Thursday, December 9

Crabby

I had to wake up extra-early today, thanks to a 9 AM appointment at work. Took a cold shower, hied off to the MRT and Cubao. On my way to the EDSA MRT, I decided I had time for breakfast at the nearby Dunkin' Donuts. Aside from myself, there was only one other customer at the counter. There were three DD personnel manning the place. There were no other people at the place at the time.
The counter-monkey attending the lady before me was taking a looooooooong time. This lady customer herself was asking for everything as well. They were taking their time. All this while, the other DD personnel were doing something else in the back room. I started thumping my fingers on the counter.

Still, the customer and the counter monkey continued their rambling. How long does it take to order coffee and a muffin?

After some minutes of thumping my fingers and looking expectantly at the other DD crew without response, I pulled up a chair from the nearby table and sat.

STILL the counter monkey and the customer weren't finished. From the time I entered to the time I pulled up a chair, it was four minutes.

One of the Dunkin Donuts crew came out finally from the back room and started polishing the tables, never mind that I was there waiting and not being attended. Five Minutes.

I snapped.

In the calmest voice I could manage, I spoke to the second crewperson, asking if it was standard procedure to have only ONE person handling the counter when there are other customers waiting. She looked at me blankly, not knowing what to do. I had to spell it out for her. SERVE ME, WENCH!!! Well, actually I didn't say that, I just motioned for her to go to the counter and get my order. VERY calmly. Finally, she jotted down my order and got to fixing up my stuff.

STILL the other counter monkey and the other customer weren't finished. After I finished giving my order, it was only then that the other customer left with her muffin and coffee. SEVEN MINUTES to order FUCKING COFFEE AND A MUFFIN. The counter monkey finally takes my money.

This early and I'm crabby. Well, I had a horrible ride on the MRT to deal with right after. The early morning MRT crowd was present in legion, with solid walls of enemy humans waiting for trains to arrive. Even before you get on board you are squeezed into a tight mass with sweaty, smelly Others. Three trains pass by, and none of us can get in. There's space in the last two, but the people standing by the train doors won't budge- it's a greed thing, really. By the time the fourth train comes by, the waiting crowd had enough. There was easily space in the cars, but AGAIN the sentinels at the doors don't budge. The waiting throng surges forward, totally pushing forward and forcing the way into the car. I spend the first half of the ride standing in the middle of the train, hands at my sides. I don't need to hang onto the safety rails- I am squeezed in so tight I couldn't move, much less fall over even if I wanted to. Just huddled in tight as cheese with smelly, sweaty masses. Gah.

It's times like these that make me hate early morning commutes. Someday I hope to have a car to go to work everyday. But I guess I have to get a driver to do the work for me. If I get this crabby just commuting, imagine my road rage if I get behind a steering wheel.

Scary.

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