Life's Little Annoyances
I mentioned this book earlier on Boing Boing, and have finally sat down to read it. Ian Urbina's Life's Little Annoyances contains several dozen very short chapters about they ways in which people deal with common situations that are stressful, frustrating, or annoying.
For example, a biology and computer science professor from the University of Oklahoma named Jonathan Wren hates it when cashiers ask him for his name and address when he buys something in a store. Just to torment them, he tells them his name is "Ghossein Dhatsghabyfaird-Johnson." When the cashier asks how it is spelled he tells them, "With a hyphen." When they ask for his address, he says "Washburn, Wisconsin, 14701 Noertheast Wachatanoobee Parkway, Complex 3, Building 0, Apartment 1382b."
When David Hord won't be left alone by an overeager salesperson at a store, he orders thousands of dollars in stuff (computers, TVs, etc) and then when the salesman brings all the stuff to the counter and rings it up, Hord produces his "special" MasterCard, which expired in 1998. It never fails to befuddle the salesman. Link
Comments
This kind of urban guerilla tactic just torments the minimum-wage salesperson. Instead of doing this, just send a letter to the company. Most companies are genuinely interested in what their customers have to say about the experience in their stores, especially in the age of online competition.
Posted by: Anonymous | October 30, 2005 7:28 AM
Yeah, I think it's pretty sh*tty to penalize minimun wage retail workers for doing what their supervisors tell them "to do" (implicit "or else").
Is the whole book like that?
Posted by: David | November 8, 2005 6:40 AM
I feel bad for the salesperson...Is it really their fault? The shlep is just doing their job. Also, whenever you get those postage-paid credit card offers, I cut up like a pound of newspaper, stuff it into the post.paid envelope, tape it and send it in--they have to pay extra to get my old newspaper and junk mail--which I gratefully send as well. It's completely legal and my way of sticking to the man. Have a great day!!
Posted by: Kim | April 21, 2006 5:49 AM