Dear Annie: A heap of hate
Dear Annie: Years ago, we were friends with a beautiful young lady and her husband. He passed away several years ago, and she has never been the same since. Even though she is so beautiful on the outside, she is extremely jealous, and her insecurity shows through in a ridiculous manner, making her a very ugly person.
She currently has a live-in boyfriend. One morning about a year ago, my husband and I wished her boyfriend “happy birthday” in a text. She saw this message and threw a fit. She smeared me on social media, saying I’m a horrible person. Her boyfriend sent us a message saying he knows she’s “crazy,” and he apologized for her behavior.
One day, I was in a local department store. I had a coupon, and I hadn’t found anything I needed. She was the only person I knew in the store, so I asked her whether she would like to use my coupon. She screamed and said she would never take anything from me. The cashiers at the store were going to call security. I told them to just ignore her.
Honestly, I just look at her with sympathy and feel so sorry for her partner; he says he stays because of her grandkids. She is ridiculous, and the police have told us to make notes of anything and everything she says or does to us. I’ve never seen someone so filled with hate. Any suggestion on how to get “Crazy” to stop acting like a spoiled brat? – Sick of It in Eastern New Mexico
Dear Sick: This woman is a tornado, and you’re crazier than she is if you think you can stop it. I truly admire your sympathy and desire to help her boyfriend, but if he elects to stay in the cyclone, there’s not much you can do for him, either.
As for the lies she’s spreading about you, anyone with a smidgen of common sense should be able to see that a person who posts long personal rants on Facebook isn’t the most reliable source. She’s only making herself look bad. Continue to keep your distance, and let her spin herself silly.
Dear Annie: This is in response to ”Frustrated in Maine,” who hates it when servers ask whether he needs change. Are you kidding? Are the many who have responded to this topic – mostly using their delicate sensibilities as an excuse to tip less – kidding?
I have been a server for over 20 years. When I approach a table with cash neatly stacked on a check and ask, maintaining direct eye contact, ”Do you need change here?” it is not a ploy for a greater tip. It is the fact that I haven’t counted the money present before asking and, frankly, 20,000 steps into my night, would prefer not to take another 50 that are unnecessary. Please, people. We’re not begging for a tip or scamming you. We are simply doing our jobs in the most cordial and unassuming way possible. Get over yourselves and the – God forbid – extra 2 percent you might leave.
By the way, where are all the other servers’ responses to this? Please give us a voice. We’ve been hearing about it for weeks now, and you have voiced nothing from professionals, only ”pet peeves” from patrons. Believe me, in an industry where I daily see the worst of selfish, egocentric human nature, they don’t want to hear my pet peeves. – Aghast in Arizona
Send your questions for Annie Lane to dearannie@creators.com. To find out more about Annie Lane and read features by other Creators Syndicate columnists and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2016 CREATORS.COM