Another from "the vault": Rat Race

Here's one more from my old site, from October 13, 2006 and apparently I was watching "Arrested Development, Season 3"....

So, I've been so excited that I can now drive to work and park for free because I thought I hated the metro (I like that it's there, I just don't want to have to wait for it every day to get me alllllll the way to wherever I'm going when I could just drive my usual speed-demony way and get there faster) but now I realize how extremely stressful driving to work is. I feel like I need a massage after each day because my shoulders are so tense, having to worry about what all the cars/trucks around you are doing, the HORRIFIC road I take to work that jars my car, the sudden turn-only lanes, the traffic circles that are made entirely more complicated than they needed to be, etc. I realize now my problem is Other People. ha. If I could zip to work unhindered it WOULD be convenient and quick. Alas, I still consider myself a city person but this whole "personal space" issue is something I need to work on.

I encountered another woman having issues dealing with the stresses of city life this morning at my starbucks. The line was out the door as usual, the barista team had sent out their usual scout to walk along the line coaxing everyone to yell out their orders before reaching the counter, people were bulkier in general now that fall coats have reappeared, etc. I notice the lady in front of me looks bewildered and that she walked over to the 'scout' to whisper her order after he had to ask her many times for it. When we finally arrived at the register, there were two, so she stood at one and I slid in front of the other and without thinking, set my purse down on the counter. As I'm telling my cashier that I wanted a bagel, I hear the frazzled woman next to me ask in a huff, half to me, half to her cashier, "if I was first in line, can't I stand here?? I need to set my stuff down to get to my money!!" Apparently she did not feel there was room enough on the counter for my purse and hers to coexist. And I guess she thought I'd set mine down to purposefully spite her when, truthfully, I didn't even realize I'd set it down at all. I ended up just laughing since I understood her personal freak out due to the crowded coffee shop. I also heard her ask her cashier how they did this everyday.

How DO we do this everyday? And still love the city? :)