Stupid people

Every now and then I'm just blown away by people, I mean, absolutely blown away in the sense of "What the hell are you thinking?" And then the lightbulb comes out and it's that realization of "Oh, you're acting that way because you aren't thinking." Today, inconsideration came in threes within the space of 30 minutes and within a 30 square area.

It started with a cell phone. I had gone down to the gym, armed with my headphones, and had just gotten on the treadmill and switched the television to VH-1's documentary on "Shortest Celebrity Marriages evah" (and while you'd think Britney would be in the top three, you'd be wrong). Two treadmills over, a girl was talking about her dinner plans. Very loudly. So loudly that she was overpowering not only my earphones, but also VH-1. Which made me think a) if you can talk that loudly and coherently while on the treadmill, you aren't working out hard enough and b) SHUT UP. I felt vindicated when the girl on the treadmill (also wearing earphones and watching TV) next to mine kept giving Cell Phone Chick dirty looks.

Cell Phone Chick had barely hung up when someone brought in a DOG. A DOG. In a carrier. I don't know who that person is, but I think it's cruel, CRUEL, to keep a cute little dog in a little box and I don't EVEN LIKE DOGS. And wouldn't you know, the dog started barking. Non-stop high pitched breathless barking. Cell Phone Chick looked annoyed. Another girl -- whom I've nicknamed Iron Woman and when not at the gym (which is rare), lives down the hall from me -- gave up on her sit-ups and left. NEVER that girl ever left the gym before me.

Barking Dog gave up and settled down around the same time I was leaving. And that's when I ran into the third and final act of stupidity. Four guys -- two of them with beer bottles -- were coming into the gym. Where the rules specifically say NO ALCOHOL. One of the guys without beer said to the other two, "Oh, you can't come in. They don't allow drinks." And then they laughed and went in anyway. In the brief instance our paths crossed -- the two beer drinkers stood aside for me when I came out -- I fervently wished I could shoot laser beams out of my eyes and incinerate their beer bottles.

Instead, I tell ye, Internet, be ye not so stupid and for the record, I don't care what's for dinner, when dinner is going to be served and who's going to be there unless I've got an invitation. Just don't invite the dog. Or the rule flaunting beer drinkers.