Special Snowflake Stories

[2littlemonkeys]

Seriously, why is it always the grocery store?

I had a cartload of items when I arrived at the checkout, so I was careful to avoid the express lanes.  I arrived at the lane, after an elderly couple, just before another family - two parents and a woman in her late teens/early twenties. All three of us had equally full carts.  There was no question as to who got to the line in which order.  It was the elderly couple, me, and then the family.  But the young woman, rolled her eyes and huffed, as if I should have let them ahead of me for some reason I was unaware of.

I ignored her and unloaded my cart.  The young woman huffed to herself about how LONG people take unloading their carts, and how this whole store was just ridiculous for not getting people through line quicker.  Over and over, she whined about how LONG it was taking, she wanted to go home, this wait was ridiculous, couldn't people go faster?  With each gripe, she got louder and louder until it was absolutely clear that the cashier heard every word.

Finally, when the family got close enough to the register to put their items on the belt, they couldn't find the divider bar to separate our items. When she saw that the cashier didn't notice their "distress," the young woman stomped past, out of the store, loudly huffing, "This is RIDICULOUS. I am going HOME.  I hate this stupid place!"

All the while her parents placidly went through their grocery shopping.

Seriously, it was like seeing a five year old trapped in a 18/20 year old's body.

I think I met her at the DMV last summer!  I was renewing my DL and a mom, dad and teen girl came right after me.  Now, there was a wait but it was relatively short and you weren't standing in line, there was a waiting area with seats.  You got a number and were served when your number came up.  Most everyone there had some sort of activity to entertain them during the wait (reading, knitting, etc.) 

The moment they walked in, she started to complain and at one point told her mother that they weren't waiting and they were going home.  The mom said they traveled too far to just leave and they were staying.  So the girl then spent the rest of the visit (at least as long as I was there) complaining about how long they had to wait, how dumb it was they had to wait, what a waste of time it was to be there, blah, blah, blah.  I'm not sure why they were there but my mother would have told me to shut it or go wait in the car after the first complaint.  These parents did nothing but ignore her after the first exchange.

[mmswm]

ACK! WeebleWobble!  For me it's driving that brings out the blizzards.  I'm not sure why, but after that marathon drive across the country two weeks ago, I decided to make the 700 mile trip to Atlanta late last night.  Oh, yeah.  I remember why I did it.  I wanted to visit my son, who's living with my sister for the school year.  At any rate, the number of SS drivers going up Tamiami Trail and I-75 in Florida, and then into Georgia is just astonishing.  When I'm less brain dead, I might post a story or twelve.

[Midnight Kitty]

When I'm less brain dead, I might post a story or twelve.

I believe you are now obliged to

[squeakers]

Took our new puppy to the vet (he's got kennel cough) and my girl kitty (urinary tract issues).  There was a little boy in the waiting room with his mom.  He came and talked to our kitty and then patted the puppy.  That was fine.

What was not so fine was when we got called into one of the exam rooms he followed us.  His mom called him and called him and finally came and got him.  We shut the door.  The vet tech was taking histories and the door opened.. it was the lil guy again.  His mom called him and called him and then came and got him.

The third time he tried getting in I was leaning against the door to keep him out. 

The rest of the visit you could hear his mom calling him and calling him.

He was special needs so I cut him some slack but his mom was Special Snowflake for not keeping him occupied by anything other than just walking into exam rooms and for just calling him when he would not listen to her. (Vet tech said it had been a fun afternoon with them.)

[faithlessone]

Bit of a special snowflake at the cinema today.

In my local cinema, there are three rows of nicer seats reserved for VIP ticket holders. Fair enough. However, one woman seemed to think that by buying a VIP ticket, that meant the whole row was hers. She complained loudly and passive aggressively throughout the trailers, outraged that there were other people sitting in her row.

Luckily, one of those people called for an usher, and she was told in no uncertain terms to be quiet or get out, and she actually LEFT. Wow.

[Slartibartfast]

Bit of a special snowflake at the cinema today.

In my local cinema, there are three rows of nicer seats reserved for VIP ticket holders. Fair enough. However, one woman seemed to think that by buying a VIP ticket, that meant the whole row was hers. She complained loudly and passive aggressively throughout the trailers, outraged that there were other people sitting in her row.

Luckily, one of those people called for an usher, and she was told in no uncertain terms to be quiet or get out, and she actually LEFT. Wow.

There's an easy solution to that - see a crappier movie which has already been out a while!  Then you get the theater to yourself!

[ladyknight1]

It has been raining in Orlando since yesterday afternoon. This morning, early, with heavy cloud cover and drizzling rain, I simply can't believe the number of drivers on the roads without their headlights on, especially the two in gray cars who were passing on the right and zigzagging through traffic. One extra special SS driver was in the far left lane and suddenly needed to be in the lane four to his right, so he stopped on the expressway in 65mph traffic so he could get over!

[mmswm]

When I'm less brain dead, I might post a story or twelve.

I believe you are now obliged to

Story Number One:

(Background) Tamiami trail is a two lane road that runs from Miami to Naples through the Everglades.  It is currently undergoing a massive project to raise portions of it to restore water flow (whether this is a good idea is debatable, but that's neither here nor there).  Portions of the road are reduced to one lane.  Obviously, the speed limits are quite slow on parts of it because of construction, but also there are different daytime and night time limits due to wildlife activity.  Also, the particular Indian Reservation it runs through in Miami-Dade County is notoriously evil about speeding tickets.

So, I'm motoring down the trail, happily cruising at the posted speed limit. SS#1 comes speeding up behind me. Now, at that exact moment, we were in a passing zone, and there was no oncoming traffic.  He could have passed me (mostly) legally and safely.  Instead he chose to follow me with his brights on for several miles.  Finally, he decides to pass, just as the passing zone was ending and when he really didn't have enough time, due to a car approaching in the opposite late.  Cue the flashing blue lights.  Sweet justice.

[Piratelvr1121]

Our boys are no longer allowed to go over to a friends after something their friend's dad pulled last week. 

bg: We live about 3 blocks from our very pretty city park that has been there since the 1800's and is very nicely kept, with a lovely large pond, an art museum and gallery at different ends of the park, etc.  There is a wide field that has two baseball fields and backs up to train tracks.  Bikes aren't even allowed in the park, or skateboards, and their friend's dad took them and his son over there in a 4 wheeler.   

Someone apparently called the police to get the guy to leave so he did, leaving our sons (11 and 10) behind at the park by themselves.  Thankfully they're old enough to be there by themselves and can safely get home on their own, which they did.  And even if they weren't, my oldest has a cell phone and could have called DH to come get them (I was out for a few hours while this was happening).   Pirateboy2 told me he and his brother had gone somewhere (to the bathroom I think, though the park locks the bathrooms in the winter but they always forget that) and when they came back, the guy and his son were gone.  Didn't even make an attempt of any sort to let the boys know he had to leave. (and they do have Pirateboy 1's phone number)

Their friend is allowed to come over and play at our house but in showing bad judgement and being a SS, we don't trust the dad to make good decisions with our kids around. 

[MayHug]

My little grandson obviously thinks I'm a special snowflake. He got me a snowflake necklace for Christmas and it says " Nana , you're one of a kind"  :-)

I wear it with pride, but it did make me chuckle :-)

[Otterpop]

Our boys are no longer allowed to go over to a friends after something their friend's dad pulled last week. 

bg: We live about 3 blocks from our very pretty city park that has been there since the 1800's and is very nicely kept, with a lovely large pond, an art museum and gallery at different ends of the park, etc.  There is a wide field that has two baseball fields and backs up to train tracks.  Bikes aren't even allowed in the park, or skateboards, and their friend's dad took them and his son over there in a 4 wheeler.   

Someone apparently called the police to get the guy to leave so he did, leaving our sons (11 and 10) behind at the park by themselves.  Thankfully they're old enough to be there by themselves and can safely get home on their own, which they did.  And even if they weren't, my oldest has a cell phone and could have called DH to come get them (I was out for a few hours while this was happening).   Pirateboy2 told me he and his brother had gone somewhere (to the bathroom I think, though the park locks the bathrooms in the winter but they always forget that) and when they came back, the guy and his son were gone.  Didn't even make an attempt of any sort to let the boys know he had to leave. (and they do have Pirateboy 1's phone number)

Their friend is allowed to come over and play at our house but in showing bad judgement and being a SS, we don't trust the dad to make good decisions with our kids around.

Wow, that 4-wheeler would really tear up the grounds!!! There was a news story recently of a parent charged $25,000 to replace grass after doing donuts at a park with his pickup.

And 10-11 is too young to just leave...they sound like a pack of wolves.  Your approach is right.

[gramma dishes]

...   Someone apparently called the police to get the guy to leave so he did, leaving our sons (11 and 10) behind at the park by themselves.  ...

I'd be furious!  But I'd also be wondering what the other father did that was so egregious that someone felt the need to call the police on him.  I think maybe that would upset me more than even his leaving my kids all alone without even telling them he was leaving, and that would have upset me a LOT!   

[Outdoor Girl]

^ He was ripping up a public park on a four-wheeler.  A park that doesn't even allow bicycles and skateboards.

[gramma dishes]

^ He was ripping up a public park on a four-wheeler.  A park that doesn't even allow bicycles and skateboards.

Um ... yeah, I'd not be letting him take my kids anywhere.  Good decision on your part!!

[Hillia]

Either he bolted before the cops got there, or the cops talked to him and told him to get out now before he got a ticket.  In either case, he saved his own skin with no regard for the children he was responsible for. He'd be getting a serious piece of my mind - I don't care that the kids were safe at the park and could get home, he was responsible for them and had no business abandoning that responsibility.