Let
me tell you a little ditty that happened to me in resent weeks.
I went to get my truck washed at a local car wash one day (I wont
use names, so Wet Willy's you should thank me). I paid 15 bucks
and they sent me through. The machine was set up so fast that
when I came out the other side I still had soap all over my truck.
At this point I thought it was bad, but then two kids dragged
wet towels down either side of my truck, leaving nice water spots
on the foot or so they missed in the middle. I turned the corner
to see 5 other cars with their owners drying them outside.
I
circled around, went in and asked to see the manager. Out comes
a younger kid I would say 19 or so, about 1/3 my size, shaved
head. I was polite and said "man, I'm not going to pay 15
dollars for that." he said "we are ripping cars through
just get your ass back in line and we'll rewash it." Surprised
by the answer I just said " no that's ok I think I just want
my money back." "we don't give refunds he said",
at this time he started getting aggressive and started to piss
me of because he started to get in my face. "Where is your
supervisor" I said, booming now. "That's the owner",
where is he", "he isn't here", "what's his
number?" "1800-wet-willy", by now the kid is in
my face and I am looking down at him holding back with all of
my might. He say's " you know what I'm not going to rewash
your car, why don't you just get the fuck out of here." I
replied (really pissed off) I am your fucking customer, without
me you don't have a job, why don't you get some respect?"
as he was walking away from me, I said "when is the owner
going to be back"," he'll be back when I kick your ass".
Believe me, I didn't think I had it in me to turn and walk away
from him, but I found it somewhere.
I
went and called a cop (that's right a cop, and I'm not a wuss,
just keep reading). I waited outside the car wash for him, listening
to this little punk give his battle cries and try to taunt me
with snide remarks yelled loud enough for me. When the cop arrived
I explained to him (and this is my explanation) that if I go back
in to find out when the owner will be back I would seriously hurt
this kid. I looked at the cop, an older gentalmen, and asked him
if we fought who would go to jail, me (6ft 280lbs, 29 year old)
or him (5ft 6in, 140lbs, punk kid). The officer smiled and said
let me find out (this was the cop I wanted, I knew it by the look
in his eye). I don't know what he said, but he came out with a
bigger smile and told me the owner would be back the next day.
I thanked him and went on to work (I was on nights that week,
another reason I didn't have time to take a trip to the slammer).
The
next day I went back, talked with the owner and was told basically
that there are 2 sides to every story and if I wanted another
wash to get in line. I told him his manager threatened me, but
he didn't care. I took one look at the machine (which was set
at the same speed) and left.
I was sooooo pissed off, but the thing that surprised me in all
of this is that I used self control, a thing I probably wouldn't
have done in my early years. Did I let it go, you may ask? Ya
right, as a result of my story to a few local businesses, (Wet
Willy's, oh shit that's right), this car wash has lost a couple
of contracts. Get'em where it hurts most I always say.
Is
there a lesson here? A moral? No I don't really think so. Yes
it is bullshit that I got crappy service and a bad attitude, but
you know what that little punk kid did me kind of a favour, thanks
to him, I grew up a little and realised that in the coarse of
life you gather many things; thoughts, ideals, possessions, and
the truth be known is that being grown up is nothing more then
being able to make choices that can protect what you have gathered
and who you are. Sometimes that choice isn't easy, vanity, greed,
lust these are all things that cloud your mind in the moment.
I guess what I am saying is that I saw the right path, and for
the first time in my life I took it even though it wasn't the
manly thing to do (Manly being snuffing that punk from my existence).
As a side note I found
out later that the owner is one of those racist Nazi assholes,
and the kid must be one of his recruits. What a Dick.
