RAE'S RANTS
You know, I was at the Starbucks the other day and as I paid for my Venti, extra hot, well stirred, one splenda, non-fat, green-tea latte two ideas came to mind for this weeks' rant. Yes, I am aware that a person should only go off about one thing at a time, but since both of these things unnerved me at the same time, I thought I should share them with you at the same time as well.
1. I am in line waiting to pay for my drink and as I am pulling out my card, I get this funny feeling, you know, the type of feeling you get when you realize there is someone standing so close on your heels that if you were to step back quickly the two of you would become one? So, I spin around and look dead in this persons face as if to say, "What is your problem? Back off!" Do you think that made them move back any further? Of course not, in fact, I think it made him scoot just a little more closer as I waited what seemed to be an eternity, for my receipt. It made me think... why do people stand so close in line? Does it make them feel as if the line is moving faster? Do they think they are going to get there any quicker? Obviously not, but it didn't seem to stop the freaky guy that was breathing heavy down my back. A word of advice for those of us who find ourselves in line: back up and give your neighbors a bit of space before you find yourself becoming one with a Venti, extra hot, well stirred, one splenda, non-fat, green tea latte.
2. As I moved over to wait on my very trendy concoction, I began observing all of the people who were waiting in line. (Observing is one of my favorite past-times as I find it gives me the opportunity to gather material for most of my rants.) That is when I spotted a lady who was dressed very casually,(blue jeans, tennis shoes, sweat suit) with a blue tooth type electronic gadget stuck to her ear lobe. At that moment, it occurred to me that I am so happy that I am not so totally addicted to the electronic mania that is going on in the world today because most of the time, quite frankly, it makes people who must be somewhat intelligent because it takes a rocket scientist to figure most of this stuff out, look totally STUPID.
Which brings me to my second rant of the week: Who is so important that they can not go into a Starbucks coffee house without a telephone attached to their ear? Besides the President of The United States of America, I can honestly not think of one person. Is there a deal that might go through while you are waiting on your cappuccino? Is there a stock that might need to be traded while you stir in a few packets of Splenda? And if you are that important, why are you dressed in sweat pants and tennis shoes on your way to your important life? Either way, it just seems to be a bit over-kill to take these electronic gadgets everywhere you go from the coffee house, to the gym and even into public restrooms. If you ask me, and trust me I know you didn't, it seems to be just another excuse to feel important and in control. More of statement than necessity and truth be told, extremely annoying.
The above being said, I should note I, myself, made it out of Starbucks without fighting anyone standing to close to me in line or using an electronic device attached to one of my body parts so I would have to say my coffee run was fairly successful. And just in case you were wondering, yes I my Venti, extra hot, non-fat, well-stirred, one splenda green tea latte was delicious and well worth the trouble.
RYAN'S REBUTTAL
This week I decided to write two rebuttals and one rant. As luck would have it, Rae's not the only one that has something to vent about. Here we go.
First, let's assume we've all been in that predicament where someone stands too close to you and violates that invisible area we call "personal space". I'm not totally naïve, in that, I completely understand that being in that situation can get annoying, as well as, possiblly claustrophobic. But what I don't understand is what she did to fix the problem. Let me explain. Rae got upset at the lack of distance between her and the person behind her. Yet, all she did was give the guy a "mean" look. Problem solved? Of course not! Problems are rarely solved with death-stares, unless of course you're part of the animal kingdom. We are human beings. We communicate with speech. Words are our friends. So, my questions is, why didn't Rae simply ask the guy to not stand so close to her? My guess is he would have politely backed up if she had. So, my lesson here is, if you want something, all you have to do is ask. It's that simple. There's no need to threaten someone with your death-stares eyes OR your Venti, extra hot, non-fat, well-stirred, splenda green tea lattes.
Second, we live in the age of technology. Let's face it, blackberries, cell phones, and mp3 players rule our lives. But people aren't using these electronic devices because they want to "look cool" or have "important lives", as stated by Rae. They use them because of their absolute convenience. In such a fast-paced world where your boss wants you to be available at the touch of a button and you're not sure whose turn is it to pick up the kids from one of their fifty extra-curricular activities, gadgets and gizmos are needed to support that "on-the-go" lifestyle that consumes a good majority of us. So, the next time you see a person with a Bluetooth headset, or someone sending a quick email on their blackberry, don't assume they are trying to feel important. Assume that they are just trying to keep pace in the "Now! Now! Now!" world we all live in.
Here's a thing that bugs me. People that treat Starbucks like it's the best place on the planet. Pretty much, Starbucks makes good coffee, and sells typical baked goods. Whoopty-doo. There are a zillion coffee houses like Starbucks that pump out some really great coffee and sweet treats at half the outrageous price they charge (Heck, they even charge you for wi-fi). And for what? So that you can walk around with your over-priced cup of joe and feel good about paying way too much for something that is more trendy, than delicious. I'm sorry, but I'd rather take up smoking. It's still stains my teeth, but it's a much cheaper habit than having to rely on a daily $6 "Venti-grande mocha, white chocolate, soy, avocado, green tea with a splash of nutmeg, whipped cream, and cocoa shavings"...or whatever it is that you can order on their smug menu. And one final thing about Starbucks... get rid of those venti-grande-whatever sizes and keep it to "small, medium, and large". Oh, but wait, they probably charge extra for that, too.
What are your thoughts on standing too close,electronic devices being too cool, or starbucks being too costly? We want to hear from you!