This marks my second year to visit Comicon in
San Diego. Something like 125k rolled into the convention hall on Saturday. Overall I had an excellent time and one night enjoyed what was probably one of the best steaks I've had in my life -- not a big beefeater but this was grade A angus that I couldn't pass up despite my new qusi-vegitarian diet.
Also
Lou Ferrigno, yes the Hulk himself, stayed at my hotel. At one point when asked how the con was going for him, he was reported to have said "Look at the veins" extending his meaty forearms to catch the dim light of the elevator, "It's like the arms of the centurion you'll never see again."
Ya, beats me too. Since my source was also sauced, maybe that's not an accurate quote. Maybe "arms of the century"? Maybe we were all a bit deranged from the heat too?
I've got a new pet peeve now too. It happens almost every time I fly. I arrive at the ticket counter and get in line to use the automated boarding pass touch screen kiosks. Inevitabily someone in front of me will use it and then, when they've got their pass and completed their transaction, they will continue to stand in front of it and block its use. They are waiting of course for the single attendent (since the others have been fired because they've got those nifty kiosks) to ask to check their luggage.
Here's the thing. The line to The Kiosk is
not based on the metaphor of a fast food line. You aren't driving up and waiting for service. Once you've got your boarding pass you can simply step aside and let the next person use it while waiting for your name to be called to check your luggage. It's just that simple.
Instead this is what I get: I arrive in line see all the kiosks actually getting used but one with a man standing in front of it with his luggage. A lady is waiting patiently behind him. Either I'm a masachist or he seemed a reasonable fellow. So I asked "excuse me sir, but may she use the kiosk?" - Hey I'm not always an asshole, I'm happy to help the lady out if it means I get through this faster.
Instead of kindly stepping aside, he mutters something to me that I don't catch all of except something about "waiting for luggage." I say, as politely as I can muster because I could see where this was going, "I'm sorry, but if you could just step to the side she could use the machine." That must have been his braking point, because he snapped "Oh and are you going to help me carry these bags over there," gesturing wildly behind me as if I had suggested he banish himself from the area. "Sure, I'd be glad to" was not the answer he expected to hear from me. Guess killing, or at least maming, with kindness is actually possible. He snapped "I've waited here 15 minutes, you can too!" To which I only could say "There is no reason to be rude, sir." Boy that shut him up, though I could see the smoke rolling from his ears. Another kiosk came open and I asked the lady, who seemed new too it all, if she'd like to use it. She did and left me waiting for mr.inertia to budge from his position.
What happened next was downright delightful if not ironic in that ironic kinda way. I'm still waiting when another lady comes rushing past me, physically shoulders mr. inertia from his position and starts using the kiosk. I raised my voice so he could hear me sarcasticly intone "huh, I guess I should have done
that. Lesson learned" as he shuffled away. The lady was gone in 60 seconds and I was next, completing my transaction as fast.
Look, the lesson is this: this world is filled with people doubling in population. It takes more than just patience, it takes a bit of consideration to make modern life bearable for us all- either that or you're eventually gonna get a the body check. Bamn, welcome to the 21st century.
