How to make friends & influence people

I find it interesting how people react so differently to the same situation.

I find it all the more interesting how Mr A and I seem to react very differently to the same situation!

Friday I finished work a little early and was lucky enough to have Mr A come and pick me up. I got down towards the little corner from where he sometimes picks me up and saw his car patiently waiting for me (with him in it)…. And a parking inspector nearby… printing out a ticket!

I picked up my pace so I was walking/jogging as fast as my high heels would allow (which I must admit I have a knack for running in heels!) and got to the car – I saw the inspector putting the ticket under Mr ‘s windscreen wiper and saw Mr A switch on his wipers so the ticket flew off and saw him clearly lamenting at the parking inspector. Anyway I picked it up (the ticket) and get into the car; at which point I hear him (Mr A) ‘going off’ at how parking inspectors are the scum of the earth etc and saw that he was reaching for his golf ball (he had played golf a few days before and a few balls were rolling around at my feet).

Me: what are you doing?

Mr A: I am going to throw a golf ball at that idiot! I’m sitting in my car – he can’t give me a bloody ticket!

Me: you cannot throw a golf ball at him – that’s assault… listen, I’ll talk to him (as he was still outside about to write a ticket out to a car behind us)

Mr A: You won’t be able to do anything – that’s $100 I have to pay for nothing! Its crap – its just because I’m a guy & I have a car with a turbo.

Me: *internally rolling my eyes*

Meanwhile during this ‘conversation’ (read: Mr A getting more and more frustrated by the millisecond and me trying to soothe him) Mr A is watching the inspector, at which point the owner of said car behind him has returned to her car (it’s a woman) and is talking to the inspector. We then both see that he lets her off! Mr A is now inconsolably livid! I tell him to calm down and that I will ‘fix’ the situation.

Me: hi – umm… you just gave us a parking ticket but he was actually still in the car and was just waiting for me. He would have only been there a few minutes.

Inspector: I saw his car from across the road and he was there for more than a few minutes… in all honesty I didn’t even see him in his car because of the tinting.

*Mr A is now storming out of the car*

Mr A: (*in a rather loud voice*) What the hell is going on? I was sitting in my bloody car waiting for my fiancé; I was there for bloody 2 minutes…

Inspector: Listen mate – you were there for bloody longer than 2 minutes and based on your attitude you deserve the ticket!

Mr A: You can’t give me a ticket – you let that woman off but you’re giving me a ticket? What do I have to do; show a bit of boob or whip my d*#k out so you can cancel it?

*I am cringing at this point… wishing him to be quiet as this is NOT helping the situation*

Inspector: Mate… you’d better step off!

(Can I just say – who says ‘step off’ if your white/Caucasian? Seriously – all credibility is now gone! I mean who does he think he is? Jack Black?)

Mr A: What are you talking about ‘step off’?

Me: (*now sort of positioning myself in front of Mr A a little*) Listen, I’m trying to be the nice one here – it’s clearly not fair that you let that woman off and not us when she was actually parked here and we weren’t. It’s not really fair to any parties involved; seriously you can’t just let her off because she’s a woman… I mean – I’m a woman (*I looked at him and gave him a smile*). I’m sorry about Mr A but I’m trying to do the right thing here – you should either give that woman a ticket or cancel ours…

 The inspector looks from me to Mr A….

Inspector: ok – I’ll let you off this time. But it’s because of your fiancé mate – not you! (*that was aimed at Mr A*)

Me: thank you so much… have a good weekend…

Mr A: *walks towards car and is grumbling lord knows what under his breath*

In the car I try to explain that really you do get further by being nice. That you get more bees with honey rather than vinegar; Mr A is silently driving on the freeway. When he can clearly take it no longer he comments; “He only let you off because you’re a girl!”

I don’t want to tell him that I hate to admit it but he’s probably right!

~ by daysofarabianlives on June 22, 2009.