Charity as rebuke
At McDonald's, the queues long at every till. The customer in the queue before me reaches the till, places his order; the order is rung up. £7.17. He hands the clerk £7. "£7.17," she says. He begins to question, of all things, the electronic addition. I am hungry. The queue is lengthening behind me.
I dig into my pocket. There is a 20p piece. I reach past the man to the clerk and hand her the 20p, saying loudly, "Since the gentleman does not have the 17p required to pay for his order, please allow me to assist him."
Thanks from the clerk, a glare from the man. He hands the clerk 20p of his own. The clerk returns my coin to me, again with thanks, and with a grin, just as the till next to hers is opened and I move sideways to the head of the new queue. To the right side of the addition-doubter... the man glares at me again. And again.
Good. Cheap bastard holding up the queue.
I dig into my pocket. There is a 20p piece. I reach past the man to the clerk and hand her the 20p, saying loudly, "Since the gentleman does not have the 17p required to pay for his order, please allow me to assist him."
Thanks from the clerk, a glare from the man. He hands the clerk 20p of his own. The clerk returns my coin to me, again with thanks, and with a grin, just as the till next to hers is opened and I move sideways to the head of the new queue. To the right side of the addition-doubter... the man glares at me again. And again.
Good. Cheap bastard holding up the queue.