By Karen Bergreen and Cynthia Kaplan
Summer TV can either be a desert or an oasis, depending on the year. In summers past The Bear, White Lotus, and Big Little Lies premiered. So did some other stuff we won’t mention. Summer is also a good time to catch up on a series you missed. Cindy loves a police procedural, particularly one where the characters all have English accents. Have you seen Endeavor or Unforgiven? You must. Karen recommends some deep cuts, the original Frasier and Law & Order SVU, which has so many seasons, you’ll be set until September. We both enjoyed the Korean comedy, Extraordinary Attorney Woo, which has romance and whimsy, though it digs deep, as well. Happy watching from us. You’ll need the distraction. Gonna be a hardcore summer, protest-wise. Hope to see you out there.
Dear Ruthless,
Why do some people stand in a long line that requires ID or the showing of receipts and when it’s their turn they are totally unprepared, and everyone has to wait while they go digging through their backpack or purse?
Signed,
Bob
Dear Bob,
KAREN: This happens to me at every coffee bar everywhere. My blood boils, but I realize this isn’t a hill to die on. This is where carrying a book, catching up on Facebook, or letting your imagination wander will be of great service to you.
CINDY: We are not a community-oriented culture. In Norway, though I’ve never been, my understanding is that this doesn’t happen.
Dear Ruthless,
Why do people crowd around the airport gate before their group is called and then rush to the front while you’ve been waiting patiently out of people’s way? I hate this. Can I say something to a gate person or will they think I’m the troublemaker?
Signed,
Fear of Flying/Gate
Dear Fear,
CINDY: Unfortunately, I’m the type of person who will make snide comments about cutting in line to the people who are doing it and it embarrasses my family, but I can’t help myself. Personally, I think you could say something to a gate person. I will just be trying to keep my big mouth shut and get on the plane without causing a scene.
KAREN: I would say something, but I can’t because my name is Karen. Please do so on my behalf.
Dear Ruthless,
What’s a polite way to ask someone to put your bag up or get it down from the overhead compartment in a plane or train if one is injured? I, for example, have a bad back. Or should I just be checking my bag and not imposing myself on others?
Signed,
Weakling
Dear Weakling,
KAREN: In general, flattery is a good start. If you see an able-bodied person, you can say something like, “You seem like a fine-looking specimen. Would you mind helping an individual in luggage distress?” If that doesn’t work, fake an attempt to store it and then cause a commotion.
CINDY: I think a simple, “could you be so kind as to” will suffice. Maybe not mention the specimen thing. I think people are happy to help with very little prompting.
Dear Ruthless,
I was at a Broadway show and the person sitting next to me pulled a carton of Chinese food out of her tote bag and ate it during the first act. To call it odiferous would be an understatement. I had a hard time enjoying the show because all I could smell was garlic chicken. I didn’t say anything and am regretting it. Thoughts?
Signed,
Broadway is Not a Restaurant
Dear Broadway,
CINDY: If my evening at a Broadway show, an evening that perhaps cost hundreds of dollars, was brought low by a $7 carton of garlic chicken, I, too, would be pissed off. You could ask the person to kindly hold the feast off until intermission, and if they refuse, report them to the management. If they are hungry, they can go to the concession stand and get a $25 candy bar like the rest of us.
KAREN: Next time bring a Sharpie and circle all of the 80-minute/no-intermission choices on your Playbill and hand it to them with this note: “You can have dinner and a show without punishing the rest of us.”
Dear Ruthless,
I have a friend whom I love who calls to chat but she either has the TV on in the background or her kids are screaming at each other or she is munching snacks. Or all of the above. I can’t understand half of what she says to me. Which is a shame because she is so funny and has great stories. Can I say something to her?
Signed,
Anonymous
Dear Anonymous,
KAREN: I’m sorry. I’ll try to do better.
CINDY: I forgive you.
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As always , great advice and much appreciated humor.
You gals slay me!
Not sure this is the place for this, but can someone tell me why the following is permitted on busses: walkers that are not folded up on both sides of the aisle, and/or strollers that are not folded or can’t be folded on the other. It is excruciating to watch as the aisle becomes two inches or no inches wide while more people, especially elderly people with canes try to get on the bus. When my children were small, if you didn’t fold up your stroller, the driver would not allow you to board. I understand the bus drivers not wanting to get involved, but couldn’t there be a rule or a law, or something?????
OK with walkers, although it’s much better when the users make a gesture toward getting out of other passengers’ paths to seating/standing room. Shopping carts, OK if an effort is made to take less space; no ride steals here, either.
Open strollers — NO! There should be school-hours special buses just for them; the caregivers/parents usually are selfish, arrogant, and “entitled.” Furthermore, it appears that half hop in the back door, feeling the rest of us owe them a free ride.
Agree. normally it’s not a big issue but I watched a dad get on recently with the most enormous stroller I’ve ever seen and only one small child in it, but it was packed to the gills with shopping bags, so obviously not foldable. What got me was that in order to accommodate this giant stroller, he had to fold up three seats in front where normally a wheelchair would go, thereby not only taking up a huge amount of space but eliminating three seats the the disabled and elderly. I think if you’re going to take up extra space for your egregiously large stroller (for a single child!) you should pay for all those seats. Because we all know he was not paying for that child!
Have empathy for the people with walkers. Growing old is not for the faint of heart and we will all be there – wishing we were young again. And mobile. Enjoy your youth and be happy.
FWIW, not all strollers fold easily, especially no the strollers that have anything in the basket, and not when you have one child toddling and another in the stroller and only two arms. Same goes for walkers, where many who have mobility issues already have two arms fully busy in keeping bodies upright. Had the subway been fully accessible, there would be something to say about keeping buses less wheeled-mobility-things bogged. As long as buses are the only viable option for almost anyone with mobility issues, perhaps the issue ought to be changing the buses (i.e. wider aisles, more priority seating), rather than expecting those whose hands are – literally – already full without any other options and who are often the same ones who are limited in how far they can walk, to give up all forms of public transportation. Just a thought.
I believe there is a new law that strollers don’t have to be folded. I have seen many walkers and strollers at the same time. Though it can be a bit of a challenge I find most people just accept it and really try to be respectful of others. I always say what if that were me.
Who would enforce said rule or law if the drivers aren’t willing to get involved? I remember when the driver would not let you on the bus if you didn’t have the fare. Now with Trump we’re seeing the consequences of lackadaisical law enforcement.
I had to re-read it. Trump was the one who introduced disregard of any law? Can’t stop laughing. Lisa might live in her own small world perpetuated by MSNBC playing in the background.
I think you meant Alvin Bragg, not Trump.
I love this column. Thank you for the smiles. Please continue it!
What about woman-spreading on the subway seats? This used to be a male problem. I was on a 1 local the other day and there were three women taking up five seats. Should I have said something?
What you gonna say! .. “Get on a diet all of you”!! ..Have some respect for fellow travelers! Haha! Yes .Right! Obesity is becoming the way to be!!
Good plug for ‘Extraordinary Attorney Woo,’ one of the most beautiful things on TV in ages — an odd thing to say about a legal drama. It’s got lots of humor, and as you say, it digs deep.
“Did you bring enough for the rest of the class/audience?”
In a theater, you can contact an usher. Their job is to evict such customers, if they do.
OK with walkers, although it’s much better when the users make a gesture toward getting out of other passengers’ paths to seating/standing room. Shopping carts, OK if an effort is made to take less space; no ride steals here, either.
Open strollers — NO! There should be school-hours special buses just for them; the caregivers/parents usually are selfish, arrogant, and “entitled.” Furthermore, it appears that half hop in the back door, feeling the rest of us owe them a free ride.