truvy
Monday, October 14, 2002
Me for Consumer Advocate
Okay, so RJ continually tells me I should run for Consumer Advocate - mainly because I've got a big mouth and I will tell people when they're doing something wrong.
Examples:
Port Authority Bus Terminal Saturday afternoon - a line has been formed for the 2:30 bus to Monticello. Some purple-haired British bitch and her pasty blonde friend - both with backpacks the size of God's ego - waltz up to the door & plop their shit down in front of the door & stand there. I turn to the lady next to me and just say "Hmm." She said, "Yeah, new concept of a line." I took that as my cue and said to the ugly Brits - "There is already a line for the bus."
"Oh, where is the cue?", asks the purple headed bitch (we'll call her Barnie). "The LINE," I answer, "is right behind you - where those people are standing."
"Well, you see, my friend here gets violently motion sick and must sit in the front seat of the coach."
"Yes, well, that still doesn't mean that you got here before these other people standing in line. Did you ask each of them if perhaps THEY got violently motion sick, and if THEY had planned on sitting in the front seat and perhaps THAT's why they got here early - in order to secure that seat?"
Well, I backed off because I had made my point, and Barnie moved her bags, saying "I don't want everyone growling at me, so I'll just move back here" - at which I had to reply "Martyr."
Sales tax - I wanted to get a bag at this leather goods store - it was 50% off - for $65. The clerk rang in the $130, taxed it, and then took off the $65. Oh no - that's just not how this is done. You only pay tax on the final price of any taxable good. I kindly and patiently explained this to the fuzzy mop headed clerk, and he explained that this was the way his computer did it.
Well, your computer, missy, does it wrong - so void it out and ring it up right. I said that I'd give him the benefit of the doubt and believe that they were just paying the extra tax to the city & state, but if this was Really how it was done, they were over-paying taxes. Of course, what I was really saying was that I knew he was a liar and a cheat and a thief, and that they were just pocketing the extra money for the store, not paying taxes. He had, at this point, already swiped my credit card, and offered to refund the $5.65 (or something) difference in cash. No, again, I tell you, void this transaction and then ring it up correctly. I ended up getting another bag somewhere else, because I was just so disgusted with them.
I think I'll report them to the Better Business Bureau. Does that still exist?
Whatever - there's that stupid series of books "Don't sweat the small stuff" - but fuck it - this is NY - I'd rather concentrate on the small stuff rather than cringe every time I see a plane flying low & close through a crystal clear sky like today's...sometimes the small stuff is just easier to handle than the big stuff.
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