On the far-end can machine, the button you push to receive your ticket to redeem your recycling deposit is a bit gummed-up. You don’t need some special trick to push it; you just need to give it a little “oomph”. When a frail old lady comes to me and says the machine won’t give her her ticket, I’m glad to come push the button for her and hand her the ticket. “Oh, I just didn’t push it hard enough!” she’ll laugh, and she’ll thank me and be on her way.
Today on my way past the bottle room, I’m stopped by a scowling, disgruntled man with a full beard. Beefy, over six feet tall, dude looks like Grizzly Adams. “This machine won’t give me my %!@#?&! ticket,” he growls.
From the look on his face and the snarl in his voice, dude’s ready to press charges or put his fist through a wall. A little premature, no? In any case, cussing at the fix-it guy hardly seems like the most effective means of motivating him to actually try and help you.
Without a word, I go to the machine, press the button, hand him the ticket and walk out. He, too, says nothing. He could snap me in half like a twig, but the pressing of a button has proven an insurmountable challenge.
Submitted by J.J. the Courtesy Clerk
