The Scalper

The Background

Over Thanksgiving break we had one of the most depressing football games that I have been to in a long time.  Really? Our kicker has to miss three field goals? Not one, not two, but three? Unacceptable.  Anyway, that's all I have to say about the football game, it still irritates me thinking about it.  

Since everyone knew this game wasn't going to be all that fantastic to start with and what with it taking place on Black Friday, I knew quite a few people who ended up not going to this game.  As a a result several of them gave their tickets to me to do with as I saw fit.  And there is our premise, ladies and gentlemen, me with lots of tickets to a football game no one really wants to go to anyway.  

The Intro

I tried selling my tickets to a scalper for ten bucks a piece but he wasn't having it so I moved on.  As I was nearing the stadium, I walked past someone I immediately identified as a scalper talking to a late-thirties-ish woman and her eleven-twelve-ish year-old daughter who were attempting to get tickets.  All I heard of their conversation were the words "fifty dollars" and that was enough for me to intervene.

Now, the woman was haggling with the man and busy so I approached the daughter and asked if she and her mother were looking for tickets.  When she told me yes, they were, I got the mother's attention and told her I had two tickets I didn't need that she could have for free.  She, in the process of paying for her tickets, put her money away and took my tickets.  And, boom, I have done my good deed for the day.

The Change-up

Or so I thought.  Apparently the scalper was not pleased with what I had just done.  The moment he realized what was happening to his sale, there issued for a stream of some of the most eloquent (total sarcasm here, wish there was a font for that) profanity I have ever heard, yelling at me that I was a thief among many other things.  In short, myself, the woman, and her daughter made a fast exit, as he appeared to be leaning towards hitting something.

The Analysis

Now dude, I understand that you're upset that you lost a sale but come on, this can't be the first time you haven't managed to sell to people you think you can.  I realize I lost you a fair bit of money but come on, nobody is going to want to pay such an outlandish price if they don't have to, accept that occasionally you're going to be outdone.

Once again, it's a strange reaction to me.  In his place, yes, I would have been upset at the fact that I had lost a potential sale.  But on the other hand, I'm not going to fault someone else if they do a good deed, the world needs more of that.  Try a little patience in life, a bit more kindness, and I think it'll get you a lot further.

Shameless Showing Off

This post I just want to let everyone know that I made an awesome website about Greek mythology for my writing class and it is freaking amazing and you should all go check it out >here<.  Granted, mythology is a huge subject and my knowledge of web design is rudimentary at best, so I have only done a couple of pages with a few deities, monsters, and titans.  Tell me what you think!

The 90 mph Texter

Today's entry spurs from a moment when I genuinely feared for the intelligence of a fellow human being.  I was cruising down the freeway at a modest 80 miles an hour or so and lo and behold a car went absolutely flying past  me.  I glanced to my right (I was in the center lane, and she was in the slow lane.  Seriously. The slow lane) and I see a girl no older than twenty who must have been doing at least ninety miles an hour.  Not only that she was not even looking up at the road but was focused oh so intently on her phone as she was texting away to her bff that oh so important text that just couldn't possibly wait until she wasn't doing NINETY MILES AN HOUR!

Now, I don't have a problem with people who drive in excess of the speed limit (obviously, as I tend to do it myself) as long as they're not driving recklessly.  I also don't have a problem with people sending the occasional text message while driving, I understand, sometimes you just have to tell your boyfriend what a jerk he's being right now!  But seriously? BOTH AT THE SAME TIME? Do you have a death wish or something? Or are you just interested in potentially maiming/killing everyone around you along with yourself when you wreck your car.

Obviously I get a little sarcastic when I see things like this but truly it makes me weep for humanity sometimes.  Then again, if we go with the survival of the fittest idea, when she finally does kill herself with that oh so important text on the freeway, maybe we'll become stronger as a species for it.  I certainly hope so, otherwise I hope she smartens up somewhat.