Annoyances

[jethrien]

Due to some kind of investigation, I spent half an hour sitting on an A train, motionless in the tunnel this morning. Then when we finally got to 59th St, all the express trains were backed up. So for the next fifteen minutes, every train was either an A or a D. No locals. I just got to work about ten minutes ago.

During a very long and stressful day on Thursday, I spent an hour tromping around in the rain in search of wrapping paper. And then spent quite some time wrapping gifts that I then shipped to some potential clients in Mexico. My colleague (who was the one receiving the shipment) just called me - customs opened every single damn gift. I don't care if he wants them gift wrapped - I'm not wrapping his damn international shipments any more.

Yesterday was quite icy. Right outside my office is a driveway that slopes up. A post office truck got stuck - couldn't get up the hill. After the first couple tries where he ended up slipping back down the hill...he kept trying. Didn't do anything different, just kept driving up and falling back, over and over. The sound was appalling. The smell was worse - he managed to burn off at least one tire (left the pieces in our driveway), and I suspect that that engine will never be the same. There were clouds of smoke billowing all over the place, for a good half hour. Our office ended up fleeing our cubicles - the smell was too awful to stay. On our way out, we ran into the maintenance guys - someone had called them, figuring we were on fire or something. The truck did manage to get up the hill eventually, and then to our amazement drove off leaving chunks of tire in our driveway.

Comments

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

Wow.

I mean, I suppose I get why customs opened the gifts, but they couldn't just have x-rayed and dog-sniffed to make sure it wasn't bombs or whatever? That is so awful.

[jethrien.livejournal.com]

I guess they wanted to make sure it was what I claimed it was and that we didn't have to pay tariffs or something. I don't know. $15 of wrapping paper and about an hour of my time, all wasted.

I mean, it's hardly a disaster, none of this stuff is, but it's just annoying.

[(Anonymous)]

The tire pieces could make a good exhibit-- human stupidity?

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

It doesn't have to be a disaster. That's just pissy. And colleague in Mexico is welcome to do the running around from now on, right?

[jethrien.livejournal.com]

Well, not really. My job description is basically "anything no one else wants to do". Which is ok - while I'm not doing anything that people couldn't do for themselves, if they did it all themselves, I wouldn't have a job.

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

Maybe next time you can just include the wrapping paper in the package.

"DIY presents!"

[jethrien.livejournal.com]

Maybe I will.

Actually, no, I think I'm just instituting a new "presents mailed to Mexico don't get wrapped" policy.

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

Sounds reasonable to me ::nods::

[lyriendel.livejournal.com]

You could put the presents in a gift bag with some tissue paper. Then customs can see inside all they want and they still look 'wrapped'.