Bad Behavior

I was in a bookstore earlier tonight because I wanted to get a couple more copies of the L&P magazine. I couldn’t find it and went to the information desk to ask for assistance in locating it. Now, I’ve read about some of customers-from-hell that employees in chain bookstores have to put up with, but the exchange I witnessed was truly appalling. This woman approaches the information desk and tells the clerk that she is looking for an anatomy coloring book for her daughter who is a nursing student. The clerk explains that there are many such books in the Medicine section downstairs. Then the woman, in a haughty tone, says “I don’t want to go looking for it myself. You need to show me. That’s your job, isn’t it?” The poor clerk tells the woman she can’t leave the information desk, but the woman insisted on being led to the exact shelf to find her precious book. Eventually, the clerk agreed to have another employee meet Ms. Bee-otch downstairs. When it was my turn, I told the clerk she didn’t deserve that treatment. The clerk was a real cutie, too. I wanted to tell her that I liked her dreadlocks and that she looked like Ani DiFranco, but I didn’t want to sound like a jerk. I was hoping to impress her by having her find the magazine and then casually point out my name on the cover. But no such luck. They were sold out.
Also saw Lost in Translation tonight. Bill Murray is brilliant in that film. Watching it, I also had the sense that the Japanese are more American than Americans. If that makes sense.

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