walking & texting + bitchy old lady = injury...

original post date: march 7th 2007

Yesterday, I'm getting out of work later then I usually do – close to 6:00pm. I am heading to the elevators and up to the 3rd floor of the parking garage to get me that much closer to being at the bar hanging out with my boyfriend, my good friends and watching the Mavs surpass their own winning streak record.

Aside: Mavs are currently sitting at a 16 game winning streak. Their longest prior record was 14 games. If we win all the games we have left, we'll set a new winning streak record for the season! Fingers crossed Mavs fans!

Anyhow, I hit the elevator button and patiently wait for the bell to ding and the doors to open. It arrives and I get in. When I turn around, I see an older lady and an older gentleman walking towards the elevator lobby. Even tho I am thinking that I want to let the doors shut and let them catch their own elevator, I don't. I hold the doors open. The woman sees me and signs to me the "give me one second and I will be there" – but first she had to finish the mindless drivel of a completely meaningless conversation before she could enter elevator. Here's the kicker, she was talking to the older gentleman who I thought was going to take the stairs and that's why they had to finish their conversation in the lobby and make me wait patiently BUT they both get in the elevator. I mean what the hell?

Ok fine, I'm perturbed to say the least but the elevator doors shut and we are about to be moving upward. She snaps at me to hit the button for 3. It's already pushed – that's where I was going. He follows it up with, "I'll have 5 please". Yeah ok whatever, are you gonna tip me when you get out? My annoyance level grew with each passing second…

Ding!

We're on level 3 and I am itching to get out of this elevator – except the old woman puts her arm up in a defensive manner, looks at me like how dare you try and get out of this elevator 1st, and pushes past me to get out before me. Proving a point? I don't really know what the point was, but ok.

As sure as the day is long, when she walks out of the elevator lobby on the 3rd floor she swings the door open but doesn't hold it so I can walk thru. I was texting at the time and not really expecting someone who knew you were right behind them coming thru the only door on the floor to let it slam back in your face.

Granted you shouldn't walk and text apparently – lesson learned.

The door swings back and catches my face. She doesn't so much as turn around to investigate the loud thud followed by the "oh shit, that hurt" comment I made. And I could be making it sound worse then it really was, but I could have sworn I saw her head lift a little higher in an "I'll show you who's in charge" manner with the slight but fading sound of her whistling – such as to pat herself on the back for her battle well fought and won.

Moral of the story: I can't wait until I see that lady coming to the elevator again. I just hope the situation allows for me to stand directly in front of the closing elevator doors with a shit-eating grin on my face as they shut in her face. Ok – that was just plain mean. I take that back.

The REAL moral of the story: I will not be holding the elevator doors open for anyone for awhile. I have to reestablish my confidence level that my 2 second ride to level 3 will be one that provokes positive emotions as opposed to a perturbed, which progressed to seriously annoyed, state of mind.