Friday, August 13, 2004
I had to wait a while for the shuttle bus from World Trade to North Station yesterday. After the bus showed up, we had to wait a while at the bus stop. Due to this unfortunate combo, I ended up missing not only the 6:25 train, but also the 6:55 train. With 30 minutes to kill till the next train, I headed over to the convenience store across the street from North Station to grab a newspaper. I had made it about halfway through the line that was now 6 or 7 people deep, when this kid came into the store and announced to the cashier that he brought an orange soda into the store, presumably so the cashier didn't charge him for it. A minute later, the kid came up to me (a quick aside: what is it that makes me so approachable? Strangers always ask me for directions and occasionally ask my assistance for random things. Should I try to look more intimidating?) and we had this exchange:
Kid: Hey, could you buy me a pack of Newports? My train leaves in 3 minutes and I won't make it if I have to wait through the whole line.
Me: Uh, I guess you should ask them (gesturing to the people behind me).
Kid: Hey, does anyone mind if he buys me a pack of cigarettes?
People in line: (Silence)
Kid: Okay, great.
At this point, the kid hands me five dollars....in quarters, to cover the cost of the cigarettes. I didn't want to hassle the store clerk, so I kept the quarters and paid for the newspaper and cigarettes with a twenty. The kid picked up the pack off the counter and ran out of the store to catch his train. The store clerk sees this and asks me if the cigarettes were for the kid. I told him they were and he flipped out...telling me that buying cigarettes for minors is against the law. I explained that I hadn't really considered the fact that he might have been under 18 (not to mention the fact that the kid was next to me, telling me which kind of cigarettes to get while we were at the counter). I felt bad, but I told him the kid must have been 18...then I went on my way, pockets over-flowing with quarters.
Jack's bachelor party begins tonight and will carry on through Tuesday, so I will return to blogging activities after that. I'll leave you with this slightly disturbing story about the new head of the CIA. See you next week.
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Kid: Hey, could you buy me a pack of Newports? My train leaves in 3 minutes and I won't make it if I have to wait through the whole line.
Me: Uh, I guess you should ask them (gesturing to the people behind me).
Kid: Hey, does anyone mind if he buys me a pack of cigarettes?
People in line: (Silence)
Kid: Okay, great.
At this point, the kid hands me five dollars....in quarters, to cover the cost of the cigarettes. I didn't want to hassle the store clerk, so I kept the quarters and paid for the newspaper and cigarettes with a twenty. The kid picked up the pack off the counter and ran out of the store to catch his train. The store clerk sees this and asks me if the cigarettes were for the kid. I told him they were and he flipped out...telling me that buying cigarettes for minors is against the law. I explained that I hadn't really considered the fact that he might have been under 18 (not to mention the fact that the kid was next to me, telling me which kind of cigarettes to get while we were at the counter). I felt bad, but I told him the kid must have been 18...then I went on my way, pockets over-flowing with quarters.
Jack's bachelor party begins tonight and will carry on through Tuesday, so I will return to blogging activities after that. I'll leave you with this slightly disturbing story about the new head of the CIA. See you next week.
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