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Old 12-17-2013, 08:02 PM
 
Location: Due North of Potemkin City Limits
1,237 posts, read 1,948,979 times
Reputation: 1141

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An anecdotal here. Tonight was Pizza Night at our house, and about an hour ago our pizza was delivered. We live in a rural setting. Our driveway connects to the front stoop of our house via an estimated 15 foot level walkway. I didn't shovel last night's snow, so there's a little bit of snow and ice on the walkway. Nothing to make a stink about, as I saw the delivery guy pull up from my kitchen window and witnessed him jogging down the walkway and springing up the steps before ringing the doorbell.

I answer the door and pay him. Before he hands me my pizza, he starts off by politely telling me how I should've really shoveled my sidewalk because "it's not like I've got an issue with it or anything (obviously), but some of the other guys (presumably pizza delivery guys) might have a problem with it". I politely say "Ok, I'll keep that in mind" and stood there...waiting with the door open for him to hand me my pizza. Instead of doing just that, he essentially repeats what he just said, only this time his tone changes a little. "Yeah, yeah" I say. "Like I said, I'll keep that in mind (hands outstretched for warm pizza) now can I....." Again....He repeats himself for a THIRD time, this time angrily. "Buddy, can I just have my pizza?" I finally ask. He almost throws it at me, and without a word turns around and hut-huts it back to his car with the same grace as when he arrived. Dumbfounded in the moment, my temper fails to flair until the immediate moments afterward, when I realize I just tipped this minimum wage asshat $8 so he could tell me off in front of my wife and son. I call this phenomenon "Opportunistic Yinzer Aggression", and yes, the pizza guy was indeed a yinzer.

It's like they say to themselves "Here is a stranger. This stranger is not an immediate threat to me. I will now select something that I deem to be negative or inappropriate about this stranger, and confront them about it. If the stranger attempts to diffuse the confrontation OR ignore me, I will continue to badger the stranger until I provoke him / her into responding angrily. At that point, I will have created a situation that I can possibly milk in one way, shape or form for days, weeks, or possibly even months. I will be able to brag about my altercation to my friends, relatives, and significant other, and this will make me feel like a badass. Yearrrah!"

This is not just a Pittsburgh-area / yinzer phenomenon, but it does seem to occur a lot around here. The last time it happened to me was less than a month ago when I was berated by a complete stranger while I was in a drive thru for having tinted windows. "Aye bud...AYE BUD! You know at's e-wiggle?" barked the 50-something (in reality he was probably only in his late 30's but looked older, as most yinzers do) four or five times before I acknowledged his existence by finally looking in his direction. I completely ignored that guy, even as he took a cell phone picture of my license plate. So far I haven't heard anything from the police, so I think I got away with my crime.
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Old 12-17-2013, 09:35 PM
 
43,011 posts, read 108,040,030 times
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I'm not big on clearing the ice and snow from our property right away. If I order pizza and I know the walkway and steps are icy, I watch for the driver and meet him at his car. I don't want someone taking advantage of my laziness.

Why is it noteworthy he did this in front of your wife?
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Old 12-17-2013, 09:44 PM
 
Location: Brookline, PGH
876 posts, read 1,144,488 times
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I usually would have my former Brother Seamus' back in a case like this, however, not only did he break the golden rule of pizza delivery (thous shall not be a jagoff to thine provider of big tips) he was either a total wuss about having to walk through a bit of snow OR lacked the common decency to just call and say "hey, I'm worried your sidewalk is too icy, can you meet me in the driveway?"

Dude wouldn't have lasted half a Friday night at the Greenfield Vocelli's.
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Old 12-17-2013, 09:51 PM
 
Location: Due North of Potemkin City Limits
1,237 posts, read 1,948,979 times
Reputation: 1141
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hopes View Post
I'm not big on clearing the ice and snow from our property right away. If I order pizza and I know the walkway and steps are icy, I watch for the driver and meet him at his car. I don't want someone taking advantage of my laziness.

Why is it noteworthy he did this in front of your wife?
He could see her & my son and I think it was sort of an audience factor / additional ego stroke for himself. As for the snow, it was literally a non-issue. The walkway is flat and he was wearing construction boots and literally jogged up to the door with the pizza. He waited until he had to cash in his hand to say anything. I'd say the whole interchange lasted a solid minute.
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Old 12-17-2013, 09:55 PM
 
706 posts, read 1,048,810 times
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That's funny, several years ago I was delivering pizza in Fox Chapel on a snowy and icy night. It was not my place to say anything about people's sidewalks because even though I am a native Pittsburgher, I know better. Anyway, one time I took a bad spill walking up an icy sidewalk of a stately home. The pizza flipped about five times. The home owner saw the whole episode. The cheese from the pizza was sticking to the box. It was a mess. The home owner is like " Don't worry about it" I guess he thought I would try to take his mansion since I fell on my ass on his icy sidewalk. I am not a boy named Sue.
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Old 12-17-2013, 09:56 PM
 
43,011 posts, read 108,040,030 times
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I sounds more like he scammed you for a bigger tip. Not a very wise move on his part since you'll never tip him again. Actually, I wouldn't order pizza from there for a long while because he may spit in your food next time.
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Old 12-17-2013, 09:59 PM
 
43,011 posts, read 108,040,030 times
Reputation: 30721
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gee Whiz View Post
I am not a boy named Sue.
I hear you. I raised my children telling them, "We're not one of those families." I truly do believe sue happy people are produced by generations of sue happy people. It has nothing to do with income either. Rich people can be sue happy people too.

Your story would have been better if he watched you fall and still yelled at your for the pizza being messed up! LOL
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Old 12-17-2013, 10:00 PM
 
Location: Pittsburgh
6,782 posts, read 9,594,008 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Hopes View Post
Why is it noteworthy he did this in front of your wife?
Probably he wasn't wearing pants.
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Old 12-17-2013, 10:03 PM
 
Location: Due North of Potemkin City Limits
1,237 posts, read 1,948,979 times
Reputation: 1141
Quote:
Originally Posted by JimboPGH View Post
I usually would have my former Brother Seamus' back in a case like this, however, not only did he break the golden rule of pizza delivery (thous shall not be a jagoff to thine provider of big tips) he was either a total wuss about having to walk through a bit of snow OR lacked the common decency to just call and say "hey, I'm worried your sidewalk is too icy, can you meet me in the driveway?"
Honestly, I always tip big and if he wouldn't have said "thank you" (which he didn't), handed me my pizza and just walked away I wouldn't have cared. I'm not one of those people who routinely complains about customer service, and I totally understand the fact that someone delivering pizzas may not be very enthusiastic about their job.
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Old 12-17-2013, 10:04 PM
 
706 posts, read 1,048,810 times
Reputation: 487
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hopes View Post
I hear you. I raised my children telling them, "We're not one of those families."

I truly do believe sue happy people are produced by generations of sue happy people.

It has nothing to do with income either. Rich people can be sue happy people too.
I agree. Con artists and scam artists also are also family traits.
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