WTF?!?

I must admit that the pressure of finding something irritating about my life that I could blog about (which immediately strikes out work) was beginning to get to me. As I cycled home, I even contemplated a post about two things I like about the Netherlands -- the library on the Prinsengracht and the natuurwinkels (health food stores) -- but felt that I would be undermining my reputation as a whinger and moaner. But then it happened! I had browsed the natuurwinkel on the Elandsgracht, registered mild outrage at the cost of the tortilla wraps but dismissed it as unblogworthy, and then taken my place in the queue at the till. As I reached the front, a tall thin man with a beaky nose and glasses (you know who you are, scum!) handed his goods over my head to the checkout assistant without so much as a "by your leave"! I was staggered! This was a violation of the sacred (British) rules of queuing -- indeed, a hanging offence in many a supermarket in my native land! I stared open-mouthed at him, and he must have sensed the "WTFness" emanating from me, for he said (loose translation follows): "I was ahead of you in the queue but I had to get an assistant to get me some organic beauty products so I left the queue but now I'm back and you have to wait while I'm served." Note the total lack of apology or even a "Would you mind terribly . . ."!!!! Too gobsmacked (and ignorant of Dutch) to shoot back "If you leave the queue, you lose your place, asswipe," I could only comfort myself with the thought that this would make an excellent post.*

Seriously: This bloke would have been lynched if he'd tried this in the UK. But now I come to think about it, it's not uncommon to see a lone basket ahead of you in a supermarket queue, acting as a place-saver whilst its owner heads off to pick up those extra goods. And don't get me started on the people who reach the front of the queue, watch all their goods be scanned, and then -- AND ONLY THEN -- get out their money/cards to pay, do that slowly, and then -- AND ONLY THEN -- start to pack their damn bags. Don't they have anything better to do with their time than waste (my) time at the supermarket? Given the high percentage of adults on long-term sick leave in this country (I think there are more "disabled" people here than in Cambodia after the reign of the Khmer Rouge), apparently not.

If only looks could kill.

*Blogging: turning me from a bitter, frustrated individual into a bitter, frustrated individual with a voice.