Was Mr. Pink Right? About Everything?
This morning I pulled up to pay for my cup of coffee in the McD's drive through and was greeted by the nicest window attendant I've come across, hmmm, EVER!!! Her demeanor, her cadence, her apparent sincerity made me want to tell her to keep the change, all $3 and coin, for the $1 something coffee. BUT!!!!!! In my head crept Mr. Pink: "I don't tip. I don't believe in tipping." "I used to make minimum wage, and when I did, I wasn't lucky enough to have a job society deemed as tip worthy." "...it's not a college bullshit you're giving me, I got two words for that, learn to fucking type."
So, with immense guilt, I took my change, all of it, and tried to change the tone of my thank you so that it was clear to her that I truly wanted to tip her for being so awesome and refreshing, but couldn't, BECAUSE society says so. Actually, Mr. Pink said so. I don't trust society because it is nowhere near as diligent with their convictions as my beloved Mr. Pink.
Why? Why is it so hard, for so many, to acknowledge through act, words, or otherwise, another individual for being a nice human? Or how about for simply being a human???
Let me explain. This morning I should have tipped. She could have then said we are not allowed to take tips. She could have said no thank you. She could have taken the tip and said "thank you so much for the tip". She could have immediately taken the money and turned into the "window attendant" I've come to loathe all these years, who seems to confuse mild sauce for hot sauce, every time, at every location, and gave me a "this is it?" look. Anything could have happen'd. But it didn't because I played ball. I did what all of us do, every day, in so many instances. And it sucked.
We tend to suck as humans more often then we would like to admit. For example, have you ever caught yourself walking inside a building and try to estimate how fast someone is walking behind you to see if the door you are walking through would fall on them before they get there? When you get in elevators do you keep your eyes down so the person running late remains late? Do you let the person in the grocery store line with an armful of cat food and wine cut when you have a full basket, or do you just make jokes in your head about the lonely, chardonnay cat lover??? Do you ever thank the gas attendant for giving you correct change, or do you not have to because that is simply their job?
Moral of the story... don't be a dick. Say thank you. Look people in the eye and try and be sincere more than you're not. Hold the door 3 seconds longer. Keep your head up in elevators. Tip the window attendant if you feel like it. My guilt is going to take me back to Mc.D's next Tuesday for the morning shift to pay up!
On a side note... I know, I know, Mr. Pink didn't say the following quote, BUT, Buscemi is really an ongoing character in every one of his movies. "You know we're sitting on 4 million pounds of fuel, one nuclear weapon, and a thing that has 270,000 moving parts BUILT by the lowest bidder." So the real moral of the story is - Don't be cheap. Not in business, life, or especially at the drive thru window.