So I'm dropping my car off for service at a local Chevrolet dealership, and go to hold the door open for a woman who appears to be coming out of the building. I'm holding the door open for this woman who appears to be in her 50s, maybe early 60s. She looks a little unhappy. She just stands there in the doorway , clutching her purse with a tight fist on one side, and a wadded up piece of paper in the other fist, as if she is undecided whether to actually venture through the doorway. After a few seconds she looks at me, and decides to volunteer some information to me, a total stranger.
"You should look at my car," she blurts out gruffly, while nodding in the direction of the only car immediately in front of her.
Automatically I glance over at the white, older model Volvo wagon. There is an older man perched glumly in the passenger seat. The car looks fine. It's clearly not fresh off the showroom floor, but appears to be in good condition. The woman is glaring at me. The eyes wide open and pupils tiny in the bright sun, blonde disheveled hair with dark roots, wrinkled pale face, and huge bags under her eyes, combined with the hatred so evident on her face, make her look scary. She only gives me a few seconds before saying in an exasperated voice,
"No. On the other side. A school bus decided to go bump-bump-bump along the other side," she explains while she demonstrates by skipping one fist alongside her other open hand in case I don't get the total picture.
"Was everyone ok?" I asked.
"What the f*** do I care?!?" she practically screams in my face. "My car is ruined!"
Appalled, I replied quickly, "I care. I have two children who ride a school bus every day."
Undaunted, she goes on angrily: "I don't care if all 20 children were injured. My car is DAMAGED!"
And with that, she gets in her car as I stare at her, disgusted and shocked she would voice such hatred to a complete stranger holding a door open for her, let alone actually feel that way.
The service manager overheard it all. As he filled out paperwork for my vehicle, he said, "She's been here for three hours. Just like that. Angry. And it was an empty city bus that hit her."
We commiserated for a minute before discussing my vehicle. As I left, she was just then turning the Volvo around behind the building. I stood at the doorway watching so I could see what injustice had been done to her. Sure enough, there were three "bumps" along the driver's side - three softball size areas where the sheet metal had been pressed together almost accordion style. I wondered how she would have acted if her vehicle had been totaled, and a few school children hospitalized. Then I prayed she didn't have grandchildren, especially ones who ride any kind of bus, as they would surely discern that she probably doesn't give a f*** about them either.
Wow. How unfortunate for her husband, you, and the staff at the dealership. That's so much energy expended on anger and hatred. If she wasn't insured, I'm sure she's super pissed at herself and rather than keep that fury bottled and directed within, she's taking it out on everyone else.
ReplyDeleteIt's often profound how such a tiny moment in only one day can affect you so much. Not just you, but any of us.