Double skim latte with interest, please …
Aaron recently wrote about a pet peeve of his concerning people who are slow in market express lanes. My initial reaction was that people need to slow down, and not let the little things upset them. For the most part, I still feel that way. I don’t see any reason to get frustrated when people are slower than we would like them to be. Not just in checkout lines, but on the roads as well. If one is really in that much of a hurry perhaps they should look at why this is, rather than blaming others. Did they not leave their homes early enough to be at work on time, and are now pissed at the old lady in front of them—who has the nerve to not run the red light—for making them late? She didn’t make them late. They made themselves late.
If we want to be upset with a group of people for holding up lines at shops it shouldn’t be the people who are being kind and making small talk with the cashier while fumbling for change or their wallets. We should be mad at the lazy—and stupid—bastards who insist on paying for everything with a bloody credit card!
At first I thought this practice was an anomaly. I saw a few people doing it occasionally at area coffee and food shops, but didn’t think much about it. However, lately it seems that every time I am in a line it is being held up by someone paying for their scone and triple Mocha Coconut Frappuccino® (skim, of course) with a credit card. Savvy Starbucks noticed this trend rather early too, as they now offer their own debit card to help “breeze into your local participating Starbucks to pick up your favorite beverage without worrying about cash.”
I realise that there are times when one hasn’t had a chance to get to an ATM. I realise there are times when one has already placed their order only to realise that they have neglected to check their cash situation first. This rant isn’t aimed at such folks. This rant is aimed at the people I see practicing this idiocy daily. The ones who are more-than-likely part of that large group of Americans who pay less than the full balance on their credit cards each month. I’m sorry, but the rewards programs and frequently flyer miles aren’t worth the debt, and certainly not worth inconveniencing others.
See? I didn’t mention my sweetie—or how much I miss her—once in this post. D’oh!