So, I'm sitting in on the Deskaurante chat, and I start thinking a sandwich sounds REALLY good (thanks, guys!). I had to drop medication off to Chris, so I decided to go to Subway on the way back home. It's the noon hour, so I already know it'll be busy, meaning I'll be there for about 10 minutes. That's the typical amount of time I spend in there.
Not today. Nope, today was 20 minutes, thanks in large part to the family in front of me. When I got in, I was already back by the door. I think there were 3 people ahead of me waiting to order, and 3 people in various states of getting their sandwiches made. Not bad at all.
About 2 minutes in, a guy comes out of the bathroom, and joins the woman just ahead of me. Then two teenage daughters that I am pretty sure were twins joined them, making it up to 6 people ahead of me waiting to order. The girls were slightly different heights, but lord, their faces were identical, that's why I'm not entirely certain they were twins. They must have been about 15.
Having more people ahead of me bugged me a bit, but more that I knew it would take longer, than it being THEM who bugged me. They were there first, afterall.
I think we were in line about 5 minutes before that family got up to the counter. The guy was busy looking out the window, at his watch, at the people all around him, etc, until it was time for him to order. Then, he didn't know what he wanted, so he started perusing the menu. Slowly.
It took probably 2 minutes for him to make his decision. Then change his mind. Twice. Meanwhile, mom and twins are having a debate. The twins have to share a sandwich, so they're trying to decide what they both like and want. Mom, however, has different ideas, and tells them what they are getting (which was not one they were discussing as wanting).
Mom even decided what cheese and bread they would be getting with it. The girls squabbled a bit, then gave in. I can understand having them share, but why not let them get something they at least wanted? Finally, they have their order waiting for veggies. By this time, they are so backed up at Subway that the line goes outside the door.
So my sandwich gets done, and I think "I only need one thing, please ask me what it is, so I can frog leap this family!" Sometimes they'll ask, and since I only get salt & pepper, I often get jumped ahead of the line to rush me through.
Not today, though. Nope.
They're finally getting their veggies, and I'm waiting impaitently. It was warm in there, I was surrounded closely by about 10 other people, it was noisy, and I wanted out. If I had been any worse off, that all spells panic attack to me- chaos, too many people, and not being comfortable.
As they're ordering their toppings, it gets to the girls, who are again bickering over what they want. Subway will do half toppings- they'll put one thing on half, something else on the other, without charge. Instead, Mom took over, and started ordering toppings. One twin pipped up with, "I HATE tomatoes!" Mom said, "Pick em off."
Lastly were the sauces. Oh, the sauces. I'm STILL waiting for just a simple sprinkle of salt & pepper. By this point, there are 7 other sandwiches stacked up behind mine (1 for the woman behind me, 4 for the woman behind her, 2 for the guy behind her). The line isn't getting any shorter, and they have stopped making sandwiches for a lack of space to place them.
So where was I? The sauces, that's right. The girls want Italian dressing. Mom says "No, you don't need it, and besides, they don't even have it here." The girl behind the counter, probably eager to get rid of them, pipes up saying they do have it.
The mom shot her a glare. Oh, my lord. She did give in and finally let the twins get something THEY wanted, though.
I thought that was it. Drama over. Salt & Pepper please. Nope, I was wrong. At the check out, they decided they wanted meals, but they want the big cups, and a regular snack, for the same price as the smaller cup. The guy running the register was like, "Sorry, we have to charge more for the large cup."
The twins are telling Mom they don't want to share a cup, it's gross, and they don't want the same drink. Mom gives in, gets a 4th cup, and a bag of chips. When I finally paid, I was breathing a sigh of relief, but wait! I'm not done yet! -sigh-
I go to get a drink, and they're hovering at the drink section. -sigh- I finally got my drink, and got out the door. You'd think that was the end of it, wouldn't you?
Not hardly.
I get in my minivan, get strapped in, and start it. I'm looking both ways- no cars pulling out, no cars driving through the lot, no one walking behind me, I'm good to go. A few seconds after I started pulling out, a MASSIVE 14 passenger black van two spots down from me (and right next to the entrance) starts to pull out- WITHOUT LOOKING. I could SEE the guys head- he's staring at his WIFE talking! Did I mention it was THAT FAMILY???
They came about 2 inches from hitting me, because I'm halfway into the drive at this point. I had stopped moving when I saw him not looking, but had they gone back any further, I wouldn't have had time to get out of the way at all.
So, that was my lunch time adventure.
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Comments: 42
I'll limit what I allow the kids to eat, but I want them to actually WANT to eat, so they do get to pick when we go somewhere. Unless they want a $15 meal, or something, but lord, the subs were all $5, regardless of what meat you pick, or what you put on it.
well you have more courage than me... I absolutely hate lines so I would have left and made something at home. LOL.
As for the mom, she is really dumb..... the one KEY RULE to follow when you have teens is to PICK YOUR BATTLES. If they don't have some sort of choices in their life it will eventually backfire and she will find herself with 2 very hormonal teens who have been constricted for too long, and have no wish to follow ANY of the rules.
Those people just bugged me to no end. Joy, I agree- those kids are going to back fire on that mom sooner or later.
I don't mind the lines there -that- much, because they usually move pretty fast. Today was a whole different story.
The sub was good- half for now, half in the fridge for lunch tomorrow. :)
I can't believe that the mom was choosing everything for her teens. My son is barely 3, and he gets to choose what he wants when we go out to eat! We have to order it for him since he is hard for some people who aren't around little kids all the time to understand, but it's always what he wants (well except the drink, he wants pop anytime we go anywhere lately).
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I would never control my teenagers like that! Forcing on them food that they don't want at SUBWAY? Sure, tell them they can't have extra bacon on their triple meat sub. But not letting one get peppers or the other get onions is outrageous!
No surprise that they almost hit you as they were leaving. They sound like very self-centered people. Can you imagine how bad they were when they had toddlers?
sounds fun
NOT
But you must be more patient than me, because there are very few places I will wait in line for 10 minutes, unless it's for a table. Perhaps it's because I still have a toddler...
YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Why do you think I go to the same places at the same time every day? I can predict the atmosphere, the people know me, and the time of day means I even know WHO is going to drive me there (gotta love Guelph transit!!)
Seriously, I'm that picky because I know that were I in the same situation as you, I would have attacked someone!!!! Go ahead and ask Walker. I've almost done it a few times.
One day in The Second Cup, of all places (my freaking SAFE HAVEN) a mother was acting somewhat badly towards her children. I had forgotten my headphones that day. I had to SIT ON MY HANDS, because I just wanted to pick up my chair and attack her with it. I mean I really really really wanted to do that. It was also three days after Morfar (my grandfather) died, and I was still on autopilot, and her crap was about to break me.
I think I must have looked at her the wrong way or something, because she decided to take her angelic kid (the kid really was being good, she was just being a witch!!!) and go somewhere else. THANK GOD!!!
Gather's pretty good therapy isn't it? It sure is a great way to get it all out.
And I totally agree with Dorine. That mother is going to be the topic of some pretty intense teen twin therapy some day.
I once read a book about two girls Marilyn and Carolyn (it was a Babysitter's club book when I was back in grade school) whose mother treated them like ONE, and the babysitters had to come to the rescue and help them find their own identities.