"You're Making Me Angry..."

While I was working at my previous department there was a time when, because of a lack of paramedics, that I literally moved into the station and sent my family to stay with my wife's parents. I worked more days in a row than should be allowed. Luckily that department wasn't that busy but not being able to decompress got to me.

Finally we hired another medic and I got to go home. On my way home I stopped by the grocery store to get something. Honestly, I don't even remember what it was. The store was not crowded. I grabbed what ever it was that I was there for and headed for the register.

I was in line behind a young couple. They looked to be about 18 years old. She was waiting to pay while her boyfriend (assumption on my part) helped bag the groceries. It was apparent that the young woman was in a hurry and was very impatient with the lady behind the counter. At the register she swiped her ATM card and punched in her PIN. After about 30 seconds the clerk advised the customer that she had evidently input her PIN incorrectly and asked her to do it again. At this the brunette standing in front of me, full of attitude, rolled her eyes, clicked her tongue and let out a big exasperated breath as if the clerk had done something wrong.

While the employee took this all in stride I snapped. Loudly, I said exactly what was going through my mind, with no internal filter what so ever.

"You F***ing B****! You made the mistake. Punch in the right PIN and drop the F***ing attitude."

Everyone around me stared in disbelief. The now deflated girl finished paying for her goods and walked out. The guy she was with never said a word. As I paid for my stuff I apologized to the woman behind the register. She said not to worry about it. I had said more or less what she had been thinking.

I got into my truck and headed home knowing that I needed to stay out of public places until I recharged my batteries a little.