudgy hand to take the phone.
I don’t give it to him. I look him dead in the eye and say,“Remember sir, talking on a cell phone while driving is illegal in New York State.”
His eyes widen with the shock of recognition. Now it’s his turn to have his sphinter pucker.
I hand him the phone. “Have a NICE day sir.”
He takes the phone and waddles away – looking over his shoulder several times.
I go back inside.
I fucking hate cell phones.
Ebay.
Absolutely fucking right, “Ebay”.
dude – i was SOO hoping that you would have stepped on it or SOMETHING – you are too nice.
Who do you think you are, Jesus? It was your duty to teach that guy a lesson.
I was hoping you were going to say you flushed the cell phone down the toilet, but it’s even better that you didn’t. You took the high road. Imagine what they were thinking after they left! Imagine how they will be looking at every waiter for the rest of their lives, knowing they could be unsuspecting victims of a madman who could easily poison them. They can always replace a cell phone, but they will never replace the complacency they once had while quietly dining among strangers.
Your story is 1,000 times unbelievable. I straight up don’t believe you. It’s a story a little kid would make up and the adults would say, “ah….that’s too bad honey.” and never ever believe it.
Believe it, Natalie. While working at two different restaurants (one for lunch and the other for dinner) I’ve had the experience of waiting on the same people twice in the same day. I live in a well-populated metro area, so the odds are VERY much against this happening.
I’d have given that phone to the dish man and told him to have a good time catching up with the family in Argentina.
Two words:
Fight Club
I thought the rule was that we don’t talk about fight club…
No, no, no. When he almost ran you over, you should have thrown the lattee at his face. And if that didn’t send him to the hospital with third degree burns, when he left his phone, you should have curb stomped the fucking thing.
Stop being so nice. Assholes will always act like assholes if you don’t beat the shit out of them.
ay fuckin men. i wait tables too and i would’ve accidentally on purpose dropped the phone from a height sufficient to render it shattered upon impacting the ground and then said” oh sorry i was just looking for a place to park this phone.”
God, what an ass. My friends mom went to the hospital due to this kind of thing.
to add to this, nothing is worse than when you’re trying to take an order and someone won’t get off their phone. i won’t even go back to the table until they’re done. how did manners go out the window with the invention of cell phones?
How ironic…I’m reading this on my iPhone. O_o
The perfect corporate slave.
People can be so ignorant with mobile phones, almost as ignorant who do Recruitment Consultant Jobs
@ Combine:
Your friend’s mom was sent to the hospital because she was so self important that she almost ran over someone on the street while talking on her cellphone, then oblivious to her failure asked said person for help in a very rude manner?
Is her brother an overly fake and baked bald man?
Cell phones are one thing…man I hate the fucking blue tooth. I’m sorry are you talking to me? No I’m on the phone. People are so self absorbed!!!!
Sure, you should’ve smashed that guy’s face with his beloved cell phone, which probably has more value to him than his wife, but I admire the strength it takes to be subtle. It’s so difficult not to give someone his/her just desserts and be petty. I’m a strong believer in making someone look even more like a douchelord by retaining your cool.
for the love of god!!! you gave his cellphone back with “drivng while talking on a cellphone is illigal”?? thats it?? how about “hey gold weilding douchebag, i found your cellphone and when i grab it all the contacts get erased, except your wife’s , which i note it down so that i can call her to fuck whilst you blabber on this ass wiped cellphone”!!!
eeeee! heeeheehheee! i like that one
At bare minimum you really should have trashed the phone, but depending on the phones capabilities you could have done so much more. If it was internet ready…then download kiddy porn then mail it to the police department. Or if it only had a camera send a pic of your dick to all of his contacts.