Move Those Baby Carriages and Strollers

The other day I was walking down Fifth Avenue in Manhattan which was teeming with pedestrians. It was hard enough just dodging others when an obstacle presented itself which one could hardly traverse. There, in the middle of the sidewalk, were two 30-somethings women carrying on a conversation, arrogantly oblivious to the fact that their side by side baby carriages created a barrier that allowed very little room to go around and inconvenienced all that tried. Not one of the pedestrians said a word.  Many just shot the two evil glances and others mumbled under their breath. And I know why. What those pedestrians knew was that saying anything would be useless, which I discovered when I told the two chatterboxes that they were blocking foot traffic. The expected responses of “I’m sorry” or moving the carriages was replaced with “f**k you, mind your own business”.  When will I learn?

When Did the Reply to "Thank You" Become "No Problem"?

Have you been treated to "no problem" as the new reply to "thank you"?  I encounter this every day from young waiters/waitresses, store clerks, parking attendants, and a whole host of others working  in service industries.  My reply to that illogical response is "I know it's no problem for you... BECAUSE THAT'S YOUR JOB"!  Would you have told me it was a problem if I had interrupted your cell phone conversation? How about that comic book you were reading? Maybe if you were playing Words With Friends on your iPhone. Perhaps if you were in the back working on a cure for cancer. No?  If none that is what I have taken you away from, then the reply to my acknowledgment should be the tried and true "you're welcome".  Try it out on your next customer.  It's the right thing to do.