Kicked out over a peanut

Another Saga from Atlantic City. Armpit of New Jersey.

First: It was probably bad judgment on my part. It was my fault. I was in need of correction.

I stopped in a boardwalk bistro and ordered something cold to drink. I intended to order a sandwich. No one took my order. I sat for 5 minutes. Appetizer needed. I was hungry. I sat sipping my beverage and retrieved a partially eaten sack of peanuts about the size of a baseball out of my pocket. I had bought them from a street vendor

They were busy. I ate perhaps a dozen or so, putting the shells neatly in the cup provided for the drink. It was my intent to not leave any shells or any mess.

Suddenly the owner of the joint, a Greek fellow, large beard, bad accent, came took away my beverage, told me to take my peanuts and get out. He refunded my money (that was nice of him sort of). But he unceremoniously kicked me out.

Now, this was not a restaurant. It was a walk up hot dog stand counter with stools. I was on a stool. I was not asked to stop, I was not asked to put away the peanuts. Just kicked out.

He made a scene. I have fairly thick skin so I took my money, my peanuts, my shells and my hungry bod out the door as ordered. I said at the beginning I was probably wrong.

I thought about that. I don’t believe it is in good taste to take a sandwich into a restaurant. I’ll give you that. I know restaurants, this was no restaurant. But, I don’t believe this kind of perfunctory execution served anything. I didn’t get a sandwich (Philly Steak with Cheese $6.50 is what I had in mind), he didn’t get my money. Any of it.

I went down the boardwalk and had a Corned Beef Sandwich ($5.95). It was good.

I guess that Greek thinks he showed me a thing or two. Won a battle but lost little war. He will go to his grave thinking he showed me a thing or two. He did. He showed me he’s a peanut. He now runs a hotdog stand in Armpit New Jersey. He will always run a hotdog stand in Armpit New Jersey. We used to have a saying in Carnegie:

I know men in the ranks that will stay in the ranks,
Why? I’ll tell you why,
Simply because they haven’t the ability to get things done

Interpretation, you stay where you are, stuck in life because of dumb bush league decisions you make.

I think I’ll stop saying Bush league, it’s insulting to Bushes, Presidential and leafy.

Peanut.