life: so there's this 30 something wiggy new yorker guy who i'll refer to as NYX. for the past 4 years, every work morning, i park my car, i walk along the water front to work, and i see NYX smoking a cigarette. about 4 months ago, it was a nice sunny late august morning, and NYX was highly animated, upset and very agitated. as i got closer, i heard the following conversation:
NYX: "dddon't tell me i can't smoke here, ok!"
RandomMan: "sir, why are you getting upset? i simply asked if you could move down the sidewalk a ways instead of smoking right in front of the door lobby."
NYX: "look man, there's no &*&@# law against smoking in a door way okay! its not like i'm smoking in the &*@#&@ hallway. you people have pushed us out of everywhere!"
RandomMan: "i think you're a little too angry. i don't think its much to ask ..."
NYX, cutting off RandomMan: "look man! don't bring this @#@# up ok? i know the law, man, i'm a @#^@#^'ing lawyer. don't mess with me, or i'll sue the @^#%@^%# out of you."
RandomMan calmly walks away.
NYX starts shaking, and slowly moves out of the door way, cigarette in hand.
now, fast forward to yesterday. for those unaware, seattle has recently placed a smoking ban in all public establishments. not only can people not smoke inside any public building (bars, restaurants included), but people can no longer smoke within 25 feet of a doorway.
so, i'm walking to work, its pouring rain and pretty dark. i look up, and i see NYX standing in the middle of the street, about 25 feet away from the doorway. no jacket on, just jeans and a green sweater, and a cigarette.
Friday, January 20, 2006
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2 comments:
Ok.. so what's the point of your story?
Is it:
a) that New Yorkers are rude and profane
b) this particular lawyer doesn't wear the appropriate attire (suit/tie)
c) he's too dumb to buy an umbrella?
----
Oh I get it, it's d)all of the above.
not sure i was thinking of a point when i wrote it, but now that you ask... well i thought it was funny that this lawyer guy, whose so unconstrained by the non legal aspects of simple politeness, would feel obligated to follow the letter of this new law. i mean, he could have stood about 10 feet to the right of the doorway, dry and sheltered from the rain, in the place RandomGuy had originally been alluding to; he chose not to though, since it wouldn't have been "legal."
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