Disrespect @ Timmy's

Today Before Work...

Today before work I biked up to the last Tim Horton’s along my commute, and had a mere 10 minutes to spare so I went in for a coffee to reduce my time sat awkwardly in the hallway at the synagogue. Things were normal as I dipped my donut until I saw a conflict emerge before my very eyes: I heard a man say “Ten Minutes? You have to tell me that before I pay—in 10 minutes I have to be gone from here!”

It was unclear whether he got his money back or merely handed the drink back but the smarmy white boy behind the counter said “have a nice day” and “you can leave the store now” to the hurried brown man in the most offensive way you can imagine at a Tim Horton’s — his brown co-worker gestured to tap his elbow to correct him and locked eyes with me, dunking my donut across the room — we shared a simultaneous reaction of both laughing at the smarmy white boy and feeling disgust for his behavior.

The hurried man suddenly had time for this, and so did I — they spoke back and forth until it culminated in him saying “but you have to tell me before I pay that it’s ten minutes — you have to speak to that” and the kid said “says who?”

"Says me.” my voice boomed from the edge of the room, and every head turned. I stood up and walked a few steps before saying “He has a point.”

The brown customer nodded and the crowd visibly relaxed, and turned, all eyes on the boy. The boy visibly conceded, tilting his head as if weighing something — justice — finally . This time, he said merely “Have a nice day” and I added “You said it disrespectfully the first time.” and the brown man purchasing clearly had no time to waste at this point, being freed from an ignoble departure, and jetted out the door.

I returned to dunk my donut, and then out the door since, like the other customer, I had little time to waste and a schedule to keep, children to teach, and I remarked on my way out the door merely: “See you next Tuesday.”

Correct your people, people.