Up in smoke

About the last thing I expected to see when I went to the doctor yesterday was a fight.

But, a fight is what I saw. I'm just glad it didn't come to blows.

As I was signing in, anticipating relief from my lower back pain, I heard a older woman complaining about a man in the parking lot. I didn't catch much of the conversation at first, except when she called him a "stupid idiot." Point taken, even if that may be the most redundant phrase I've ever heard.

In walked said "stupid idiot," who turned out to be a younger guy with a bad attitude. He overheard the older woman talking to the receptionist and then the "Jerry Springer" moment began.

He evidently had taken exception to the woman smoking in the parking lot. The exchange continued indoors. They went back and forth a minute using dialogue that made "Li'l Abner" look like Laurence Olivier.

My blood boiled over when the punk said, "Somebody should take that cane and hit you upside the head with it."

I turned, glared at him as I passed, but the conversation died down. I shook my head, amazed at the insanity of it all, disgusted by the lack of manners on both sides.

I mentioned all of this on Facebook last night and inadvertently touched off a debate about smoking. By that point, I'd had a steroid shot in my back and really just wanted to watch Elvis and Mary Tyler Moore fall in love in "Change of Habit."

I'm fairly libertarian on most issues. Live and let live and all of that.

What I will not tolerate, though, is unnecessary rudeness or lack of manners. That, my friends, can all go up in smoke.