Rude, Rude, Rude!!

So I'm having this ridiculously crazy day at work ~ so busy that I can't even get to the online NYT for a little break!! (yeah, how unfair is that??) Anyway, I've been working on this "burden document" for a program (and believe me, they call these puppies "burden"s for a reason!!) And running this marathon lit review for one of my research articles "rapid repeaters" which would be, (for those of you not versed in maternal child health lingo) women who have two children within a twenty four month period. We're looking at characteristics of these women and outcomes for them and the second child. (I'm just trying to figure out how to prevent myself from slipping Britney Spears into my research proposal ~ Talk about rapid repeater!! The woman is 5 months pregnant and has an 8 month old!!! You do the math!)

But back to my crazy day. I get this data request from my boss for a ridiculous amount of data in a very short period of time, so I'm switching gears to start analyzing the ridiculously huge birth file. After some degree of frustration, I decide I need a cold drink. I go down to the cafeteria to get some ice in my plastic cup (10 cents) and instead of walking through the indoor walkways between buildings on the campus, I decide to cut outside (the first time I had seen daylight since arriving at work, I should add) and walk across a courtyard/parking lot. As I'm reaching the entrance to my building, an employee only, must have access card to enter, entrance, a woman with a cell phone approaches me and asks me to open the door for her. I apologize and tell her that it's not a visitors entrance and I'm not allowed to let anybody in, pointing to the signs that say just that. She gets a little belligerent and starts trying to intimidate me. She shows me her "visitor" sticker. Again, I apologize and point to the "Not a visitor's entrance" sign and tell her I can't let her in. So she says she's going to report me. Okay, to whom, I'm thinking? What's your name, she says, grabbing at my i.d. So I hold out my i.d. for her so she can get me name right. I mean, what the hell? I'm supposed to be intimidated by some bitch who is going to tell someone else that I (by name) would not let her into a secure building because that's what I've been instructed to do. Whatever! This becomes a topic of great amusement in my office when I return. No one has any idea who I should be reported to for following the security rules. No one can believe the woman had the gaul to treat me that way.

Well, whatever it is! The next morning when I come into work to finish the data request and get it faxed to where my boss is off site, I find out that my boss has been told that he has to call this belligerent twit and apologize to her on my behalf for my behavior the day before. Seriously? Seriously. How did she track me down in less than 24 hours and find my supervisor who has worked here for less than 6 weeks???? Heck if I know. Luckily, or perhaps because of past experience? I had told him about the incident, kind of as joke. So, whenever whoever called him about it he was able to say, yeah, she told me a really rude woman harassed her because she wouldn't let the woman into an employee only entrance.

Seriously though. Who has time to do that???? I mean, I barely find time to protest when my car is returned to me from the body shop with 300 extra miles on the odometer, the front seats detailed for no apparent reason and the radio tuned to a station I have never listened to. But seriously, who are these people? Do they go around looking for opportunities to be wronged so they can exercise their power???? I think at best this woman is getting an "I'm sorry you got all upset that my employee wouldn't let you into the building when she wasn't supposed to." (I would want to add, I hope you find time to take an anger management class so that you can better control your emotions in the future....)

Speaking of controlling emotions, have I mentioned the cranky pregnant woman I'm living with recently?? Ah well, that's a whole 'nother blog!