MANNERS POLICE MAKE FIRST ARREST. I have apparently reached my limit. This morning at the post office I snapped. After waiting in the usual pre-holiday line, I was taking care of extensive packaging, shipping and stamp buying business at the counter. Approximately five people deep in the growing line was a very anxious man who started throwing loud comments my way, very rude. He got louder and ruder, making everyone in the room extremely uncomfortable. So I did what I usually only think about in the car driving away from a situation like this – I turned around, pointed right at him and said, “You really need to work on your manners. You don’t know anything about me or what I’m doing up here, so you should really have more information before you start making comments like that. I’ve never seen such bad manners in a grown man.” (He was a forty-five year old, shaved head guy and looked like he quite possibly made custom motorcycles for a living.) Well, he told me to fuck off or maybe get a job application for the post office because that’s where I belonged (?). Ooooh. Good one. I kept my calm and again asked him to please not be so rude in public. He swore at me some more. The postal employees called security and tried to kick him out but he bitched and moaned and promised to be quiet. Other patrons were smirking at him and smiled at me when I walked out. (I made sure to get in my car before he could see what I drive – rage men kill.)

I can’t believe I actually did that. I know he’ll tell the story that some bitch-on-the-rag went screwy on him in the post office while he was just trying to pick up a package, but others who were there might be inspired by that sloppy dressed woman who had the nerve to call out the Jerry Springer reject and tell him, “That’s Not Okay.” It really is like talking to a three year old.

kim