The door bell rings twice. The person outside is obviously in a hurry. I am not expecting anyone. I rush to the door hoping it is a package that I had believed lost en route from the US. I open the door, and there is no one. I wonder if it is "Kids?" and step out to look. There is someone standing at the next door, as my neighbour opens it.
The picture is now clear. Due to a number of reasons that are too insignificant to list here, people confuse my door with my neighbour's. I have often faced delivery boys handing me parcels I had never asked for, strangers asking for people I haven't heard of and so forth. It has never bothered me, I would only be pleased to point out that the house they want is that one.
But this time it is different. The man standing ten feet away with his back to me is very clearly one of them who got the wrong door, he obviously heard me open mine, probably saw me standing there staring at him, but does not have the courtesy to turn around and say, "Sorry, wrong door." Or something to that effect. I mean, it is quite natural to make a mistake, especially in the circumstances, but why can't the man just admit it? Had he done so, I would have forgotten it the next instant. He didn't, and (an irritated) I didn't.
Scene II
I am eagerly waiting (rather, hoping) for two emails to arrive. I switch on my PC in the morning, and as I walk about doing my chores (I have much to finish before going on vacation!) or sit at the desk typing away, every now and then I glance at the Inbox or refresh it, hoping the mail(s) would arrive. They don't. I go out for an hour and when I come back, I again check mails. Nope, no sign of them yet.
I have two phone numbers with me. I have to ring them up and get some information. I try the first number, three times. No one picks it up. It is an office, for God's sake. Where are these people? I drop it and try the other number. A female voice asks, "Hello?" I ask for the person I want to talk to. "He is gone for lunch, please call later." Lunch at 4 o'clock?
I take the hint. Probably, as they say, this is not a good day for my matters to work out. Maybe one of the planets is aligned with a cranky constellation and Moon is passing through them. So, though I am impatient and furious, I stop waiting (or, I tell myself I am not waiting, I am just connected to the Net, just because.) And I do not try the phone numbers again. "One of those days," I tell myself.
She comes to me then. She had been to see someone, very important someone - again details are not needed here - and she was hoping for some excellent results. Hoping is not the term here. She was assured earlier, that very positive results would be given today. And now she is told that there is no such thing as a result, please come back after a few days. She comes to me and says, "Today is a bad day for me..."
You get what I mean?
Having people knocking on your door looking for your neighbour can get annoying. That's really sad that the guy didn't even have the courage to tell you he got the wrong door. I mena, when you phone up a wrong number you don't just hang up...
ReplyDeleteOh here via NetChick, she said hi too.
ReplyDelete-----I have people call me by my job title instead of my name because they are so focused on what they want....none have apologized. One of these people was a co-worker....I kid you not.
ReplyDelete-----My friend's neighbor signed for a package, stole the package, admitted to one postal person that signed for it and then lied about it to the police. My friend filed a police report...the police were of the attitude "What do you expect us to do about it?"...literally said this. The police officers thought it was preposterous to suggest they investigate. My friend was on a limited budget and this was a costly item for them (at least a hundred dollars). It would have taken so little questioning to compare what was said to various people...and get the needed item that my friend had to really budget for back.
-----I had a (virtually) harmless man call me and proposition me to visit him several times. I called back as I was ANNOYED to tell him he had the wrong person. He briefly got curious about me....I made it clear THAT was not going to fly. He made the same mistake a few more times. He seemed utterly confused by his own actions...like he was on auto pilot. Eventually, after a cycle of this that occurred dizzyingly quick, he must have looked up the number. The call tracking that I did said that he was calling from what I would assume was his workplace....bet his workplace would have appreciated knowing that HookUp Man made his dates at work.
Rudeness is my pet peeve. I could go on and on. Anyway...if I knew you in real life, I would give you a hug as consolation. Some of the things you mentioned might be a bad day...others were just inconsiderate (albeit possibly not thinking correctly because shocked/confused....such as Hookup Man who kept calling me).
Virtual hugs to all victims of rudeness.
Calling you by job title? Stealing a neighbour's package? Don't 'Courtesy', 'Honesty' etc. mean anything??
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot, TBB, for your comments and the virtual hug!