You may know I’ve got the page on my blog with all the e-mails we get that we secretly love but pretend to be annoyed by…well this one is so good it gets main page billing!
I absolutely love this one…… AMEN!
*Father/Daughter Talk*
>
> * A young woman was about to finish her first year of
> college. Like so many others her age, she considered
> herself to be a very liberal Democrat, and was very much
> in favor of ‘the redistribution of wealth.’
>
> She was deeply ashamed that her father was a rather
> staunch Republican, a feeling she openly expressed. Based
> on the lectures that she had participated in, and the oc
> casional chat with a professor, she felt that her father
> had for years harbored an evil, selfish desire to keep
> what he ; **thought should be his.
>
> One day she was challenging her father on his opposition
> to higher taxes on the rich and the addition of more
> government welfare programs. The self-professed
> objectivity proclaimed by her professors had to be
> the truth and she indicated so to her father. He responded
> by asking how she was doing in school.
>
> Taken aback, she answered rather haughtily that she had a
> 4.0 GPA, and let him know that it w as tough to maintain,
> insisting that she was taking a very difficult course load
> and was constantly studying, which left her no time to go
> out and party like other people she knew. She didn’t even
> have time for a boyfriend, and didn’t really have many
> college friends because she spent all her time studying.
>
> Her father listened and then asked, ‘How is your friend
> Audrey doing?’
>
> She replied, ‘Audrey is barely getting by. All she takes
> are easy classes, she never studies, and she barely has a
> 2.0 GPA. She is so popular on campus; college for her is a
> blast. She’s always invited to all the parties, and lots
> of times she doesn’t even show up for classes
> because she’s too hung over.’
>
> Her wise father asked his daughter, ‘Why don’t you go to
> the Dean’s of fice and ask him to deduct a 1.0 off your
> GPA and give it to your friend who only has a 2.0. That
> way you will both have a 3.0 GPA and certainly that
> would be a fair and equal distribution of GPA.’
>
> The daughter, visibly shocked by her father’s suggestion,
> angrily fired back, ‘That wouldn’t be fair! I have worked
> really hard for my grades! I’ve invested a lot of time,
> and a lot of hard work! Audrey has done next to nothing
> toward her degree. She played while I worked my tail off!’
>
> The father slowly smiled, winked and said gently,’Welcome
> to the Republican party.’*
I simply couldn’t believe it. My wife and I along with our 1 1/2 year old daughter in her stroller were at the community center where our son takes a Tae-Kwan-Do class each week. We’ve been going for several months now and with perfect regularity parents have pulled up chairs along the window on the side, then curving out toward the door then starting rows behind. It’s tough to explain and I’m not going to draw it – it really doesn’t matter at all – it does not change what shocked me, what happened was ridiculous even without a very well known informal seating situation.
A parent and a grandparent – at least one of whom, if not both I know have absolutely been there before and knew of the seating method. But again, this does not matter at all. They arrived just a few minutes early, 5-6 minutes after us. Without even glancing at us they simply pulled up chairs directly in front of me, my wife and little girl. I just don’t understand people I guess.
As you’ll learn if for some reason you continue to read my rants with any regularity I have many pet peeves (aka…things that piss me off) and I decided a long time ago that this world would be a better place if I were in charge of more stuff. For example…..better control over seating at sporting events. I suppose relying on human decency and common courtesy wouldn’t seem like a bad plan, but I think we all know better. As I’ve said before; people suck.
When you go to an event. A sporting event, a concert, a play – anything that requires a ticket your ticket will have a section number, a row number and a seat number printed on it. SIT THERE! It’s very simple, there are dozens of ushers who will help you find your seat- SO FIND IT! If your ticket says Section 452, you are not in the lower level – find stairs going up when you arrive at the venue. If your ticket says row ZZ you are not likely directly behind the dugout. Don’t take your $8 ticket and try to sit in front of me in my $54 lower level seat. If you want to sit in the lower level, buy a lower level ticket jackass!
I went to a Texas Rangers game a few years ago at The Ballpark at Arlington – they have it figured out. As much as I hate to give the state of Texas credit for anything I love what they do at Rangers games. We arrived at the game pretty early and were watching batting practice, we had 10th row tickets right behind home plate. About 90 minutes before game time ushers came around to the few dozen people gathered in the good seats and checked ticket stubs to make sure you belonged! I loved it!! For the remainder of the game to get down to the good seats you had to show your ticket stub at the walkways leading from the concourse to the seats – it was outstanding.
Now perhaps you’re thinking I’m a snob or have an elitist attitude about this. Well you’re right. I don’t want to hear about how not everybody can afford to go to a game, or afford to get good seats. Sorry…. study harder in school, learn more, get smarter and get a better job, work harder, earn more money and then buy seats in the lower level. Until then don’t be a weasel. Don’t sit in front of me, or next to me or behind me if that’s not your seat. I work hard to have the money to afford good seats, so do most of the people around me and we don’t need somebody with an upper level ticket sneaking down in front of us – it’s just not right.
At the end of a blowout game when most of the crowd has thinned out and you want to move closer with your kids to get the experience of sitting down close I have no problem with that, just show some respect and don’t sit in front of anybody else (remember, it’s not until a lot of people have left thus there are many empty seats that this is OK) and don’t act like an idiot. Of course the don’t act like an idiot rule applies no matter the time or location and certainly still applies if you’re sitting in front of me and have right to that seat because you paid for it you still shouldn’t act like an idiot but that’s an entirely different rant.
So yesterday afternoon I wrote about people on eBay who have no respect for the community of eBay, the rules and guidelines that are very simple and very straightforward – you bid, you pay. Simple and quite frankly nothing more than human decency, doing the right thing. Now I agree completely that if you order a red 8gb iPod from me and I send you a 2gb purple iPod then you have a beef and I’m completely wrong. But that’s not at all what I’m talking about. I’m talking about people who simply don’t pay. If you have a question that will effect your decision about the product then ask BEFORE you bid and win an item or make an offer or use buy it now. I’m trying very hard to restrain myself from a raving rant about people who lack common courtesy to meet their obligation to pay for items they agree to buy on eBay and make an important point about meeting obligations on eBay and in life. But twice, yes twice, yesterday people simply refused to pay – quite ironically AFTER my post which incidentally was even created because of another person who I thought wasn’t going to pay but finally come through with payment.
The first was a gentleman who made an offer of $75 for a pair of tickets listed for $99.99 buy it now or best offer. Although the gate price for these tickets with parking (which was including in the auction) is $83 my cost as a season ticket holder was less and I’d make a very small profit by accepting $75 so I did so. Then I get an e-mail that he supposedly mis-typed his offer and meant to type $57 and wasn’t going to pay $75. First of all, eBay shows you your offer (bid) in big bold type asking you to confirm to this person apparently can’t type or read. But my first point is that he sent me an e-mail telling me he wasn’t going to pay because he screwed up. He didn’t apologize and ask if we could mutually agree to not complete the transaction, he just told he wouldn’t pay. It doesn’t work that way. No, eBay isn’t the police and you’re not going to jail for not paying. But have some respect for the rules and guidelines that make eBay successful and honor your obligation. And make reasonable offers when the option is available. But also – double check what you’re doing when you bid on eBay so this doesn’t happen. Despite his lack of politeness initially (he did get nicer in the next email) I agree to not complete the transaction and let him off the hook giving him the benefit of the doubt. Then later that night a lady made an offer of $40 for tickets valued at $240 face. It was for a 6 session event of which 2 sessions were over so the significant discount was justified and I accepted the offer. Then AFTER the offer and acceptance she e-mails to ask if she could pick the tickets up. She even acknowledged that my listing states I do not offer this option. Still, I agreed because of the timing of the event. In my e-mail I made a comment about that being a better question to ask before bidding. If it had been said face to face with a smile and chuckle as I meant it she would have not likely thought twice about it. But apparently in e-mail it didn’t come across correctly and she decides she’s not doing business with me and not going to pay. Are you kidding me? It just confirms for me that people suck. Never mind that I don’t believe I was or even close but even I were the biggest jackass in the world it doesn’t change the fact that agreed to pay for my item. Hey, the DMV people are rarely polite and often rude but I still pay them because I made a decision to own a car and thus I am obligated to pay taxes. My credit card company has the worst service in the world but I still pay. It should be basic human behavior – if you agree to pay for something, you pay for it. Simple. But like I said people suck.
I’m getting sick of non-paying bidders on eBay. I’ve been buying and selling on eBay since 1994, I even owned an eBay consignment service for a few years. And one of the most important things I’ve learned in all these years was something I already knew: people suck. It’s really very simple – don’t bid if you don’t plan to pay. Beyond the reminder in every listing and the bold face reminder right before you click bid that reminds you it’s a contract and you are agreeing to pay it’s simply common human decency to honor your obligation. It’s all part of the downward spiral of the human race. If you win – pay. Simple. Very, very simple.
We all get them, most of us daily…..and we secretly love them!!
I’ve started posting the bad e-mails we really do enjoy even if we won’t admit it.
Check them out here
http://www.scotts2cents.com/those-bad-e-mails-we-just-cant-stop-reading/
