I know I was not alone yesterday with my thoughts. Tons of bye-bye business from all the fleeing tourists always brings mixed emotions.
Glad to see them come yet thrilled to see them go—can’t be helped when one is in the service industry in an area such as ours.
Every summer we’re truly lucky to meet so many great folks, but I’m sticking to my 80/20 rule. Happily the 80 percent are the good ones, sadly the remaining 20 percent just plain stink.
There’s no doubt that there is a definite feeling of entitlement that travels with these folks.
Here come some examples, each and every one completely and totally true:
• The frantic mom exiting her vehicle with Little Johnny in tow and screaming, “HE HAS TO GO!!!”
Yup, heard those words before and they never lead to good things.
LJ has his pants almost down to his knees in the middle of Lucky Dogs parking lot. He’s all prepared to squat and release his last meal when, yours truly, lets out a resounding NOOOOOOO that stops him in his tracks.
Mom tries to argue with me, but loses hands down. I threaten police action as she stuffs him—crying and whining profusely—back into her vehicle while screaming obscenities at me.
Such a stellar example of parenting. It’s no wonder LJ feels he can poo wherever he chooses.
I can only hope and pray he soiled his pants as well as her car seat.
Maybe these folks should discover the miles and miles of woods on Route 28 that can accommodate their emergencies. Twenty percenters for sure.
• Or how ‘bout this action? Enter the dog walkers.
FOUR HUGE DOGS are escorted from a van on leashes, legs a-lifting, readying for the squat. But this time, IN THE EATING AREA.
Now mind you these lovely 20 percenters had no intention of purchasing ANYthing, but were planning instead on leaving a delightful array of goodies for me to clean up.
This time the bull horn was used with the siren a-blaring. The owners of these animals were appalled that I would not allow their precious cargo to release their special treats here and boldly threatened to “never stop here…EVER!”
Surely that statement was intended to upset me. What is wrong with people?
• Let’s take a minute to chat about the garbage and our dumpsters.
Not only do we have issues with the bears clamoring to get the heck in to our trash, but we have inconsiderate campers who feel it’s completely acceptable to just dump their huge bags of waste in any available dumpster they come across.
These are 20 percenters who were clearly brought up by wolves and whose homes we should all be able to visit just one time. Please God, just once.
• And the wanderers…you know the ones. They casually saunter behind barriers, over hill and dale—virtually anywhere they please—while allowing their out of control offspring to trample any and all foliage/flowers/plants.
What the…? GO HOME NOW!
• And finally, my very fave: the hagglers. Now really, when’s the last (or first) time you approached an eatery and tried to haggle the price?
“I’m here for the two-fer…cuz that’s what we get back home…”
Well then how ‘bout you giddy-up on back to where you came from, chump. I can see from your license plate that you only live five hours away.
So yes, the 20 percent are a challenge. But as the months fade, I will remember fondly the 80 percenters and the fact that there really are some wonderful folks out there.
Adios to another great summer season…let us shovel in peace and poverty.