STL Rage

We've had issues with our carpet since it was installed. The carpet guy, who is a real genuine down to earth guy, came back today to fix a threshold and to listen to my grips about his work (but my grips were his son-in-laws work, not his). This guy was contracted by our contractor to do the job. This was a side job for him as his regular current full time paying job has been installing carpet on one of the casino riverboats. We did not know this and at this point we're not sure if it matters. The guy, I'm sure knows what he's doing. I get the impression, that he either doesn't come in contact with many people during the day or he just likes to talk. Today was the second time I was in his company. His conversation is pleasant enough, nothing that really offends me. Of course through our conversing he knows we just moved from Virginia. He informed me today that Missouri is known for two things, one is a certain venerial disease (due to teen promiscuity, he further informs) and the other is road rage. According to his source (which is unknown, cause I didn't ask), MO is worse that Detroit (?), Miami (?), and what ever other cities he listed. I have found the one thing I agree with this guy on, there is a definate high level of road rage. I think I've pinpointed the problem(s). I'm running for some elected post after this revelation.

Two things I have discovered: one, every corner has some road construction where another building is being built which in more cases than not closes at least one lane of traffic. Most times you can drive by (just like I've seen in VA, so this is nothing new) and no one is doing anything. 10-12 men standing around looking at the hole they just dug or watching the huge Caterpillar earth mover in the distance. This in turn creates traffic to back up, and back up. The stop lights here are at least 3 times longer than anything I've experienced in VA. You have time to paint your finger nails if you wanted. I took Taylor to soccer practice yesterday for the first time. I asked the coach how long it would take me to get there so I could be prepared. He said, "with no traffic 15 minutes, with traffic, who knows," his words. Practice was at 6 pm, I decided to leave at 5:15. (Partly because of the high level of anxiety I have over driving in an area I'm unfamiliar with. Ever see 'National Lampoon's Vacation')? I got there at 5:58. This was 10 miles away. The drive home, which was not at peak traffic took 12 minutes. Construction around every corner contributes, but just the shear number of people here doesn't help.

Problem number two: just happened to bear witness to it; again while at soccer practice. I was parked and waiting at my car for the kids to actually start practice. A guy with his wife, kid attending soccer practice (a different team than Taylor) and another younger kid in the car pulled in next to me. By this time I've gotten out of my car, gathered my things to walk to the field and I look over and this guy is turning up a beer (not modestly either, right there for everyone to see if they chose to, it was like he was tailgating), a Budweiser. Now let's not forget where I am: St Louis, MO, home to Anheiser-Busch. Maybe he works for them and he advertising for free. So much for the drink responsibly ad campaign. If this was the first instance I've seen, I may have turned a blind eye. But no, everywhere you go, someone is turning up something and most of the time it's while behind the wheel. Tom and I went to see John Mayer at the Verizon Wireless St. Louis Amphitheater last week. While driving down the interstate, you can see, in broad daylight, several cars full of people turning up a can or a bottle. (Funny, it is all an Anheiser-Busch product). We wondered if maybe there is no open container law here, which means passengers in a car can have alcholic beverages open as long as the driver does not. As soon as we questioned that, we see the drivers turning up thier own beverage. And these are not adults (not that it matters) but kids tend to make more stupid, rash, decisions. Okay strike that last sentence! But come on. No wonder people are doing the stupid crap they do. Everyone is drunk and late. Even without a car, that's enough for some people to lose it. So we called the state police with license tags. Maybe someone will call one of these kids' parents and they lose a privelege. That's another thing. There is so much privelege here. But that's another story.

BTW, carpet guy said to tell him what we want him to do to fix the carpet and he'll do it. Only decent guy I've met so far.