The Slice: Two kinds of people

There are two kinds of Spokane bus riders.

One kind makes sure to be at the bus stop early. Way early.

Sure it might mean arriving and having to wait 10 minutes or more before the bus comes. But better to be safe than sorry, right?

OK, the bus never comes early. But what if it did, just this once?

Well, someone might be out of luck. And who wants to take that chance?

Ahem. No need to mention any names here. We know who we are.

Call us uptight. Call us anal-retentive. We don’t show up late.

But there’s another kind of bus rider. Day after day, this other kind gets to the bus stop mere seconds before the bus arrives. Another minute and they would have missed it.

Are they euphoric about cutting it so close and having it all work out? They are not. They take it in stride.

Getting to the bus stop just seconds before the bus arrives is how they live their lives.

More power to ’em.

Of course, one need not be an STA rider to recognize these two distinct personality types. These traits manifest themselves in multiple ways.

If you have ever been driven to the airport by some delusional dawdler insisting “Don’t worry, we’ve got plenty of time,” you might be acutely familiar with this particular horror.

Let’s move on.

Multiple choice: Why do you keep your front-porch light on all night?

A) Tradition. B) For security reasons. C) So the newspaper delivery person will be able to see where he or she is walking in the morning. D) Otherwise it would look pretty gloomy. E) Doing my part to maintain our collective sense of community. I like to think there are people in those homes illuminated by all those little porch lights who would help me if I needed it. I hope they feel the same. E) Other

Military courtesy: It has been quite a few years since The Slice wondered who at Fairchild Air Force Base had the best saluting form. (In June of 1996, Lt. Col. Jay G. Steward eloquently singled out Master Sgt. Frank Young for praise.)

Perhaps it is time to ask again.

Warm-up question: Ever heard anyone put an “arrr” sound in his or her pronunciation of Washington?

Today’s Slice question: What makes you think Spokane might struggle with OCD?

Write The Slice at P. O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210; call (509) 459-5470; email pault@spokesman.com. Some of us look in the mirror and see a scar that reminds us of a certain toy. Feel free to send a photo.