This weekend I had a bit of a boiling over point over an incident that happened. It has to do with something that I have been thinking about for a while and something that has been irritating me for even longer. It’s this nation of selfish people we have been breeding.
Everyone is out for themselves and they don’t care if they screw anyone else in the process. Its all about what do I get and there is absolutely no thought to what if any impact does my selfishness has on others…The incident happened this weekend at the grand opening of Shanes Rib Shack at Ray Rd. My daughter on break from ASU happened to get a job there and the grand opening was on Saturday. The first 100 people to the door would receive a free tee shirt (jersey) with a number identifying which customer you were through the door. The advantage of being one of the first 100 was that you got Free Ribs (or menu item you wanted), free drink and of course the free shirt.
My daughter had told me about the opening and suggested that I get there plenty early to get in line. I unfortunately had other tasks to get completed in the morning and didn’t manage to come by until about 10:30. I was there early but obviously not early enough based on the herd of people standing outside. As I pulled up I noticed that I could see people wearing the fabled Shane’s tee shirts with numbers on them and when I spied a guy guy in the crowd of people wearing number 93 standing outside I pretty much knew that number 100 was long gone. But regardless I was really there to support my Daughter in her new job and free meal or not I was going to check it out and try out the grub!
As I parked the motorcycle I noticed another car pulling in rather rapidly not far from me. It was a Lexus, (not that it matters what he drove) but I noticed after his rapid parking job out jumps a guy and his about 8 year old kid with him. They break into a sprint in the direction of the Rib Shack. Knowing fully well that the chances of them or me getting in on the free eats was smaller than possibility of a guy with a vasectomy impregnating someone while wearing a condom. It was this that made me chuckle as the Lexus guy and his kid sprinted down the parking lot dodging traffic.
I took my time, locking up my helmet on the bike and ensuring it wasn’t going to fall over on the asphalt in the already climbing Arizona temperature. I then strolled to the front of the establishment and it was somewhat chaotic. Because of the morning heat everyone was proceeding to stick to the areas of shade rather than trying to form some orderly snaking line much like the old days of camping out for Concert tickets…Ah what fun times those were…
Anyways It didn’t take long to find a group of people standing around a girl sporting a red Shane’s shirt with a clipboard. I noticed that there was somewhat of an orderly process by which she was trying to answer each persons questions and writing down names of people who were the first 100 visitors but somehow didn’t get their tee shirt or were not listed. Patiently everyone was waiting their turn to talk to the girl.
It was at this point I caught out of the corner of my eye a guy approaching. You know when you have the feeling that something is going to happen. I don’t know if it is body language or intent stare or what, but you know before it happens that some guy is about to be a jerk…
And that is when Lexus guy jumps in, pushing others out of the way so that he can get in front of the girl to get HIS question answered “I want my one of the first 100 visitors tee shirt” . Now, Had he paid attention to people in the crowd wearing shirts # 98, #99 and such, or listened to what the hostess was telling each person, or been focused on anything but himself he might have noticed that they had already handed out the shirts and were done with the first 100. It is at this point it finally registered a boiling point in me. Maybe it really wasn’t this guy in particular, maybe it has been something that has been brewing in me for a long time now but, I had finally reached that mark where I wasn’t going to just take it I was going to say something about it! Maybe it was also the fact that not only had he cut in front of me but also two elderly ladies in front of me who were currently talking with the girl that really set me off. It was at this point I blurted out even before my brain could process it “EXCUSE ME! but you need to wait your turn!”
Obviously he was quite taken aback by my exclamation. I’m sure I would have been to and to think about it that was my desired effect. But now my flood gate has been breeched and the slightest little retort by this guy was getting both barrels of my attitude brought to bear right on him and his son in tow. He physically stepped back and then muttered that he didn’t know there was any line. It was then that I let him know that all the people standing around the girl had been waiting longer than he had. I think it was at this point that I scared the Hostess a bit as she also took a step back and fumbled for words (not my desired effect). She quickly identified that they were complete with getting the first 100 visitors and that he could get a free tee shirt if he wanted but the free food promotion was filled. She referenced the list of people on the clipboard and quickly she added that she was only getting the names of the first 100 people taken down.
It was at this point I decided that it was better for me to walk away rather than continue with the urge that was boiling in me. Filtering back into a shady corner I continued to watch and listen to Lexus guy. When he finally got the understanding that he wasn’t getting any free food but was welcome to wait in line to buy food he walked off in a huff not to return. It was this action that made me shake my head, that the guy was just in it for what he could get free and if it wasn’t free he wasn’t wasting his time.
I stood there waiting for the first 100 people who were being called by number to enter. Funny thing was that there was a good number of people that took off and just apparently wanted the shirt, as when their number was called they were not around. After the 100 people had filed in I was about the 3rd person to place a regular order which I gladly paid for and took my number waiting to get my food. It was then that I saw my daughter, Red faced and breathing hard as she had just ran in for some water after being out directing street traffic into the grand opening.
I felt kind of good that she wasn’t around to see me lose my cool, but at the same time it is the core of what has been bothering me. It doesn’t matter where you go, whether it is a grand opening or a concert or a meet the teacher, I have noticed that at a statistically high number most people are selfish assholes only out to get what they want and screw anyone else.
Thinking about it this weekend I have come to the conclusion that we breed this as a society. Instead of manners and treating those around us with respect. We teach our children (much like Lexus guy) that you don’t have to wait in line or wait your turn, you just need to be aggressive and you will be rewarded. It is the old squeaky wheel syndrome. Do whatever it takes to get the irritation out of the way and that means grease the squeaky wheel first. The rest will go like lambs. And then as one of those Lambs you finally get fed up with always missing out on getting things you want because the asshole always gets his way at your expense. I have also noticed that this is what our kids are seeing. This is what you do when you don’t get your way…throw a tantrum or make a scene and in order to get what you want….and guess what we reward this. The real go getter is the one who wins the sales contests, he’s the guy that get the Wii when only 25 out of 200 people are going to get one at the store. So in the end there really is no down side for the aggressive asshole. Nobody wants to deal with them so they bend over backwards to make them happy at the expense of everyone else who follows the rules of edict or common politeness.
The problem is we continue to breed more and more of this character type and it becomes more darwin and natural selection at every business or event you go to. I guess I am just getting tired of it and may end up going the way of the do-do bird. But maybe hopefully I did have some impact in the world this weekend. I doubt it but I can hope.
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Brett,
Nice story and way to go! Here is how I view those folks and how they impact me. They may get superficial/material rewards for their selfish attitude, but they never get the pleasure of looking themselves in the mirror and feeling good about their soul. They may think they do, because they have Wii’s to prove their success, but it is all superficial and I actually feel sad for them not knowing what they are missing. Not sad enough to stop me from flipping them off, but still sad
.
Billy Bob
Placate says : I absolutely agree with this !