BEWARE OF CHAOS AT UPS

Why didn’t I realize UPS would be a zoo?   Because of the pandemic,  everyone’s buying  all their stuff online, then returning half of it.  In this case, my finger slipped on the keypad when ordering a jigsaw puzzle.  Or maybe it was Amazon’s mistake.  At any rate, we received two  of the same puzzle.   Since we couldn’t think of anyone who would want it,  returning it seemed like the best move.   I printed out a return label and drove to the store.   It is usually a very quiet, uncrowded place, but not now. Beware of chaos at the UPS Store.

The only  store in our city is five miles away.  It’s an extremely small office, dark, with low ceilings.  Remember, we’re supposed to avoid small,  crowded, enclosed places now, right?  Anyway, I drove into the parking lot and stopped to put on my mask and gloves.  Looking in the window, I could  see two people with stacks of packages to be processed by one clerk.  I guess these were “pick up” items.  I didn’t know about scheduling  a pick up, but I do now. There were several  people standing in line for the other clerk. It looked like I was in for a long wait.

Many customers not wearing masks at UPS store. Beware of chaos.
UPS clerks wear masks, but many customers don’t. Beware of chaos at  the UPS Store.

I picked up the puzzle and  Amazon return paperwork, and stood outside the door, thinking it would be safer to wait  in the fresh air.  I’d no sooner got there, when two younger people got out of their cars and proceeded to open the door.  “I’m waiting in a line, here,” I said.  Neither of them were masked.  They glanced at me briefly, brushed past . and went on in.

Okay, I was mad.  I took a few deep breaths to control my rage, but it wasn’t having the desired effect.  Two things seemed very wrong here.  #1  They weren’t wearing masks.  Inside, both clerks were masked.  Did these people not respect the health and safety of the UPS employees?  #2  They had pushed ahead of me, taking advantage of the fact that I was social distancing.  Now, it was even  more crowded inside.

At that point, another woman got out of her car.  She looked at me and said, ‘I forgot my mask.” Went back to her car,  returned, and stood at a safe distance behind me to wait her turn.  Well, at least there are some decent people in the world.

As the two offenders left the store after completing their business, I went into  crabby old lady mode.  “You ought to be ashamed of yourself,” I said.  But they weren’t. Not in the least.

What goes through the mind of the unmasked during this coronavirus pandemic?  Do they think they’re immune because they are younger?  If so, they should look at the demographics on the department of health website.  The majority of cases in our state of Indiana are with people age 20 to 60.  Worse yet, do they not care that they could be infecting their fellow human beings?  Don’t they have any respect for the store clerks who are risking their own health to serve them every day?

Beware of chaos at the UPS store.

BLATANT AGEISM DURING DNC DEBATE

If you’ve followed my blog, you know I’m not a big fan of Joe Biden.   But in this case, I’m defending him against what he was subjected to last Thursday night on television. Senator Julian Castro’s mean spirited attack on Biden’s memory was a sign of blatant ageism during the Democratic National Committee debate.

Once a person  hits 70 , they’re apt to be a victim of ageism, whether they  realize it or not.  It could happen when the sales  person at the electronics store spouts a bunch of techie-speak, and shakes his head in amusement when you ask him to translate  in plain English.  Or  the rental agent at your vacation apartment puts you in a shoddy, overpriced place and refuses to give you a refund or find a better place. Then,  the mechanic at the tire store who  says you need a new tire, even though you  actually just need a small  repair. These are things that don’t happen to men and women under 50.

To tell the truth, I don’t remember much about the DNC debate.  There was a lot of talk about free healthcare.  Bernie Sanders ranting and raving, and Elizabeth Warren promising us the moon with no tax increases.  (Hello: Have you talked to your Italian and Canadian friends about their tax rate?)

But three salient moments remain in my memory.

First,  Julian Castro verbally  pummeling Biden , accusing him of forgetting what he just said.  What was the point of that? Except to say: “you’re too old and senile to be  president”.

 Mayor Pete was the voice of reason crying in the wilderness
Once again, Mayor Pete was the most rational candidate when defending Joe Biden

Second: , Hoosier Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s rational  response:   “This is why Presidential debates are becoming unwatchable. It reminds everybody of what they cannot stand about Washington…poking at each other…” .

Third,  when Minnesota senator   Amy Klobuchar,  said, ,” I don’t want to be president for half of America—I want to be president for all Americans.  I want to represent all of this country, not half of it. “

Amy Kloubucher seemed like the most sensible candidate at the DnC debate
Amy Klobuchar said what is needed to bring this country together

Sadly, if you look at the Vegas Odds on the 2020 Election, you will find that Buttigieg and Klobuchar are way down on the list of those predicted  to win.  Apparently, common sense, courtesy, and respect are no longer an asset when running for president.