Special Snowflake Stories

[Piratelvr1121]

I'm of the opinion that, barring the little motorized cars made for small children* and golf carts, anything with a motor, such as a motorcycle, moped, etc, really belongs on the road.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-c7FhNxmZUpI/T6q4YLF4UxI/AAAAAAAACWM/ou9rLrk_qqs/s1600/car+pictures+for+kids-1.jpg

[Coley]

Mimi is one of DH's coworkers. They work for the same employer but in different offices. Mimi is a very special snowflake. She is one of the extra-special favored few in their workplace. Mimi can do no wrong. Mimi also is a gossip, and she will throw anyone under the bus if she thinks they've crossed her. Everyone knows you don't mess with Mimi.

A couple of years ago, Mimi entered her dog in a magazine contest. The prize was a title like "Cutest Dog" and a photo in the magazine. The dog was selected based on voter preference. Somehow, DH was lucky enough to be included on Mimi's e-mail list to receive daily reminders to vote for her dog. Yes, every day, Mimi used her work time and her work e-mail account to e-mail her coworkers' e-mail accounts about the contest. DH and the other recipients were implored to visit the magazine's website and vote for Mimi's dog five times every day. They also were encouraged to forward her e-mails to their friends so they could vote for her dog, too!

After two weeks of daily e-mails, Mimi announced that her dog made the finals! Now everyone just had to vote once a day for 15 days to help her dog win the big prize! (DH's comment to me: "I'm in (e)hell.")

For 15 more days, Mimi sent reminders to everyone on her list to vote for her dog.

In the end, DH did his best for a full month to ignore Mimi's reminders. The most he did was send a few to me, and we chuckled about them. He could never bring himself to ask her to remove his name from the distribution list. It was much better politically to get the e-mails and ignore them than to cross Mimi or her dog.

Sadly, despite her efforts, Mimi's dog didn't win the prize. We blame ourselves, of course. We abstained from the voting.

[Midnight Kitty]

I am a Special Snowflake

DH picks me up from work and we run our errands on the way home.  We've lived in the same place for 20+ years and we love our rut routine.

First stop: Take empty cans/beverage containers to the redemption center.  The people who work at this place are very nice and we often tell them they are "da bess, no ka oi" (pidgin for "the best, none better").  There were 2 people in front of us, sorting large bags of containers into the barrels.  We walk up and the 2 workers bring barrels over to us and help us sort.  With 4 of us sorting, we are done in 2 minutes, so they weigh the barrels and we are out of there in less than 4 minutes.  The other 2 people are still sorting their stuff when we leave.  I definitely felt special since we received preferential treatment.

Next stop:  Pick up the book I reserved from the library.  I do this so often that they have a place on the shelf with my name on it.  There was no line, but only one check out station was open and he was chatting with a customer.  The other librarian saw me standing on the footprints (where you are supposed to wait).  She opened a second check out and waved me over.  Once again, out of there in less than 4 minutes.  Then she closed the check out and went back to what she was doing.  She opened it just for me.

Third stop:  The grocery store that advertises "just for you" pricing.  I bought salad dressing for $1.41 that normally sells for $3.99.  I stocked up.  The clerk did a double take when she saw "my" price.  I said, "I'm special. I get special pricing."

We went home feeling like Very Special Snowflakes.  We did not request special treatment from anyone; We treat them like we would want to be treated, so they like us and treat us very well indeed.

[LEMon]

Sigh. I just joined a board (or should I say, I was volunteered for a board and accepted the chair position because nobody else would...) It's a sub-board to fundraise for a nonprofit organization. I've been trying to think of fundraising ideas and have been shooting e-mails off to the other members. Two of the four other members of the board have e-mailed me back, telling me they don't have time to sell tickets/other fundraising things, and don't want to ask people for money. I just...ahh.  Why would you join a fundraising board then??

Because they, like you, weren't given much choice?  That would be my guess.

[Emmy]

What fun! Let's block traffic on a busy freeway and show off some stunt driving, film it, and post it on YouTube and Facebook for all to see!

For some reason, the Highway Patrol is not amused.

Sideshow stunt shuts down I-880 traffic in Oakland

What about the group of bikers who blocked the LA freeway so one of them could propose to his girlfriend?   I would not have been amused.  From what I understand, LA traffic is bad enough without something like this happening. 

Another one about SS motorcyclists.  DH and I were driving on a three lane highway in the middle lane.  About a half mile before we get to our exit, we notice a herd of bikers in the right lane.  DH puts his signal on that he wants to get in the right lane.  There must have been at least 50 bikers with no end in sight and nobody letting him in.  Right before our exit, DH sees an opening big enough and he fits in and gets off the highway.  One of the SS bikers yells at us because we dared to change lanes to get where we needed to go.  It is very SS to take up the whole road and not let others in.

Just for the record, I have nothing against motorcyclists, DH owns one.

Sorry, but I have a feeling the biker was yelling at your for cutting in their line, which can pose a safety risk.  Why didn't your DH slow down a little to wait for them to pass so he could change lanes behind them?

Well, he signaled his desire to merge a half mile ahead of their exit, there was a LONG line of bikers, and none letting him in - what was he supposed to do, come to a complete stop?

They're supposed to just make a gap and let him over?  That's not their responsibility.  Even slowing down by 5 MPH would get him behind them, so no, not a complete stop.  Planning ahead is also a good idea; I doubt they just appeared out of nowhere.  The OP's DH no doubt knew he was exiting, he should have planned accordingly instead of merging through a line of bikers (again, because of the safety risk).

Are you sure only 5mph would have  done it? When someone says "with no end in sight" I take that to mean that there's no end to the bike parade on the right in sight, and they're at least keeping pace with him!

It's been a while since I've been to this thread.  We were on the section of highway that merged from the left into another highway.  It was only a mile from the merge until our exit on the right.  When we had merged onto this highway, we were able to move in the middle lane, but the bikers were coming in from the section of highway merging from the right.  I do think the bikers should be aware that it is a public highway and not their own private road and other cars have the right to enter and exit the highway.

It was a large highway, so coming to a stop in the center lane and waiting for the bikers to pass would not be an option.  DH managed to squeeze through.  I probably would have went to the next exit, cursing the SS bikers under my breath the whole way.  DH is a biker so we have nothing against motorcyclists in general, just ones who are SS.

[artk2002]

We went home feeling like Very Special Snowflakes.  We did not request special treatment from anyone; We treat them like we would want to be treated, so they like us and treat us very well indeed.

And, by definition, you are not Special Snowflakes, you're just Special, in a great way. Isn't it wonderful when being nice to people pays off?

[snowdragon]

   I went to the Y today, at this particular Y the have 5 dressing rooms - 3 for kids that adults with out kids are not allowed into, and if an adult without a kid goes into one of these for any reason,Even once. they loose their Y membership. This was made clear in writing and in so many words because it is "for the safety of the children" - because adults with out kids are *such* a danger to kids.   

The othes are SUPPOSED to be reserved for adults 19 and over.
   I have never been at the Y when some snowflake didn't bring her child into the adult locker room.  Today scenario was a lady who first brought her toddler in and let him wander around "talking" to the women in various states of undress.  I  told her "perhaps you don't realize that this is the adult dressing room" her reply was "I know but he just loves talking to people - He's just little it's ok"  NO it's not. I don't want to be talking to a child as I get dressed. 

  Then she plops him on the bench next to me and says "please don't look at him, when I change him" and proceeds to start to change a dirty diaper in front of me!
I got my pants and my shirt on as fast as I could, leaving off my underclothes and socks and stormed out and went and had a talk with management. 
  I made the point that if I went into the kid's rooms, I'd be kicked out, but that this kids in the adult women's change room thing seems to happen at least on a daily basis and the response I got was"we'll talk to her"

   Wonderful double standard in the snowflakes favor.   
   

[MommyPenguin]

That Y would confuse me, though.  What are you supposed to do with kids too little to dress themselves or be trusted in the locker room by themselves?  I mean, sure, a kid who is maybe 4 or over could probably dress herself without help and be able to handle herself in a dressing room, but a toddler?

[Hillia]

I would think a child under 4 would most likely not be using the Y's facilities, except maybe for a swim class.  If they're not using the facilities then they should be dropped off at the child care area before mom hits the dressing room.  If they are there for a class I would think the easiest thing would be to change them before they came in.  If the child absolutely had to be changed by a parent in the adult locker room, then that change should be done as quickly as possible, and the child certainly not allowed to wander around.

[snowdragon]

That Y would confuse me, though.  What are you supposed to do with kids too little to dress themselves or be trusted in the locker room by themselves?  I mean, sure, a kid who is maybe 4 or over could probably dress herself without help and be able to handle herself in a dressing room, but a toddler?

Parents with children can  go into the kids locker room with them up til age 7. Or the family lockers rooms for as long as the kid needs help - either option is safe from the danger of adults with out kids.  So parents and kids have the

Family locker room

The boys locker room

The girls locker room 

and children of either sex can be in room appropriate to the parent until 7 - after that they are expected to move to the family room, where there are several cubicles to change in. 

The family room has several handicapped stalls, too...but only for those adults who have kids with them.   If an adult who is handicapped does not have a child with them  - they are barred from the family room, also and must bring an assistant with them.

[snowdragon]

I would think a child under 4 would most likely not be using the Y's facilities, except maybe for a swim class.  If they're not using the facilities then they should be dropped off at the child care area before mom hits the dressing room.  If they are there for a class I would think the easiest thing would be to change them before they came in.  If the child absolutely had to be changed by a parent in the adult locker room, then that change should be done as quickly as possible, and the child certainly not allowed to wander around.

THen they can go in the family room. THere should be no reason to bring a child into the adult locker room ever.

[Katana_Geldar]

Why do they bother with so many changing rooms? I usually only see two, male and femal.

[Seven Ate Nine]

Why do they bother with so many changing rooms? I usually only see two, male and femal.

I'm not sure about the Y, but at Lifetime they have 3 changing rooms.  Men, Women, and Family.  Females of all ages can use the Women's chage room.  Males of all ages can use the Men's changing rooms.   Under no circumstances is anyone of the opposite sex allowed in the other change room, so if you have a mixed-sex group (ie, mom taking son to swim lesson) then you use the Family changing room.  I used to take kids that I babysat to swim lessons there, and we used the Family changing room.  There were 3 locking rooms that you could use for actual changing, and they had showers in them.  If I went into the Women's room, the showers were open and the only "private" spaces were the toilets.

I believe that these rules are in place to make as many people comfortable as possible.  If we took a poll here about what age a boy should no longer be with his mom in the changing room, the answers would vary.  I think that 6 is too old to be in the women's room, but that doesn't necessarily mean that he should be left to his own devices in the men's room.  The solution that this place came up with is to make a separate room specifically for that scenario.

[JoW]

The extra locker rooms are for kids who are so young they need help changing but old enough that they make opposite-sex strangers uncomfortable while changing.  For example, a 5-year old boy is too old to change with the ladies but to young to use the men's locker room by himself.  So if his mom takes him to the Y they use one of the extra locker rooms.

I belong to a health club associated with a hospital.  It has a warm-water arthritis therapy pool and other equipment designed to be used by handicapped people.  In my club the 3rd locker room is named "assisted changing".  It can be used by kids and opposite-sex parents.  But it has 3 private changing rooms where a handicapped adult can be assisted buy a spouse or attendant.   

And I get mad when a mother decides her 7-year old son can use the ladies locker room because the assisted changing room is crowded. 

[MissRose]

When I went swimming at a local community college (or other places with public swimming) with my parents and my sister's kids, there was no question of which changing rooms were to be used:

Me, my niece, my mother in  the ladies & My dad, my nephew in the men's

I've not encountered any little boys in the ladies' room at the places I've been to.  The community college does have a family room for those who may be assisting senior citizens, disabled, or a parent with an opposite gender child.