Well, I decided not to go to BT's today. I checked cab fare and it would have been ten bucks just to go a lousy two miles.
Who would have thought that in an area as spread out as Detroit that cabs would be so absurdly expensive? They *really* want to make it impossible for you to get by without a car around here. I blame the unions. Not that I think the auto unions regulate the cab rates, but you never know, now do you?
So, I decided to walk to the mall. Since the nearest bus stop is at the mall, I wanted to time it. It took me twenty five minutes to get to the mall entrance, but the bus stop is actually on the opposite end of the mall, so add another five to ten minutes to that.
Fairlane is the only mall I've ever seen where the bus doesn't stop at the front door, but actually at an island in the middle of the parking lot. If it were the front door, then people could wait in the mall entrance and thus not freeze when it's cold. Hmm, maybe that's why it isn't by the front door?
Anyhow, it was good to get out of the house. Not much was hiring although the Godiva chocolates store was. I know, I know, haven't I learned my lesson from Gayle's Chocolates? Well, the sign said that they were hiring sales people and unless they found a way to defy the law of physics, I doubt that they have a factory in the store. So, I put in an application and got the usual complete lack of acknowledgment that I have grown to expect from potential employers around here.
One of these days, I'm going to just say "Could you do me a favor? Could you at least pretend to look it over? I realize that you are most likely going to toss it in the paper shredder thirty seconds after I walk out of here, but it would really make me feel better if you at least pretended like you're going to consider me for this position."
Of course, I haven't done that yet since I still have a glimmer of hope that one of these attempts will turn out. But give me time. Another five applications or so and I just might resort to that.
So, then I went over to the Starbucks' in the food court. Hmm, hanging out in the food court because I have absolutely nowhere else to go, it made me feel an awful lot like Brody from Mallrats. All the mall needs now is some kind of comic book shop.
As I got to line, this old guy walked up just behind me. Feeling nice, I offered to let him get in front of me. Well, it turned out he was one of those uber fussy old men, the type that question why there's tax on the coffee, and grumbles about it being an attempt to cheat him by not listing it on the price, then fussing over every detail. Finally, he went away and the guy working the counter asked me "okay, what can I get you?" with this smirk that made me suspect he wanted to say what I was thinking "boy, I'll bet you wished that you hadn't let him in front of you, huh?"
So I sat and people watched for a bit, wrote in my diary and read Candide for a bit. Then I resumed the trek home.
Well, at least I got some exercise.