Then I was writing an email to Amazon’s customer service. My order had been mishandled in a couple of different ways. So I layed out what needed to happen to resolve the situation, then I closed the email by explaining that I’d worked at Amazon for four years and was embarrassed that such a thing could happen. What was I trying to do – raise some sense of shame in a customer service rep? The best I deserve for that line is a touch of contempt. I’m embarrassed for having resorted to that line.
I had never dialed 9-1-1 before today. I was working at my computer and I heard arguing outside. I assumed I was hearing a disagreement between people from the building next door. The noise persisted, so I turned down my music. There were actually several voices I went down the hall and had a look at the street, there was a mob of teenagers milling around, gesturing aggresively at each other. I ran back to my apartment and dialed the phone, carrying the cordless into the hall so I could peek out the door. The arguing started to die down while I was giving the operator the address. So I stepped outside, people were strutting off in a couple of different directions still chattering aggressively. A police car came around the corner and “whoop”-ed it’s siren once. The operator asked me, “Did you see anyone with a weapon?” “No.” Later I walked down to Broadway and saw part of the group of teenagers assembled outside of Jack in the Box. They were still making a scene, but not really guilty of much more than being stupid teenagers. I may have over-reacted by calling the police.
No harm done in either case. But I’m disappointed that I over reacted like that.