On Customer Relations

And the People We Love to Hate.

They are the relentless people in front of us on lines at the deli who demand justice (American Cheese) for injustice (Provolone), even though most can't taste the difference. They are the heavy sigh-ers waiting impatiently for bank tellers during lunchtime, even though it's the one hour of day in which everyone else is freed from their jobs. They are the passengers on our flights whose needs surpass all others, no matter how loudly the baby cries three rows back or how scared the 9-yr old (flying solo for the first time) actually is. They are the customers who speak louder than the rest, draw attention amidst an otherwise quiet afternoon, and make our blood pump faster than any sibling has since books were flung in the 8th grade. But they are also our source of entertainment, about whom we can rant over dinner or a glass of wine (or in an op ed article in the Times). And so, for their extra (well-fought) discount and our five wasted (not-so-hard-earned) minutes, we are most grateful. Enjoy!