Sunday, November 25, 2018

The Empty Receiver Box By : Dan Rose Courtesy of Sears™ You Can't Get There From Here™

The Empty Receiver Box


By : Dan Rose                                       Courtesy of Sears™

I'm as serious as I can be ... ( one of Dans' Stories' comming )

For almost 30 years , I owned a Home Theater / Satellite TV company in Phoenix /( Scottsdale AZ ( Personal Cable TV Systems™ ) ... I had the contract with SEARS™ when DirecTV™ & Dish Network™ came out with the second generation hardware. Dish Net. was playing around with the International market. It was right after 911 and The Arab market was exploding ! ( HA! I crack me up ! ) , anyhow so I go to this home with the box from Sears and open it up and get ready to do the install . I unpack the Dish and LNB head ( the Pre-amp that the dish reflects the concetrated microwaves at ) and to my surprize , it was "hollow" , there were NO electronics in it. So I figured I could get it swapped at Sears for another one with a wholllllle lot of red-tape and paperwork ... so I continued , and mounted the dish and aimed it with a spare head from my companies stock, and ran the cable to the living room TV. These were really nice folks that were thrilled to be getting TV channels from Iran, Egypt, Dubai, and 2 from India. As I pulled the receiver box out of the shipping box, I couldn't believe my eyes and I was LOL and WTF !!!??? at the same time. The receiver box was, yup, you guessed it , empty , no circuit boards. I took polaroids for my own amusement, and tried to explain through the little kid that I couldn't finish the job today , because their equipment was "hollow" ...Crazy ... I showed them the box and the LNB head and they gave me that look that transcended our language barrier ... like " Are you Frigg<%ing Kidding Us ! ...??? "

So I proceded to SEARS with the empty / empty boxes ... their returns Dept . called in several manager types with clip-boards and they gave me that look again : ...

" Are you Frigg<%ing Kidding Us ! ...??? "

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Sears 360 Return Policy by : Ginette Rose You Can't Get There From Here™


Sears 360 Return Policy

by : Ginette Rose



Ginette goes to a Sears store to check out a sale in progress on infant & toddler clothes. She buys an outfit and pays for it with a credit card. As she is leaving, she spots a similar outfit at a much better price. So she returns to the counter where she just purchased it tried to return the item she just bought 10 minutes ago. The clerk told her that she couldn’t return it because she had just used the credit card, but that if she were to return later or tomorrow or turn around and come back that she could return it. Ginny sensing to ridiculous nature of the robot-clerk, asked , you mean to tell me that if I turn around and come back , that you will let me return it…?

clerk Yes … .

So , she spins around 360 degrees and says “I’m back , can I return it now …?”

The clerk said … Yes … and handles the return.

The Banana Tree has Scientists ! You Can't Get There From Here™



The Banana Tree …


Siggghhh … OK ,

So I decide that I would like to add a few hundred “Mexican Bird of Paradise”  to border my SE Arizona ( almost Mexico ) yard in the front , so that you can see the beautiful Red Yellow & Orange flowers that bloom all Spring Summer & Fall …

So I access “The InterNets” … and I land on The Banana Tree …site looks cool , I find The Red and the Yellow … hmmm where’s the Orange ..?  so .. being the ever-inquisitive seed planter guy that I am , I decide to send them an e-mail to their customer support e-mail listed in their contact us area on their home page , asking if they carry the orange ones … copy to follow … I get this “gem” back …

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We grow the true Mexican bird of paradise, Caesalpinia pulcherrima as is
indicated on our web site.

----- Original Message -----
From: <rosebudfarms@cableone.net>
To: <faban@banana-tree.com>
Cc: <Support@banana-tree.com>
Sent: Sunday, February 01, 2009 7:33 PM
Subject: Customer Support


>   Dan Rose   #
>
> Dear sirs ,
>
> I am looking for what we commonly called Mexican Bird of
> Paradise .
>
> I want Mostly Red ~100 seeds , some Orange , some yellow ...
>
> am I on the right track with these picks from your web-site
> ...?
>
> Looks like I was not able to find the Bright Orange ones ,
> do you carry them ...?
>
>
>
>
> http://www.banana-tree.com/Product_Detail~category~20~Product_ID~353.cfm
>
> red Mexican bird of paradise
>
> http://www.banana-tree.com/Product_Detail~category~20~Product_ID~18862.cfm
>
> yellow Bird of Paradise
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> thanks !
>
> Dan Rose
>
> RoseBud Farms
>
> rosebudfarms@cableone.net
>
> 928-322-7153
>


OK ,

So basically , the “no-name” customer service ( laff ) person / robot … thinks that that was a pretty funny response … him & his buddies are back at the olde Banana Tree just yucking it up , boy they sure pulled a good one over on that dope , yup man did we smoke him ! HA !

Hmmm …What did they just tell me in that response …?

Let’s see now

1.)    We grow the good stuff … cool I WANT the “good” stuff !
2.)    it’s on our Web-site … OK … that’s sweet , so I think that’s what I was asking Jethro there was , where it was exactly …
3.)    so … find it yourself , you dork loser !





Hmmm… So I decide , Gee , wouldn’t it be a great idea to call a live human being and ask them where the Orange ones are so that I can order them . ( you know I find the product that I want and I give them my money and they send them to me … this is pretty much my theory of how this is s u p p o s e d  to work )

So I call the place at 1:45 PM on Feb 02, 2009 , and I get in the most robot lifeless voice possible …  “Banana Tree” … So I explain that I am Dan Rose and That I had E-mailed their customer support and that I had wanted to get some red and yellow and orange Mexican Birds of Paradise , and that I had received a response , but that I did not understand it.

There was a pause … then he ( whomever “he” was ) said ( I’m not making this up ! )

“ Well , we’re Scientists™ here ! “ 


He then went on with a few sentences filled with very technical language and botanical names of things ( you know the Itallian stuff that is meant to impress you if you are impressed by that kind of thing) … I sensed a “You Can’t Get There From Here™” moment was in progress … and I had just dealt with one of those 10 minutes earlier ( See Burgess Seed Co. story ) , so I really wasn’t in the mood for his “I’m superior to you because I’m a Scientist and You Aren’t”  thingie …

So I just bluntly asked…  “ so does that mean that you do or you do not have the Orange ones…?

He continued to use a bunch of hooey , and I finally got out of him that sometimes the red ones can turn orange , but that they grow thousands of types and they can’t guaranty any colors …


Now I thinkin’ ( uhhh WHAT !!! ??? , again isn’t THAT YOUR business ! ??? I thought that you were Scientists™ ! …???


LOL !

Then “He” ends the conversation , by stating that “ well , I have helped you all that I can. “  … click !

I thanked him , and hung up. ( even though he had just hung up on ME , I thanked an empty phone line. ( bizzarre ! )

For a few seconds I was I was of course stunned … again. How is it possible that this guy is allowed to answer the phone and deal with people …? 

I suppose that I should find some comfort in the fact that I kind of almost sort-of , got an answer to my question … but still amazed that it is possible for yet another experience with flat lousy communication skills and people with no people skills handling incoming phone calls.

Amazing !




But wait ! there’s more … LOL ! you will not believe this so I had the presence of mind to copy this after ordering my Red Birds of Paradise ( that might have a few Orange ones in there ) … this is their page that pops-up after you order something from them … I have NOT doctored this in any way , they really DO say this stuff , oh  yes they do !





~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~




Thank you! Your order has been recieved!
Your order number is #39706.
PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT US JUST TO SEE IF WE RECIEVED THIS ORDER, IF YOU ARE READING THIS PAGE WE DID 100% GET YOUR ORDER. WE DO NOT LOSE ORDERS, IF YOU ARE READING THIS YOUR ORDER IS IN OUR DATABASE SYSTEM AND IS BEGING PROCESSED.

  • YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED UNTIL WE SHIP YOUR ORDER, IF YOU HAVE A LARGE ORDER IT MAY TAKE UP TO 10 DAYS TO FILL YOUR ORDER DEPENDING ON SEED AVALIABLITY AT THE TIME OF YOUR ORDER.
  • THERE'S A CHANCE YOU MAY NOT GET YOUR EMAIL ORDER CONFIRMATION FROM US FOR THIS ORDER, BECAUSE OF ANTI-SPAM BLOCKERS AND TYPOS IN EMAIL ADDRESSES ETC.. IF YOU DON'T GET AN EMAIL CONFIRMATION DON'T CONTACT US TO SEE IF WE RECIEVED YOUR ORDER, IF YOU ARE ON THIS PAGE READING THIS, YOUR ORDER IS 100% IN OUR DATABASE, YOU COULD NOT HAVE REACHED THIS PAGE WITHOUT YOUR ORDER BEING ADDED TO OUR DATABASE FIRST.
  • PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT US JUST TO SEE IF WE RECIEVED THIS ORDER, IF YOU ARE READING THIS PAGE WE DID 100% GET YOUR ORDER. WE DO NOT LOSE ORDERS, IF YOU ARE READING THIS YOUR ORDER IS IN OUR DATABASE SYSTEM AND WILL BE PROCESSED IN A TIMELY MANNER.
  • DO NOT RE-ORDER BECAUSE YOU THINK WE DIDNT' GET YOUR ORDER, IF YOU'RE ON THIS PAGE WE 100% HAVE YOUR ORDER, PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT JUST TO SEE IF WE GOT YOUR ORDER, IF YOU ARE READING THIS YOUR ORDER IS IN OUR DATABASE AND WILL BE SENT OUT ASAP.
  • DO NOT PLACE ANOTHER ORDER BECASUE YOU THINK WE DIDN'T GET YOUR FIRST ORDER, AS THERE'S A GOOD CHANCE WE'LL CHARGE AND SEND YOU BOTH ORDERS, WE PROCESS A LARGE VOLUME OF ORDERS DAILY AND CAN NOT CATCH ALL ORDER MISTAKES.

The SuperSonic Breakfast Burrito™ by: Dan Rose Courtesy of Sonic You Can't Get There From Here™


The SuperSonic Breakfast Burrito™

 

by: Dan Rose                                                   Courtesy of Sonic


While attending a trade show and setting up our booth , a co-worker suggested that he get us set-up with a couple of Breakfast Burritos. He brought me a couple and they were very good indeed . A tortilla with scrambled eggs , bacon , cheese, potatoes , Jalapeno and onions sautéed , and the crowning glory of Green Chili.  MAN , were they good !

Well the next day as I was preparing to enter the exhibit hall for the day , I stopped at the local Sonic , where the previous morning , we had purchased these fine Burritos.

I pull up to the order window . The bell “dings.”  Out of the speaker comes Whaa wa wa whaaa wa whhhaaa wa … ?

Well , he / she / it must have been giving me a salutation and asking what my order was … I guess … so I  proceed to order  :

Yes I’ll have the SuperSonic Breakfast Burrito …pause … speaker : Whaa wa wa whaaa wa whhhaaa wa … ? I didn’t understand you , did you get that …? Speaker :  Whaa wa wa whaaa wa whhhaaa wa … ? I’m not sure what it is you are saying , ( now v e r r r y   s l o w l y …)  Yes , I want the breakfast burrito with the eggs , bacon , cheese , potatoes, peppers & onions and the green Chili … pause … speaker : (barely recognizing as the English language )  sorry , we can’t make that for you … Me : What do you mean …? Speaker : We can’t make that for you Sir”  ( boy , now THAT sure helped clarify things )

Me : Why can’t you make it for me , I don’t understand …? speaker : we don’t have potatoes Sir … Me: yes you do ! speaker : Sir , we can’t make that burrito for you , WE DON’T HAVE POTATOES!  Me: ( almost chuckling that this was a classic case of severe Taco Bell Syndrome )  uhhh… well I bought four of them right here yesterday , and so I want one today … ( thinking , searching my mind trying to think what could possibly be the problem here … hmmm … “ so , are you saying that you ran out of potatoes or something …? Speaker : Sir , we don’t carry potatoes here …

( I’m sitting there thinking either this gal is as dumb as a box of rocks , or I’m on Candid Camera or something …the cars behind me are 6 deep by now … thinking ,  look at the menu board , hmmm…  French fries , Tater Tots … last time I checked , those both pretty muck qualified as part of the potato family … WTF …???  Hmmm… gotta’ use logic , don’t get angry , stay calm … )

Me : look I don’t know what the problem is , I just want the same thing I got yesterday …a burrito with eggs bacon cheese potatoes and green chili , it’s right here on the menu board that I an looking at …pause … exasperated voice through the speaker : Sir , we can’t make that burrito for you , WE DON’T HAVE POTATOES! Sir !

Me: ( now totally angry )  So you are REFUSING to make my burrito  ! ?  I drive away , circle the parking lot and decide that there must be a brighter bulb in the box than the gal on the speaker. Now I don’t know if Sonic is a national chain or just a regional; thing , but it’s set-up like an old-fashioned A & W drive in , where you drive in at an angle and young girls & guys come out to your car and deliver your order so you can eat in your car.

 So I pull into a stall and push the order button.  Speaker :  Whaa wa wa whaaa wa whhhaaa wa …may I take your order  ? Me : could you please send someone out here ? speaker : OK … 20 seconds , young cute girl shows up , I say look I don’t know what the problem is with the main window , but I want this ( pointing to the burrito picture on the order board , me being brilliant thinking that a picture might produce better communication with these life-forms )  “and I want green chili on it “  she says oh , OK … she disappears into the kitchen , now I’m waiting and waiting and waiting , several cars have pulled up on either side of me with multiple passengers and been served , eaten their “meals” and left , and I , well I’m still waiting for my burrito ( 20 minutes … hmmm … why is this taking so long …? )

 I push the service button … speaker : Whaa wa wa whaaa wa whhhaaa wa … May I take your order ?  Me: uhhh… yeah I’m wonderin’ if you’ve made any progress on that Burrito in there … speaker : Did you place an order …? Me: YES , I ordered a SuperSonic Breakfast Burrito with Green Chili on it … speaker : hold on I’ll check  … tick tick tick … 5 minutes later no answer yet , now I’m really getting angry … a young pimply faced kid appears at my window with a tray full of jelly paks and ketchup & mustard paks & sugar and stuff and says : do you need anything here sir …? Me: Well , yes I’d like the Burrito that I ordered over half an hour ago ! kid : I ‘ll go check … another 5 minutes … nothing …

I figure I’ve been had , some kid is in the back peeling flys off the pest strips , spitting and whacking into that burrito by now … NO-ONE waits 35 minutes at drive-thru restaurant for anything … Me: pushing service button,   speaker: Whaa wa wa whaaa wa whhhaaa wa … May I take your order ?  Me: YEAH , I’M THE GUY THAT HAS BEEN WAITING FOR THE BURRITO OUT HERE FOR 35 MINUTES , I KNOW WHAT YOU PERVERTED LOSERS ARE DOING TO IT IN THE BACK ROOM , YOU GET TO KEEP IT FOR YOURSELVES ! …

I drive off without my Breakfast Burrito.

Circa 2007

The WheelBarrow that Jack Built By : Taglys You Can't Get There From Here™


The WheelBarrow  that Jack Built


By : Taglys                                                     Courtesy of Lowes’

I had one of those you can't get there from here moments at Lowe's Knows Jack Schnikey.... I went to buy a wheelbarrow a simple enough operation so I thought. After just looking around at all the neat stuff they have sitting around in the great expanse of consumerism. I decided well I would go check out the wheelbarrows outside.... so I am looking around at this one that one and another all lined up together and chained up. I decided on which one I wanted walked in and waited patiently at the counter. I stood there listening to the to guy's behind the counter discuss how well they scored the night before. I give the *ahem* (hello customer here wanting to buy something so they can pay you to stand and talk all day sign)..."yeah can I help you?" "I want to buy one the wheel barrows out there product number# yadda yadda"...he goes into his book and charges me I pay him..."uh yeah your going to have to go to lawn and garden"..."uh no they are right out there...if you just step into the alcove you can see them"...."No the one you want is in lawn and garden"....

I began to question my sanity and was wondering if I had a LSD flashback or something...so I walk aaaaaaaalll the way down to the other end of the store...I walk up to the cashier I hand her my receipt and say "I need to pick up this wheel barrow I just paid for aaaaaallllll the way down there and came here to get it. "I'm sorry sir you came to far, they are down at contractor sales" "You need to go back down there and get it" "Wait I was just there, they told me to come here even though I already knew they were just outside the door" " Well sir you need to go back down there and a manager will be waiting for you" *sigh*

 I get there wait a few minutes out comes the manager on the phone. "I would like this one here." As I hand her my receipt. "I'm sorry there has been a misunderstanding" "You paid for an unassembled one and they are in the garden center." Up until this time I have remained calm and very amiable...


I now feel the switch on my breaker begin to flip. I look at the price tag and then my receipt and back at the price tag that amazingly match each other.” No, I paid for this one right here...it's 49.99.... I paid 49.99." "Well sir there is a 10.00 assembly fee" "That may be so...then the original price of the wheel barrow should be 39.99 +10.00 makes 49.99." "It would be 59.99 if we assembled it" I'm not an engineering genius but that wheelbarrow looked pretty dang assembled to me. "This is the price I paid this is the price that is on the wheel barrow if it's wrong you can change it once I leave with mine."

Then it hit me like a beacon "FREE ASSEMBLY" I point this out...and she looks at not only that tag but all of the tags just to make sure I guess...."we will get you taken care of I am really sorry" "I will get the guy to come out and unlock them." "Wait a minute you don't even have a key and you came out here to do what?" Well...since I decided to actually purchase my wheel barrow took 45 minutes...plus waiting 15 min for Zeke to stop talking to Bubba and come out and unlock it...after he asked to see my receipt.... Zeke is the same one who sent me to lawn and garden at first....

oh yeah their assembly job sucked the wheel fell off.

By : Taglys

Dairy Queen Gravy by: Tim Rose You Can't Get There From Here™


Dairy Queen Gravy 

by: Tim Rose

I went to a Dairy Queen. They have the best chicken strips around - MMMMMM chicken strips. The reason they are the best is because instead of serving them with BBQ sauce or honey mustard or some other sodium benzoate goop, they serve the chicken strips with HOT homestyle white gravy - southern style! YEAH!

However on this occasion, I wasn't extremely hungry and I was short on cash, I decided to order the 'kid's meal' version which had 2 strips instead of 4 and was about 3 bucks with a drink and fries. When I ordered it, I of course, requested that it come with the gravy - and plenty of it because chicken strips without gravy are...well, ...McNuggets.

So the classic Taco Bell response was - " Sorry we don't serve gravy with the chicken strips." To which my obvious reply was "Do you no longer have the ability to make gravy?" No, we have lots of gravy, we just don't serve it with the kid's meal. Ok, can I have some gravy with my kids meal? No. Why do you not serve the gravy with the kids meal? Because the gravy is HOT.

 Exactly. That is kind of the point of having gravy with the chicken strips.

We can’t serve gravy with the kids meal.

If I were to order the large serving of chicken strips, would I be able to get the HOT gravy?

Yes.

Then how about giving me the HOT gravy with my kids meal? We cant serve gravy with the kids meal Ok, I'll bite - WHY NOT?

Because kids might burn themselves.

Ok, but it is for me - I am clearly an adult there are no children with me and I cross my heart that I wont go out and resell it to some wandering 8-year old out on the street and you just said you would give me the gravy if I ordered the larger size. So if it is ok for me to burn myself with a large order, can I not have the freedom to burn myself with the kids meal?

We can’t serve gravy with the kids meal.

Is the gravy a controlled substance? How about if I order the kids meal and request a side-order of gravy?

Sure, we can do that.

So I paid the extra $.50 - but I had HOT gravy...

 I think I burned my tongue.

McDonalds Burger With No Burger : by : Ginette Rose You Can't Get There From Here™


Burger With No Burger :

 by : Ginette Rose



My wife ordered burgers for everyone when we were cleaning our home to move one time . when she got home she passed them out to everyone , she got to hers , she opened the wrapper and hmmm nothing 2 buns with ketchup mustard and 3 pickle slices but no meat . The burger had no burger. So instead of tossing the buns to the chickens , she drives back to McDummys and presents the wrapper with the buns and no burger to the pimply faced kid at the register. The kid is paralysed , he can't figure out what to do , can't even figure out to appologize and replace the burger just stands there with the glazed robot look . My wife tells the robot clerk that she expects the burger to be replaced , the kid is panic-stricken , there is no button to push with the picture of a burger with no burger comming back and a burger with a burger going out. So , instead of politely excusing himself to find a higher authority , he stands in place hands firmly glued to the cash register turns his head and YELLS OUT the name of the Manager .. The Manager is a pretty bright bulb too , she's standing across the other side of the kitchen YELLS BACK : WHAT'S THE PROBLEM ...? The kid is frozen , he must have blown a diode or 2 , so the wife yells back , I got a burger , and there was no burger in it ! ...

The Manager , being the one that gets to wear the pointy hat , yells back : Is That How You Ordered it ...? Ginny : WHAT ...??? !!!  Ginny to Zit-King ... Who would order it like THAT ! ...? He shrugs his shoulders ) ( Now you have to understand here , my wife is a very short stout French Gal , but you Do Not want to tick her off ! ) ... sensing the impending doom of her Taco Bell Syndrome™... she opens the wrapper and holds up the ketchup coverd buns in the air ( nice line forming behind her as the Manager stays put at the fryer, ) No , you don't understand (trying to be kind ) , the burger had no meat in it , alls' I got was a bun. Manager still across the kitchen , do you have your receipt ...? ( uhh oh , wrong thing to say , wife realizes a full blown Taco Bell Syndrome , a catagory 5 is about to hit , decides it's time for paint by numbers ) ... Look I was just in here 10 minutes ago , I bought XXX items , I got home and they forgot to put the burger in my burger . You are going to replace my burger with a fresh one AND you are going to refund my money. Manager looks at line of people , calls zit-king register robot boy over to tend fryer , offers her a coupon  , replaces burger and did not apologize. just handed her the sack and returned to the fryer so robot boy could run the register. Ahhh corporate training at it's finest.



Circa 1998


Wendys’ Non-Existent Spicy Chicken Sandwich ... You Can't Get There From Here™

Wendys’ Spicy Chicken Sandwich

 By David Stillwell                                           Courtesy of Wendys’

One evening I stopped at Wendy's to get a spicy chicken sandwich. I pull up to the intercom and attempt to place my order:

Voice: Welcome to Wendy's may I take your order?
Me: Yes, I would like a spicy chicken sandwich.
Voice: Crispy?
Me: No, a spicy chicken sandwich.
Voice: A five piece spicy chicken nuggets? We don't have spicy chicken nuggets.
Me: I don't want chicken nuggets; I want a spicy chicken SANDWICH.
Voice: We....unintelligible psychobabble...don't have spicy chicken sandwich.
Me: Let's try something different. I want a number six, but only the sandwich.

On the ordering screen a miracle happens, in bold white letters SPICY CHICKEN SANDWICH appears with $3.69 next to it.

Me: What is on your screen?
Voice: (quietly) A spicy chicken sandwich.
Me: Uh huh.

Needless to say I did not argue the point because food handlers can add unwanted "special" ingredients to your food.
However, I did get an evil glare when I was pulling away.

I still oppose outsourcing, but I understand why it's occurring. 

The TacoBell Syndrome... You Can't Get There From Here™

You Can't Get There From Here™

The TacoBell Syndrome

The Taco Bell Syndrome™

by: Dan Rose                                      Courtesy of Taco Bell



In the early 90's The Fast Food chain Taco Bell had introduced a new menu item targeted as a Healthy alternative
to their typically high fat high cholesterol offerings called The Taco Salad.

The Irony in hindsight is , of course , that this item was the fattest hugest be much Mo' Biggest thing they offered
callorie-wise to date ! LOL !

So I entered the Taco Bell and got in line for my first TacoSalad™.

The pimple-faced clerk with the gell glazed eyed stares at me expressionless and utters "May I help whose next" ...

Hmmm a curious start to a transaction , since I am clearly the "next" in line,  his wording seemed a bit strange, but I'm ready to order since I clearly stood in a long line of people and was the one person he was looking at face to face at the exact moment that he had finished with the customer ahead of me , I decided to be very bold and place my order .

“Yes , I'd like a Taco Salad with Green Sauce.” The still expressionless kid stopped staring at the keys on the cash register and said in his best robot-laden voice :" we can't put green sauce on a Taco Salad " ... sensing that there was some kind of communication problem occuring here I , turned and looked at the anxious crowd of people pressing in on the register area to place their orders as this was the rush-hour of lunch-time , and mostly business types with suits and breifcases all riveted to the delay that was about to become a train-wreck in motion, you could read their eyes like a tele-prompter " well ... get on with it then " hurry up , I haven't got all day ! "( for some reason when I think of how they were thinking this I think of them with English accents , like a Monty Python skit )   ...

I turn back to my cashier and ask " Why can't you put green sauce on a Taco Salad...? "  "Sir , we're not allowed to put green sauce on a Taco Salad" ... hmmm my mind is racing, is this Deja Vu, I know that he just said they can't put green sauce on a Taco Salad and he said back:   "Sir , we're not allowed to put green sauce on a Taco Salad" ,...hmmm mind still racing , forehead scrunching up,hands the  involuntary forming of a fist , blood preasure rising rapidly , trying to think of any one possible logical explanation of why they wouldn't be "ALLOWED" to put green sauce on this new flagship item that "HAS EVERYTHING ON IT"  seems more than odd , and yes we clearly have a communication problem developing ... By this time I can tell that THEY are going to have a problem , not me , oh no ..., I was going to get what I came for and no pimple faced kid was going to stand in my way !!!...

By this time I could tell that with both of his hands in place on the register sides , like they were glued there or something and the motionless expressionless face with that I'm looking right through you glazed look , I was thinking I should reach over the counter and strangle this jerk , but if I grabbed his neck I was afraid that all 300 Zits on his face would explode and cause a grease fire in the kitchen or something , and then the Fire department would have to come out and I'd be arrested for damaging a robot or something ... siggghhh ...

So , I think , perhaps if I explain the process to the kid he might grasp on to it and get my order taken ( I could have been seated and eating by now ) ... Well , I'm not understanding YOUR problem with putting the green sauce on the Taco Salad ... the kid , without missing a beat without changing his expression repeats the same phrase he had been using before "Sir , we're not allowed to put green sauce on a Taco Salad"… Well this is going well eh … ?

Can I see your manager please …? Kid shouts over his shoulder and calls manager … manager arrives can see the line of by now VERY agitated customers and I standing firm my ground , must have been a sight to see by now , I wasn’t amused anymore I wasn’t inquisitive I wasn’t going to fool around anymore I WANTED MY DAMN TACO SALAD WITH GREEN SAUCE NOW !!!  … first thing the manager says to me is what is the problem here …? I say , I ordered a Taco salad with green sauce and … I get cut off by the Manager … :" we can't put green sauce on a Taco Salad " 

OK , at this point it should be funny I should be laughing at these guys but I’m not feelin’ the Love right now ,,,

So I , being the ever over-inquisitive guy that I am , have to ask , “ why can’t you put green sauce on my taco Salad…? Manager , Because the Taco Salad has lettuce on it “ …

( Well now there’s an explination I can get behind ! WTF !!!??? Hmmm … at this point , I turn to look at the angry mob with blood and daggers in their eyes hands on hips , looks of disgust anger , nostrils flared ready to attack and kill someone , probably ME ! … but I’m not leavin’ here without my Taco Salad WITH green sauce on it or someone is calling the Cops ! )

WHAT DOES LETTUCE HAVE TO DO WITH ANYTHING ???!!!, I ask in an elevated voice … Well we’re not allowed to put green sauce on the lettuce … I said Why Not !?  because the sauce is hot, and the lettuce is cold, says the manager ( note : the manager now is not capitalized , he’s just been demoted to a simple manager ) So now my racing mind is coming to a screeching halt and I know I’m about ready to really lose it in a public place , I’m about to start yelling , pounding on the counter and using foul language ( I can feel my eyes bulging , I can’t remember being this MAD ever before in my life ! )
Practically yelling I say , you make a Burrito Supreme , and it has lettuce and you can put green sauce in it !!! (  HA ! Now I’ve got him , I am going to WIN this argument , yessiree ! )
Manager says , yes , but THAT’S a Burrito. Suddenly I start to see the gell like glaze in his eyes, that I'm looking right through you glazed look , ( Could they BOTH be robots …?, perhaps they were robots from Outer Space…? )

Now I’m very firm , very slowly speaking in an obviously angry tone , Do I have to come in back and put the green sauce on myself …? Manager Sir , Customers are not allowed in the kitchen … I say This is ridiculous !!! How hard can it be , you take the ladle , you pour it on top , and you’re done ! Manager Sir we’re not “Allowed” to put green sauce on a Taco Salad …

OK I’ve absolutely had it, I turn and look at the Mob , several of them are plotting a coup , I think the guys in the second row are making weapons ready …  I turn back to the manager , who is getting worried , because he probably thinks that “I” am nuts … or he can see the guys in the second row getting their weapons ready … Either way “I” have to be the one that wins this , ”I” have to be the one that applies logic and a thought process that’s worth a damn …  I say , Look there has got to be someway that we can make this work …? … a long pause… ( by now the Mob is starting not just to grumble and moan at every question and answer , some are leaving the line , now three rows deep ) manager sees customers fleeing the TrainWreck ( and by now all Taco Bell workers in the kitchen have stopped working , with only 1 cash register the whole assembly line was stopped , and they were all standing at the ready arms folded watching their fearless leader, their manager handle this disaster, with all of the training that the corporation had given, him they knew he would win !)

Manager says , OK , I’ll put some green sauce in a paper cup , ( he picks up a water cup ) , and YOU can put the sauce on it yourself . My brain was absolutely beyond reason at this point , I couldn’t think logically anymore , all of those brain cells had been fused and my cortex was glowing red-hot like a nuclear radiation belt around my skull , I blurted out  YELLING AT THE TOP OF MY LUNGS LIKE A THREE YEAR OLD THROWING A TANTRUM :” I DON’T WANT A PAPER-CUP !!! “

The entire place is dead silent …

My entire manhood fell off and landed on the tile floor with a gentle “thud.”

With tears in my eyes , I looked at the paralyzed manager with his mouth wide open , and politely said , “the cup will be fine …”

Then just like a factory coming back to life the cashier mumbled “That will be $3.29 sir” , the kitchen started making kitchen type of noises the Mob started making less Mobbish noises and the conversations started back up in the dining room as I was handed my Taco Salad and my paper cup of green sauce. 

As I sat in my plastic chair , with my plastic tray and my plastic Spork , trying to take in what had just happened and why … It finally dawned on me that the entire planet had gone MAD and that I was the only sane person left on the face of the earth.

Since then I have encountered many more of the robots from outer space, and I’m sure that they have almost completely taken over the entire planet. Just the other day ,( August 2007 )  , ( my wife was cooking an Asian dish that required a specific Chinese Vinegar that comes in a small bottle , 10 > 12 oz. Or so . ) as I was leaving the Grocery store ,The bag-boy after placing the single bottle of vinegar in the plastic bag , looked at me with the gell like glaze in his eyes, that I'm looking right through you glazed look … and said “ Would you like help out with that sir…?” 

For a brief moment my mind raced at all of the things I could say , all of the questions I wanted to ask him … I stopped , took a deep slow breath , and politely said “ no thanks , I’m OK” …

As I walked through the parking lot , I looked up and could see the stars so clearly , not much comfort came from knowing that “we are not alone” … but the questions still come … why did they send the robots…? , are they preparing us through the evolutionary process to quit using our ability to reason…? , to ask why …?, to have expectations that are pre-programed , and pre-packaged …?  Have we become … The Robots…?


Leading me to think that :

You Can’t Get There From Here”