That Ride was Mine! MINE MINE MINE MINE!!!!!!

I'm not a morning person. I'm normally a very easygoing, sociable person, but if it's before 9AM, it's in everyone's best interest to keep a safe distance. I imagine most of my slugging compadres feel the same, judging from their tired, frustrated, Starbucks-craving faces.

When the line and the wait is particularly long, we all get a little agitated. After about 5 or 6 cars go through and you don't get any closer to getting a ride, you can lose your patience. I understand this. But the bottom line is, when it's that early, and I'm that cranky, and those around me feel the same, I simply can't be held responsible for the can of whoop-ass that I might pull out when someone KNOWINGLY breaks one of the basic rules of mankind.

Even my toddler knows that you wait your turn.

So, out of the kindness of my only recently awakened heart, I will give you some friendly advice. If you take my ride one more time, you will suffer catastrophic, too-early-in-the-damn-morning-to-play-games consequences! I WILL start a riot, and Rodney King will not be there to appeal to my inner peacenik.

Here's the deal: when the lines are long and the cars start to stack up, line proximity does not give you the right to take the ride of another person IN FRONT OF YOU. It's quite an orderly process, and if you follow the rules, you'll continue to have use of both your legs.

I stood waiting at the FRONT OF THE LINE for my destination to be called. A car came and called and 4 people stepped out at once. Me, being the mannered person that I am, acknowledged that the 2 in front of me had the ride, and you and I stepped back in line. YOU, Mr. Back of the Line, tried again to step out from the BACK because the car was stopped close to you. Unfortunately for me, because I was now at the FRONT of the line, I did not hear this kind driver offer to take a third rider for our destination. But you, in your proximity to the vehicle, took advantage of a good opportunity and TOOK MY RIDE. Some would chalk this situation up to "he didn't see you." Oh, but you did! We both stepped out for the ride at the same time and made EYE CONTACT. Yes, sir, I saw you looking into my eyes. I know YOU KNOW that was MY ride.

I hope you are sitting at your desk right now remembering that look in my eyes. Because if you see it again, you might want to RUN AND HIDE!

Do a little review of your most basic rules of orderly social behavior and keep your ass out of my seat next time.