The scene: A drab electric company office, with chairs hugging the wall. Though it could accomodate over a hundred customers, thankfully there are only about 15 ahead of you. Rather than line up, you take a seat in a chair, in order. But don't get comfortable. Every 3 minutes or so, you must get up and move to a chair closer to the counter, as customers ahead of you are served. You must do this quickly, even if you are juggling a helmet, a cooler, a handbag, a pen, a notebook, and your electricity bill as you rapidly try to calculate your bill to see if there is a mistake in it. You are doing this by hand because your cell phone just died, because it wasn't charged, because your power has been cut for two days.
Me: i think there's a mistake on my bill
société Béninoise d'Energie Electrique (SBEE): no, we raised our prices.
Me: but the bill still lists the old prices on the back.
SBEE: (rolling her eyes) well, you're supposed to look at the front of the bill.
Me: how was I supposed to know that?
SBEE: well, there's a sign posted over there
Me: OK, if I pay, will you turn my electricity back on today?
SBEE: Yes, that will be 3,500cfa additional.
Me: But I was travelling for work and didn't even get my bill until a few days ago.
SBEE: That's too bad. 3,500cfa.
End scene.
(If only it had ended like that and not with me stomping out filled with righteous indignation, holding back tears because I was so annoyed and powerless and right, dammit).
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2 comments:
that's ok, i think that righteous indignation is a preservative, like whatever they put in gummy worms, that will make you live longer.
also, why aren't you famous yet? i wonder this often.
i am sorry that you had such a trying experience but i am impressed by how many objects you can carry while doing math.
also, i know that i owe you a letter from about a million years and i am going to break the letter-writing etiquette by letting you know on the internet that it is ON ITS WAY, or it will be, as soon as i write it, very, very soon. in other words, SBEE, the check is in the mail.
That's ok, i think that righteous indignation is a preservative, like whatever they put in gummy worms, that will make you live longer. Fortunately it is a good posting. I like it. It's pretty much impressive.
Bathmate
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