Life in the express lane gets physical:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100819/ap_on_fe_st/us_odd_express_lane_harassment;_ylt=AqhbfMxc6k5UM7ZIIUrW8AntiBIF;_ylu=X3oDMTJ2bWs2ZjdrBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTAwODE5L3VzX29kZF9leHByZXNzX2xhbmVfaGFyYXNzbWVudARjcG9zAzIEcG9zAzQEc2VjA3luX3RvcF9zdG9yeQRzbGsDd2lzbWFuY2l0ZWRm
I don't know where I stand. I've been on both sides of the issue. It irritates me when someone gets in the express lane with way to many items. I want them to go to grocery store jail. I've also on more than one occasion been patiently waiting in the slow lane only to have the clerk in the express lane come over and get my basket and pull me through her lane. Almost immediately someone hammers me for being there with to many items. I didn't even ask to be in the express lane like the woman in the above story. I do think the man's behavior was boorish because like the people that hammered me for being in the express line he jumped to conclusions and assumed the woman shouldn't be there. I also think his fine was a little excessive. What I am going to do from now on when I am asked to be in the express lane is politely turn the checker down. What is your reaction to the story?
Next is an article about men living wrong century. Egypt men. Makes you appreciate American men more.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20100818/cm_csm/320365
Does the article surprise you? Disappoint you? Make you want to kick some Egyptian men's butt?
Come of guys if you withdrawing money from an ATM payattention to the resaon you are there and don't be distracted by anything. There is so much about the following article that just makes me shake my head. First head shaking part is the ages of the girls involved. Then there is the disappointment that men would want to even look at fourteen year-old girls. And you can't help but wonder where these girls parents were. Read the article and comment:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100818/od_nm/us_france_breasts
What is your take on the article?
WHO AM I? Yesterday's answe was Maxine Hong Kingston
I was born in 1880 and died in 1954. I grew up as the only child of Irish Catholic immigrant parents in Ohio. In an age when few women attended college I earned my way through college and graduated with more honors at OSU than anyone else up to that time. I went on to earn a master's degree and election to Phi Beta Kappa. I also earned my doctorate at an Ivy League University after which I began my career as a Catholic college educator when I accepted a job with the Franciscan Sisters who were creating the liberal arts College. Myself and another woman persevered and successfully established and administered the new collegiate institution for Catholic lay and religious women. I was unique as the lay dean of a Catholic college but in 1922 I became a nun, and later became the college president. As an educator I worked hard to improve the quality of women's education, wrestled with the unique problems of Catholic colleges, and carefully oversaw the development of my own school. When I retired, the college was a firmly established institution producing outstanding graduate women. I was one of the last among the heroic generation of founders of Minnesota women's colleges. As an educator and innovator I developed a rigorous four-year undergraduate curriculum for a women’s college, comparable to those used by colleges that educated men. I set high standards for both scholarship and public service. The College of Saint Teresa rapidly grew into one of the premier Catholic colleges in the United States but unfortunately is now closed. Who AM I?
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8 comments:
Well, let's see... In order, I am also annoyed by people in the express lane with too many items. Isn't everyone? But I try to accomplish a lot with one shopping trip, so hardly ever qualify for the express lane and therefore avoid annoyance. I once, in an unfamiliar market with oddly-set-up lanes, unwittingly got into an express lane with too many items. I didn't realize it until the checker had started my order through, and I did apologize, but I still got dirty looks from the people behind me. Fortunately, I didn't have a huge order, so got through pretty quickly.
Egyptian men are just representative of the whole Middle Eastern take on women, which is thoroughly reprehensible and makes me angry just to think about it. I'm not surprised at all.
After reading the Egypt article, in one way, you could look at the girl's technique of distracting men to steal from them as payback, only they're not paying back the right offenders. And I see they used the same technique on a woman, which kind of renders the "payback" thing moot. I really wouldn't criticize the men for looking at 14 year-olds if said girls are flashing them. It's not as though they sought out little girls.
Hi Pat
I also saw the relationship between the second and third articles. Maybe a little different view that yours but it was pretty close.
I often think the checkers should tell you before you start unloading your basket. I hold them partly responsible. I go to one grocery store a lot so I pretty much get the checkers wanting to help me but in the future I am just going to say I don't mind waiting.
Sexism does run wild in the Middle East and sometimes here in certain professions.
Bill
I used to get truly annoyed by those in express lanes with excess items, since I tend to count my items carefully. I then decided annoyance was a waste of energy. I still count carefully and just figure the others (a) can't count (pity them), (b) have a truly pressing engagement or app't or (c) simply don't care. Since I can't control any of this, I try to just feel sorry for them. If the express lanes appear to have folks with a lot more than the stated items, I often look for a regular "lane" and often find one with nobody waiting (my idea of suitable revenge (g).
As to the Egyptian issue... I'm not sure whether they're in the wrong century or maintaining a culture we don't understand and wouldn't live with, but one in which they've been raised, particularly given the comments about how young boys/men are trained to look at women. Yes, there may be women who give a "come hither" appearance, but it appears to me the ones with the itch are the men, who are using the excuse of being unable to control their own wants/desires/urges and taking advantage of a culture which condones their attitude. A hooker on a corner is one thing. An attractive woman, dressed in a manner to enhance her attractiveness in good taste, is a whole 'nother story. Unfortunately, many of the middle and Eastern philosophies, religions and the like hold women responsible for the lust of men and the male sexual drive. Even here in the US, there are too many instances where rape victims are treated as if "they asked for it." If that happens here, what can we expect from cultures where women are considered possessions, of no value, etc.?
As to the gals and the ATM. I'm with you -- where the heck were/are the parents? And Lord knows there are a gizillion warnings out about how to use ATMs and precautions to take. I found the two articles, side by each, to be interesting. In one case, women are being accosted and harassed, with no provocation (from what the article said) and in the next, young girls are using provocation to rob ATM users. Has the whole world gone crazy?
Hi DR
I wish I could say I no longer get annoyed by the 16 items in the 10 item lane but I can't. I also get annoyed when shoppers don't keep their basket in front of them on the same side of the aisle as they are. Usually the block the whole aisle and stand their ignoring thinking that aisle is where you chose to spend you vacation since they aren't going to move to let you through. I've also went through the regular items with not many items because all the other shoppers were at the express counter.
Even if it is a culture we don't understand I just have a hard time with pushing yourself on a woman or anyone else for that matter. I also agree with you that the men's excuse of not controlling their own wants is very weak. I also agree with you about how many woman filing rape claims in the U.S. are treated like causers instead of victims.
The two articles side by side were interesting and that is one of the reason I picked them. If I am at an ATM I'm not looking at or for anything but my money and my card back.
The world had gone crazy.
Bill
Oboy, Bill, you just hit a nerve with me. While I don't often have to deal with too many items in the express lane, I sure do often deal with the "I'll park my cart right in the middle so nobody can get by and damn the torpedoes" people. And I'm very tempted to just ram them, but never do. Maybe a teeny bump once in a while {eg}. I often park my own cart to run quickly down an aisle for one item, but I'm always careful to do it at the end in a wide spot where everybody can get by.
Hi Pat
I thought maybe I was the only that felt that way! It is could to know I am not alone. And I also do tiny bumps once in a while and I've come close to saying something like "I gave an appointment tomorrow, I hope you will let me by by then."
Bill
Yes, the block the aisle shoppers are an annoyance, especially when they're joined by the stockers, who park their large flat carts in the middle of the aisle. I have absolutely no compunction about moving a cart out of my way (with a friendly smile, if the "owner" is nearby) or asking the stocker to move his flatbed closer to the shelves, to leave the aisle open to shoppers spending money. Okay, so maybe it's not subtle, but at least I can get my shopping done and be home before midnight.
Hi DR
One of my frustrations is I worked in a grocery store my last two years of high school to save money for college. We were under strick orders that if we were stocking shelfs we would get fired if blocked the aisles.
Bill
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