Oh no she didn't!

A rant:

I love a little deli/coffee shop/grocery called Nica's in the East Rock Neighborhood (my old hood) section of New Haven.  This is the place for me. I go in, people know my name, they know my order at the deli counter, they even bring me over ripe fresh veggies that they know Mike and I like to eat.  I used to live next door to Nica's- literally. Now, living 10 miles away, I still come in every morning for my coffee, fruit or nuts, and whatever else strikes my fancy (they carry the Chocolove bars I wrote about).  I'm pretty sure I've turned many a friend on to this little gem in East Rock and they are now loyal Nica's followers too.  It's that great!

I'm sure many of you have your 'local' place. Even if it's Starbucks or D&D, they know you, you know them, you understand the order of things. For example, at Nica's when you walk in the coffee is located to the left near the register.  While this can be a sometimes congested area, there's a system. Everyone knows it, and if they don't it's not easy to figure out with a quick glance and some common sense.  AND- did I mention that this is some of the B-E-S-T coffee I've had in my life. Seriously. Try it.

So this fine morning, as I'm waiting in line chatting up the cashier who I lent my 4-hour body book to, a woman comes flying into the store as if she were just ejected from a tornado and proclaims to all of us in the coffee line that she's late for work and must cut the line. I'm sorry, 'what!?'. Cut the line?  What are we, seven years old waiting for recess?  There are no 'cuts' in the coffee line.  Isn't this a generally understood social norm?  As a grown up, which I assume she was by the crows feet on her face and the fact that she drove herself to get coffee, you should know better than to a) attempt to get in the way of other adults and their coffee at 7:45am, b) think that 'cutting' in line is an acceptable social practice, and c) that announcing so rudely to a line of people was going to get you anywhere.  So naturally, we all tightened closer to each other, making sure there wasn't the slightest bit of room for her to squeeze in.  Again, she announced she needed to jump in because she was late for work as she is pressing herself into the woman at the coffee station and reaching her go-go-gadget arms up for a cup.

I wanted to shout "Hold the line!, Don't let her in, we're all late for work.", but I didn't.  I think I was so blown away by this woman's behavior that I temporarily lost my ability to fight and protest. Scary, I know!  Sadly, the next person in line did let this crazed lunatic in to get her 'emergency late-for-work coffee' much to my dismay.  I took a mental picture of her. I know who she is now. I will be sure she doesn't pull these shenanigans in the future. And, after her departure, we all childishly talked about her.  I have to admit, it did feel good.  I secretly hope that her coffee accidently fell out of her hand while she was running to her office.  I guess that's not a secret anymore.  Karma, right?

The lesson: don't mess with a line of people who haven't had their coffee yet, and take a moment to assess the situation you storm into and decide what the proper approach should be.  If she'd delicately asked one person in line if she might be able to jump in due to being late, I think we'd all have been less put off. Manners, people, manners!  OR- if you do think that cutting a coffee line at 7:45am is socially acceptable, then you'd better come up with a way better excuse than being late for work.

Ahhhhh... I feel better. And, my coffee tastes great.

Yours in warm coffee love,
Whitney