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Tuesday, November 18, 2008

intrusive comments -- flashback

ok, since I can see my readers like the couple of posts about the intrusive neighbor comments, I HAVE to tell you about the one from 2 weeks ago. And this one doesn't involve a baby or cold weather.

I am returning from the laundry room with a full bag of clean clothes. The bag is pretty big and heavy, but I am not having trouble carrying it nor am I grunting or making strained facial expressions. I approach the elevator to go back up just as a man come out of it.

Man: You know, the dry cleaners down the block does laundry.
Me: (cocking my head like a confused dog) Yes....?
Man: Well, I mean, I think it might be worth the time.
Me: (what the?...) ...I don't mind...doing the laundry.

OK, so here why I'm slightly perplexed. Did he really mean it was worth the time? Because in some ways it saves time to do the laundry myself. I don't have to wait 8 hours to get it back from the drop-off laundry. Perhaps he just assumes that everyone hates to do laundry and there is no benefit to doing it yourself. Its not *just* about saving money, though that is a big factor. Its also about control. I can separate the laundry as I choose. I can take some things out of the washer and NOT put them in the dryer. Not everyone wants to haphazardly throw their laundry into one big machine and one big dryer.

Also, does he think I am the only person living in NYC to NOT know about drop-off laundry services? They only have them on EVERY block because usually you don't have laundry in your building. I consider it a perk of owning my own apartment to have laundry machines that I can use 24 hours a day. Even if they are not in my apartment but on the ground floor or my building.

Jeez!. Who makes comments like that? He doesn't even know my name let alone my laundry situation.

2 comments:

J LO said...

Do you have some type of flypaper attached to you or are you dressing in some weird way to generate all of this free advice...did it happen before you were a stay-at-home??? I think you must appear to be midwestern, needing assistance. How long does it take look like a real New Yorker???

Jessica Lowe said...

I think my apt residents do tend to give unsolicited advice, though I know it increased once I had Fay. They like to comment on the baby's health and warmth. I always assumed this is because there is not much you can say in return if someone is simply expressing concern for the BABY.