On a day when I am angry

This doesn't happen very often. I blame today's anger on a combination of factors, not least of which is exhaustion. The other factors would be greedy self-centered Customers and stupid idiots (yes, I do realize that is a redundant thing to call someone).

I am a very intelligent person. I may play dumb, and I may be oblivious to some things, but when it comes down to it I am pretty smart (even quick witted on occasion). When I'm tired from seven days a week of work, my brain may not operate on the same level it usually does, but I can still formulate coherent sentences and express my point clearly.

Annoyance number one: Customer is trying to check-in at the kiosk, and it's not working. "Could someone come here and help me?" she asked in a not-nice tone. I go over to see if I can help. "You know, if you're dropping off bags you should get in line anyway because you'll need to come and get your bags tagged by us." "Well," she said, "can you bring someone up here to work on this problem?" Seriously? "Well, we're a smaller station so we don't have a tech department here to help, but like I said, if you'd just get in line we'll take care of you." At no point was the invitation to come to the front of the line offered, bypassing all the other Customers waiting to check-in for the same flight. "Ma'am, I said for you to go to the back of the line. These people have all been waiting to check-in and drop off bags." "Well, I just need to drop off my bag and the kiosk wasn't working." "Yes," I said, " but I told you to go get in line. These..." I got cut-off by her incessant yapping. "Listen, I'm only going to do this one time," I begin, my tone stern and unconcerned with her present situation. "I'm going to check you in and take your bags, but you need to know that these other people have been waiting in line to do the same thing, for the same flight that you are trying to check-in for." I continue to check the woman and her daughter, who has a dumbfounded look upon her pre-teen face, and they refuse make eye contact with me. As the gentleman checking in next to them said, "She knows what she's doing." Making a fool of herself, and showing the rest of the people who will be spending 2 1/2 hours in a confined place with them angry at the two of them, in case you were wondering what he meant by that statement. Before the mother and daughter team leaves my counter, I reiterate to them, "In Portland, we check in at the kiosk and then get in line, like everyone else, to drop off our bags, like everyone, because everyone is trying to get to the same flight."

Now, if the line wasn't already beginning to wrap around to the other airline space, and if we didn't have to check these people in within thirty minutes , I would have made her go to the back of the line. Having worked with this type of person before, I knew that trying to argue with her and trying to get her to go to the back of the line would take more time than I had at that moment. I made the executive decision to check her in though I didn't want to reward her behavior. In fact, I wanted to drag her to the back of the line myself. I apologize to those Customers who had been waiting in line much longer than she and were not happy about her. I hope they saw the woman as the person to blame and not me. But they probably blame me for appeasing her childish behavior. I probably would have blamed me in their position. But I'm blaming this woman for putting me in a bad mood for the rest of the day. However, I did enjoy lecturing her in front of so many people, like shaming a puppy, though she wasn't as cute as a puppy.

Annoyance number two: Every year before school starts up, students on campus prepare welcome signs for incoming freshpeople to see on their approach to the University. It's something the halls do to make these people and their parents feel special, and is NOT by any means a publicity stunt, even though the signs are entertaining. Apparently the Marketing department thinks these signs are intended for the latter purpose. And apparently the person in charge of heading up these signs is an idiot. The boss and I met with the idiot and his crony a few weeks ago and expected certain things to transpire as a result of the meeting. Apparently they thought we were indifferent to the whole thing. Idiots. When we say, "the RAs do not have the time to be part of an organized effort to make signs," it literally means that the RAs don't have the time to go off their schedule. And when we say, "these signs are an organic development that the students felt their was a need for," it does not mean you can hire a bunch of students to do a craft chore. Basically, Marketing thought we didn't do a good enough job and took that "chore" away from us.

Point about the RAs: they are not student workers but employees of the University that go through an extensive training. They do not get to be bossed around by a different department that doesn't understand a thing we do in Residence Life. Point about the signs: they are not a chore. They are the efforts of students on campus who know what it feels like the see their residence hall's name on the drive in to campus. Making a bunch of generic signs like a chore you've been tasked with is not the same as putting some soul into the welcome; If you don't get that, you never will. P.S.: You should really listen to what people are telling you instead of just doing WTF you feel like. I don't know how many times "the RAs cannot come together to make signs not because they don't want to but because they don't have the time" can be said before a person realizes they are being a jerk.

I seriously felt like punching someone after that second situation. I don't get angry very easily. Few things set me in a bad mood. One of those things happens to be greedy rule breakers. Another one of those things is when people take a sweet tradition and turn it into a corporate project. I wanted to scream at both culprits, but I had to reign in my anger and try not have my signs of frustration heard.

I also blame the fact that I haven't had a day off since July 28 and won't have a day off until August 30. That is going to be one beautiful day off.

For future reference, do not make me angry when I am exhausted. It's not pretty. You'll be lucky if I keep my temper in check. I'm Portuguese - we don't hide our emotions easily. And for future reference, if you know you're wrong or you know you're an idiot, I'd much rather you admit it and do what's right.

And I'm usually such a lovely, bubbly person!