I try to keep it mellow. Stress isn’t good for me. If something bugs me, I find ways to correct it so it doesn’t, or accept that that’s the way it is, and there’s nothing I can do. Reasonable? I think so.

I’m a fairly patient sort, especially when I have no pressing engagements or deadlines to meet, but I’m not a big fan of waiting in line. (Must be all those festival-seating concerts in the 70s & 80s. I waited in line for days…) I hate having to tack on an extra fifteen minutes of dead time just to get out of a store, or being stuck in an eternally-lasting line at the bank. The bank was the scene of this little encounter:

When payday rolls around, I have to physically walk the check from boss to bank. (Electronic deposit hasn’t made it to my workplace yet.) No big deal, it’s a five block walk and things time out to where it’s actually convenient. BUT- (here comes the pet peeve…)

I hate it when I get to the bank and there’s no line, so I fill out my deposit slip and then, magically, ten people walk in. People who have rolls of coins to cash in, who need three hundred one-dollar bills, or have a traveler’s check from Nigeria they want to cash. My two-minute transaction will now take twenty minutes to finish. Grr…

I have found a way around this. I carry a few deposit slips in the wallet, and fill everything out before I get to the bank. I may still end up tenth in line, but it’s not because I wasn’t planning ahead.

Last night I arrived at the bank, half an hour before closing. There was one fellow waiting, and one woman filling out paperwork before getting in line. I took my place in line and waited. There were three tellers working, everything was moving along just fine. Then the woman doing paperwork tapped me on the shoulder and said, “I need to be up there.”

“Oh! You two are together?” The guy in front of me looked like a construction worker or house painter; she looked like an office worker. He was Caucasian, she had a foreign accent. Cool! I’m all for diversity.

“Of course not!” with a ‘pfft’ thrown in. “I was here before both of you.”

I didn’t like her tone. “Well, good for you! Then why weren’t you in line?”

“I had to fill out paperwork…”

This is precisely why I fill out my paperwork ahead of time. While I understood her agitation, it’s not my fault she’s not bright enough to have things ready when she arrives.

“Bummer. I’m in a hurry too.”

She gave off a hostile sigh, and paced side to side, standing close behind me. Had she asked nicely, said she was rushing to catch a bus, etc… I would have gladly let her go ahead. But, since my efficiency has delayed her as much as a minute and a half, I felt not the least bit bad for her. I felt uncomfortable because she confronted me, then felt proud that I hadn’t succumbed to her bullying ways.

I quickly took care of my business, then smiled and nodded to her as I left. She muttered something in a foreign language.

Fine. “See you next Tuesday!” I was grinning, but my eyes were shooting daggers. I don’t think she understood, but I got my jabs in.

Daddy always said you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar. I try that approach as often as possible. But, when dealing with douchebags, vinegar is often called for. Have an extra helping, lady!

On the way out, I stopped long enough to grab a few more deposit slips for later. That way I’ll have the option of taking the high road for a few more paydays.

Or not.