I just shut down an attempted line-cutter in the most passive aggressive possible manner.
Some people wait on line to refill their metro cards; other people were apparently taught as children that the world revolves around them.
I encountered one such individual from the latter group while I, like the rest of the rule-abiding citizens of New York, patiently waited on line to refill my metro card’s value.
I first noticed the wench in my peripherals.
I was next on line, and as the (rule-abiding) woman in front of me finished up at the machine, another (not rule-abiding) woman decided she wants to be next, even though she hadn’t been waiting on line like the rest of us.
Yeah, I don’t think so.
Without a word, she slowly sauntered in front of me, almost as if she wass merging with traffic in a bottle-neck type situation.
Even though I was in absolutely no rush, because my meeting didn’t start for another hour and a half, I still didn’t have time for this.
“Whoops—heads up” I said, as I stepped around her and then in front of her to seize my rightful place on line.
“Huh?” she asked, confused, like she wasn’t fully aware of what she was doing.
I ignored her. It was ticket-refilling time, and Uncle Thunder has no sympathy for those who break rules. Without rules, we’d be living in anarchy. Is that what you want? Do you want to be living in anarchy, lady?
Had there been no others waiting on line, I would’ve taken my sweet time the machine. I even would’ve taken the machine up on its offer to “print receipt,” just to take a few more seconds out of spite towards this pitiful excuse for a New Yorker. However, out of consideration for all the others waiting on line, I sped through the process, neglecting the machine’s “print receipt” option like a snobby “plant-based” vegetarian would turn away a 10 ounce slab of filet mignon, even when it’s been cooked to perfection.
After walking away, I glanced back. All things considered, I really wasn’t in a rush—might as well see how this plays out, right?
What happened next fully restored my faith in vigilante justice.
Everybody on the line behind me followed MY lead, stepping around this wretched rule-breaker and taking back the precious seconds that rightfully belonged to them.
Some people got on the line AFTER this whole thing shook down, yet they continued to blindly follow the lead of those in front of them by passive-aggressively stepping around this woman. At this point, she would’ve gotten her chance at the machine had she just gone to the back of the line initially, like a PERSON.
Hard to feel bad, though.
Follow the rules, dingus.
Until next time,
Michael J. Erickson, CEO & Co-Founder
