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Ode to the surly teenaged girl working counter number four at Milt & Edie’s drycleaning

Oh,  surly teenaged girl working counter number four at Milt & Edie’s drycleaning

I am sorry that I’m middle-aged and of no interest to you.

And I’m sorry that I’m at your counter,

But this is where they sent me.

I can see that you’d rather watch Shakira on the jumbo video screen

Above the people who fix hems and sew on buttons.

But I just need my drycleaning.

Please.

I stopped going to Flair Cleaners on the day three teenaged girls fought

Over who would have to wait on me.

So I have nowhere else to go.

And I like it at Milt & Edie’s, I really do,

And I’ve got my checkbook right here,

And I think if Milt were here to see this

My check would be in his hand and you’d be lying dead on his floor here.

So may I have my drycleaning?

Please?

Before things get really dirty?

4 Responses to “Ode to the surly teenaged girl working counter number four at Milt & Edie’s drycleaning”

  1. Dan Says:

    Been thinking this over (which is why this comment is so late!) and decided your priorities are all wrong. Do you know how precious life is when you’re a teen? Do you remember the days when an October night could be a liftetime? Do you recall how many of those hours of your precious youth were squandered in drudgery dictated by middle-aged people just as you are now?

    And you really think your dry cleaning is more important than an hour of this young girl’s life? An hour which, once gone, will never be recaptured?

    Think it over. The young people reluctantly manning counters at restaurants, grocery stores and -yes- dry cleaners have their own lives, thank you, and you shouldn’t be interrupting them with your own petty concerns. Nest time, just wait patiently till someone deigns to notice you, then be grateful for the attention of one who has so many things — more important and beautiful — to do with her time.

  2. leewochner.com » Blog Archive » On self-entitled snotty kids who treat customers badly Says:

    […] Thank you, Louis C.K. Thank you for the return of comic as moralist — Jonathan Swift would be proud — and thank you for being so right about this in particular. I think I’ll share this with Milt & Edie’s. […]

  3. leewochner.com » Blog Archive » Money laundering Says:

    […] dry cleaning travails […]

  4. leewochner.com » Blog Archive » The shirt not off my back Says:

    […] you may recall, I’ve been trying to find friendly, decent laundry and dry-cleaning services at a decent price. (Or, at least at a price that the […]

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