just how dumb some people really are.  I mean, really, I have fears.

Last night I was awaiting a friend that I was to have dinner with inside a Wings and Rings at the local mall.  I was waiting outside in the food court just casually observing the people passing by.  However one particular person caught my attention; the young man who was cleaning the food court.  He was probably around 20 years old with an unkempt beard and was casually sweeping up the area next to me.  It was about this time a women came up to him and asked him who she should contact about a machine taking her money and she pointed over toward this VR roller-coaster simulator.  To which her replied to her that the Food Court was his jurisdiction and that he has no means of helping her and that she should just suck it up and deal with the $5 loss.  The lady was unphased by his rude remark and pressed on about perhaps a maintenance person, someone in the mall office, or perhaps even if their was contact information about the manufacture of the machine.  Once again the young man rebuked her telling her that no one was available from the mall office, that maintenance wasn’t responsible for the machine, and that most likely the manufacture of the machine didn’t give a shit about her problems.  I was just in shock at how rude this deputy of the food court was, but at the same time I was struck about how honest he was being.  Working in malls myself I can attest that mall maintenance does not service these machines, the mall office is most likely not concerned about it especially if its after mall office hours, and getting a hold of the machines service department is not likely to yield any results.  I couldnt’ help but chuckle at his straight forward manner.

But wait it gets better.

Shortly after the women stormed away this man and what I can only assume to be his wife and little daughter walk up our food court deputy and the man screams, “HOW DO I HAVE A SECURITY GUARD ARRESTED. THIS IS HARASSMENT!”  Now this man I can only describe as wearing clothes that were two sizes to small for him and with a hard earned beer gut.  Our deputy picks up broom and looks at the man with a puzzled look.  The man continues to explain that this security guard demanded that he leave the property and that he could not wear this

a gun belt buckle.  Now I’m familiar with security procedures and I can tell you that most malls, public areas have strict rules about weapons, things that look like weapons, could be used as weapons, etc.  Now me personally I would have simply verified that the man did in fact not have a real gun and let him continue on his way so long as he wasn’t waving his belt buckle around and pretending like he had a gun.  That is what I would have done.  So what about our lunch room hero?  He simply looks at the man says that he doesn’t have anything to do with security, but that the real issue at hand was, “Why is a grown ass man wearing a belt buckle like that?”  Wow.  Rude.  Unapologetic. And one of the funniest things I have ever heard/witnessed.  The stunned man and his family without a word just left the mall and our hero of this tale just went about his business like nothing had ever happened.

I sat there in shock for a moment.  Not even sure what I had just seen.Reflecting on it now.  I would say all three people involved in this story are rather dumb.  When it comes to the women sure no one likes losing out on money, but come on its $5 and if you are that concerned about your $5 you probably shouldn’t have spent it on a VR machine to begin with.  For our angry gentlemen if you don’t want to be treated like an asshole, you  shouldn’t dress like one.  Also try and realize that security guards are often just doing there job, maybe even enforcing rules they don’t agree with.  If its not an unreasonable request then comply.  For our hero of this story…get into stand up comedy or enjoy dead end jobs for the rest of your life.  Its hard to get anywhere with an attitude like that.