Pet Peeve #146

On my way to work this morning I decided I had just enough time to stop into the local Mac’s Convenience store to grab a copy of the Toronto Sun newspaper.

Normally, even on a busy morning, I’m usually in and out in less than a minute. The newspapers are just inside the door right next to the checkout.

A quick scan of the barcode and exchange of a toonie and some change in return and I’m out the door back on the road with my morning news fix in my possession.

Seems like a harmless enough detour and transaction right? Not on this day!

I walked in the door and there was an older man at the counter and another guy about my age with a coffee in his hand waiting to pay for it. I grabbed the paper and took my place in line. I shouldn’t be waiting more than a few moments for these guys to pay and be on their way.

I give a quick glance at the clock and its 7:40am. I’m about 10 minutes from work and I have to be there for 8 o’clock but I usually like to be there at least 10 or 15 minutes early to let the guy who worked the night shift go a bit early.

I’m still standing in line. What the heck is taking so long? I peer around the shoulder of "coffee guy" and I see what’s happening. The old fellow has decided that this is the time of day when he should be checking his lottery and scratch tickets and cashing in his winning Nevada tickets. Are you kidding me?

Come on buddy! You may be retired and have all the time in the world to have junior behind the counter ringing your $2 and $5 winners through the machine but some of us are in a hurry. He couldn’t care less. He even pulls out an old change purse and dumps coins out to pay for more tickets while slowly counting enough to get the right amount.

The wait becomes painful and unbearable as I glance at the clock and five minutes has passed. It’s decision time. Do I put the paper back and just go? Do I give him a few more seconds or do I just toss the guy my toonie and tell him to keep the change?

Long story short, it was actually a combination of the choices. The retiree finally seems satisfied with his winnings and is slowly filling his change purse back up when coffee guy tosses some money on the counter and tells junior to keep the change. I quickly follow and do the same thing as the gentleman with the lottery tickets slowly exits the store without a care in the world or any idea of the delay he’s caused.

I made it to work before my shift started but I had to run some yellow lights and go a little faster than I normally would along the way.

Here’s a suggestion to anyone else who might find themselves in a similar situation as "Old Man Lottery". If you’re retired, do your business after 9am when most working people have made their way to work. Your lottery tickets won’t depreciate in value if you wait a couple of extra hours. And at the same time you won’t anger working folks who make a quick pit stop while on the way to their jobs.