The 'Look'

So I had a very weird day yesterday.

By the time I reach my metra station to take my 8:18 train, the parking lot is full. I decide to park a block away at a place not designated for Metra parking, but is officially a valid parking zone. As I start walking towards the station, a middle aged lady looks angrily at me. I am not sure what is wrong, so I ignore her and continue walking. She persists with her anger and those "looks"...

Now I am like 'wtf'. So I ask her, what's going on? Does she want to tell me straight? She says, "Why din't you park ahead. I had to squeeze in".

OK lady, lets get this straight. We are talking of a road side parking, where there are slots. I pick up one parallel slot. The one i find easiest. Now what am I expected to do. Figure out a difficult slot so that you can royally swoop in? I am a good person, but I am no saint!!! Damn it. If you require good ones, care to start early lady!!! I parked at a legal parking slot that was the first one I saw. Too bad you missed it. So screw you... (All this goes in my head. I just say 'too bad' and move on)

She could have said the same thing in a better way, and may be we could have struck a healthy conversation. But anyways... so I take my train. It's full as usual. But there are some vacant seats. I find one, but a lady has put her big bag on the seat and is reading Chicago Tribune. I walk a few steps ahead and come back to indicate I am interested in the seat. She sees me and ignores. So i have to politely ask her to remove the bag as she is wasting one place. She gives me a look. (Oh damn that 'look' again). Only this time with a smile. A very sarcastic fking smile. I am like, who cares. I place my butts on the cushion and take my book out and start reading. She keeps squirming and fidgeting to indicate she was happy earlier when she had the entire seat to herself. Yeah, too bad, I say.

Now I alight at my downtown station. Herds of people are all in a hurry. Swirling those revolving doors at 3 rounds per second. They just walk past me in a swoosh. Everyone is in a great great hurry. Ready to take on the world. There's a big line at Dunkin Donuts counter for collecting morning break fast at the mezzanine floor of our office building. This Dunkin is run by a Desi. Everyone is Desi on the counter. They keep shouting "Can I help the next person?" in hoarse Desi accent continuously. The "next" person is the 5th guy in line actually. They are multi-tasking. They do not want to loose the customers. So they are so fast, they keep taking orders incessantly. They shout and the customer's shout too. It's mad rush everywhere.

And then I make a mistake. I am actually not ready with what I want. I am still "thinking" what to get.

Oouchi!

At 8:40 am 'thinking' is not allowed in Chicago downtown. You have to be "ready". The counter babe gives me a look. Damn, that 'look' again. I have still not decided. So she moves on, still holding on to her "look", asking the next person in line. I am made very aware of my indecisive nature as I ask for my egg and cheese on a croissant. I try to load an accent on "croissant" but that does not help. It's too late to make an impression now.


I reach office. Reach my desk. Everyone is already deep inside their workzone. At some end phone is ringing, while at other end, some people are fervently collecting for the next meeting. I open my inbox. There's a sarcastic email from someone. My day just started.