After duly standing in the single line before being called up to one of the 6 windows, I sat down in one of the more centrally positioned rows of seats in the vast waiting room of the cardiology office. Well, there are about 30 doctors associated with the practice so lots of patients wait lots of time. People were sitting, waiting, along both sides of the room as well. A man came out of the examining room with his checkout paper in hand and started to present it to the woman at the first window on his left. "Oh, no," he was told, "You have to stand in line, the one over there, behind the post." He quickly rectified his position and took his place behind the 5 or 6 people standing in the line. The line concealed behind the post.
A while later, a man entered the office and obediently walked up and joined the line, to check in. A woman in a walker appeared behind him, and in a strident voice, said, "Sir, you took my place in line. I was here before you." He turned, surprised, and told her as he stepped back out of line, "Help yourself." Then, mumbling, "I didn't see you, didn't know you were in line." She ignored his mutterings, and him altogether; she just wanted her place in the all-important, one only, line. I assume that since she was using a walker, she had taken a seat along the side of the room, but still wanted to reserve her space. Sometimes cardiac patients become fatigued. Because by this time, I had finished both the Jumble and Crossword, I was bored enough to notice that his face had turned red, with embarrassment probably, and maybe a little anger. I would hope that his discomfort would have been directed not at the woman's aggression, but at whoever is responsible for the hellish situation of the facility, but he said nothing, nothing I was aware of anyway.
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