Another grey and snowy day. The third or fourth in a row…IN APRIL. It’s depressing. It should be warm enough for those few crazies to start wearing shorts and yet we are all still bundled up with coats and mittens on.
This sucks. And it’s inspired me to talk about a couple of other things that also suck. Call me Cranky. I’m ok with it.
1. Segregation of people is never ok…except when it comes to smokers. And I even have a soft spot in my heart for smokers. As much as I don’t like their habit, I feel for them. Once considered acceptable, they have now been forced away to back alleys, as far away from the rest of us as possible.
Which I think is cool. Because smokers stink. Try as they might to cover it up, the stench remains. Especially in cold weather. And after a looooong winter like we just had and a winter coat that made 8000 trips outside for a cigarette or two every few hours, they stink more than usual.
And then, after I push the button to take the elevator up to my office, they get in with me. And stand too close. And the smell makes me gag. I try not to, but I do. It’s gross.
So I have a simple plea. A separate elevator for smokers. Although there were some bumps along the way they eventually accepted being banished to the smoking section, and then outside. They’ve come to accept not being able to smoke in theatres, restaurants, hotels, bars, coffee shops – after a little while, wouldn’t they accept having to use their own elevator?
The one problem I see is that it would be broken too often from over use. 😐
2. I’ve recently made a discovery about myself. It’s not one I’m ashamed of, but one I never really thought about before. Small talk makes me uncomfortable. Some people are fantastic at it (I can think of a couple of friends of mine who could easily chat to a stranger on a flight from Ottawa to France without having a break in the conversation – you know who you are), but I suck at it. I find it awkward and painful.
But worse than regular small talk is office bathroom small talk. If someone is in the stall – don’t talk to them. The bathroom is not someplace people hang out just for the fun of it. It’s in and out. Quick. Talk to as few people as possible and make as little eye contact as possible.
But some people feel like it’s a great time to catch up. They are washing their hands as you come in and they stay until you are washing your hands, talking about the weather, work, the jerk that sits beside them. All the while making me cringe.
Fight the urge. Don’t talk to strangers – in the bathroom.
So there. The Wednesday morning complaint department. The perfect way to make a crappy day seem less crappy. What do you want to complain about?
Dan - What about smokers who smoke while chatting you up from the next stall? THE WORST!
Seriously though, it’s really annoying when you have to go through a cloud of smoke to get into an office building or mall. I’m sorry smokers, but common courtesy dictates you go >10 metres away from any doorway.
And don’t get me started on throwing butts out the window in traffic.