Come Back One Year!  

(I am a customer standing in line at a sandwich shop during the dinner rush. Despite being prompted to place her order a few times, the customer just ahead of me is taking several minutes to decide what she wants. The line is growing. She asks several questions about the menu that seem to me to be self-explanatory. When she finally makes a decision, this exchange occurs:)

Employee: “What kind of bread?”

Customer: “What kinds do you have?”

Employee: “The choices are on this sign right here.”

Customer: “Uh, just plain white.”

Employee: “Cheese?”

Customer: “Cheddar.”

Employee: “Toasted?”

Customer: “Yes.”

(The employee adds the cheese, toasts the sandwich, and asks what kind of veggies she wants.)

Customer: “Oh, I didn’t want the cheese melted.”

(The employee starts over and adds the cheese after toasting this time. The customer asks for several veggies, including olives, which the employee adds.)

Customer: “Oh, wait, I guess I don’t want olives.”

(The employee goes through the sandwich picking out each individual olive. The line is now literally out the door.)

Employee: “Sauce?”

Customer: “Mayo.”

(The employee adds mayo.)

Customer: “Actually, I want that chipotle sauce, not mayo. Can you start over?”

(The employee throws her sandwich in the trash and says:)

Employee: “I can’t serve you. The line is too long and I don’t have time to play.”

(Another customer seated and eating his sandwich had been watching this and said, “No soup for you!”)