I am sitting outside a CVS Pharmacy where I have sat for the past 65 minutes. Why am I here? Because my friend is very inconsiderate. We went to dinner and as I was taking him back to his house, he asked if I would drop by so he could print out some pictures using the automatic machine. I agreed and we headed over. After a few minutes of being bored watching him thumb through his memory card thumbnails, I opted to go out in the car and watch the video iPod. I watched EVERYTHING on the damn thing.
I called him from the parking lot at 40 minutes and said, “You have passed the length of common courtesy. Its been 40 minutes already.” He said it would be just a little longer. Steamed, I went back to listening to podcasts. He called at 56 minutes and said, “I’m printing them out now.” Holy crap! I asked how many and he said some ungodly amount like 150 or so. I informed him that I thought it incredibly rude to turn a “quick stop” into such a long trip. His response was, “I thought you were going to print them with me.” What can you say to that? haha I hung up.
The store is now closed, he is still inside printing and I am venting. It wouldn’t be so bad if this wasn’t the same friend that spends an awful lot of time pointing out flaws in all of my other friends. Telling me things like, “you should just wash your hands of them.” I am not going to name his name, he knows who he is… I just think its pretty crappy to be so self-absorbed and inconsiderate of other people’s time. It doesn’t matter that all I wanted to do was go home and relax with my dog… he took that option away. Actually, I could have just left him… his is only about ten blocks from his house… but I am a good friend.
If it weren’t for electronics… the iPod and my laptop… I might not be so accomodating. (PS. He finally came out after an hour and 23 minutes)
I feel for ya. I have a friend who is much the same. She will actually make plans with me and then say she just has to stop by someone’s place quickly an hour before we are supposed to leave for a hike, and then call that night to say that she just lost track of time, or wanted to hang out with that friend. I have decided that she has some versy self centred traits, and is possibly narcissistic. I have forgiven her for about 20 of these similar incidences and every time it is the same thing – the behaviour repeats itself and I feel like the schmuck who lies down in front of the truck as yet another day of my time is wasted. If you are stronger than I am, I say get away. These people dont think the way normal people think and so trying to give them the benefit of the doubt will only drag on the amount of time you allow them to waste. Plus, it is utterly unconsiderate and disrespectful, and if you allow yourself to be treated like that by narcissists, they will (and they will actually derive power and pleasure from doing so).