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April 11, 2005
Mumm-Wraath de Otis
I just had to write this.
It is one of the trivial things that I would easily forget, but once it’s here, it’ll become a thought immortalized.
This morning, being just on time leaving from the apartment, the elevator I called had 4 people and a twin stroller.
I took off my iPod headphones, like one does when entering a small public area of one’s apartment building, to exchange hello's and good morning's. I had managed to put myself in front of the only man in the lift, and next to the stroller, when the mother of two said, “Seriously…”.
Now I don’t know this woman even though I have seen her before. And I’ve never seen her talk to anyone, but I thought, she's talking - she might have grown some people skills.
I was satisfied that no part of my body or my clothing had touched anyone or anything when going in, and the elevator door could easily close with my skinny-self in, when she made it clear that she was talking to me.
“Could you wait for the next elevator?”, she continued. She wasn’t even looking at me properly.
I stepped out.
I could have said, “Oh I should have brought my 2 babies into the lift next time”. Or “There is a bigger reason why I am not in this elevator, I wish you, you and you a safe day”, while ignoring the woman. Expletives wouldn’t have been appropriate even in the presence of children spawned by the most evil of beings.
But as I stepped out, the other people in the elevator looked at each other and had already validated my opinions of this woman. I was happy to ignore her and give her that satisfaction. If she’s the least bit human, she'll wonder why people think of her in such an unfavourable way. If not, then, I suppose she is that counterpoising element in the human gene pool, inhibiting our ability to acquire world peace and inter-galactic travel.
I couldn’t really wish any ill-fate or harm to fall on her – she is after all, a mother of two small children. Even if I only pray for a painful abcess, I fear she might take it out on someone else other than herself.
I think a lot of people have used their children to get some sort of special treatment. I’m not saying that one shouldn’t give his or her seat on the bus for people with children, or (reasonably) make way for strollers in the subway, but some people really get out of their way to adopt this “I have children, you don’t know anything, and everyone else is an imbecile and has less rights than I” attitude.
I am a parent of two beautiful and smart children. I am happy most of the time. But I am embarrassed to be associated with people like Mumm-Wraath de Otis, self-appointed schmuck Queen of Elevators.
Posted by quickness at April 11, 2005 10:14 PM
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