Bring in the Professionals

A few years back, when Kristin and I were both working and had disposable income, we used to dine a little too frequently at Sweetwater Tavern. We were on a first-name basis with many of the staff there. One night one of the servers, Veronica, started discussing with us the concept of professional diners. On weeknights, those coming to dinner often ate out, understood the flow of a meal at a restaurant, and could be classified as professional diners. On the weekends, however, you would get the teenagers borrowing Mom's minivan whose eyes would widen at the sight of the price column on the menu then ask for lots of bread and a glass of water. The amateurs.

As I was driving into work today - we launched an upgrade to our website so I had to go into the office to test on a Saturday - everything felt a little off. Traffic didn't flow as it usually does. Mind you, we're talking the DC Metro area so there is traffic every day of the week, even Saturday. People were parking in lanes that are usually reserved for faster-moving traffic. Others would tap their brakes at the slightest change in roadway. Merging took a little bit longer than necessary.

Then I realized what it was: amateur Route 66 drivers. Here were people who were heading downtown for a weekend activity, not people who travel the road five days a week. They haven't learned, through experience as the seasoned commuters have, how best to use the road. I couldn't expect of them the same level of professionalism; it wouldn't be fair.

(It's the same then when dealing with tourists using the Metro system. They don't know how to purchase farecards. They clog the turnstiles. And they can't seem to get it that on Metro escalators you walk-left-stand-right. Each time I get the urge to lay into one of them for the last, which is the most egregious of these crimes, I have to remind myself that they don't know any better.)

Thanks to my newfound realization about amateur Route 66 drivers, I was able to calm the road rage brewing in my soul, turned up the radio, and relaxed as I headed in for an afternoon in our company's testing lab.

Maybe someday they can all become professionals.