[QUOTE=Contrapuntal]
TThis is your response–
You seem to have forgotten the rest of my response: “See The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, definition #2.”
You would have seen that if you had bothered to look up the American Heritage definition, like I suggested. The relevant definition seems to have moved from #2 to #1a: “An occupation or career.”
Hey, you’re the one who brought up being paid ten bucks to give advice. I was just using the example you set.
By the way: doctors who work “for free” tend to do so only a couple of days a week; the rest of the time they’re in a hospital or private practice, which is their source of income.
Oh, and before you ask what “enough to live on” has to do with “an occupation or career”, I refer you to the American Heritage definition for “occupation”, #1a & b.
Hmmmmmm…
Well, it could be that he was a BMOC Golden Boy whose parents just recently cut him off and pushed him out of the nest.
I don’t fault you for being somewhat irritated at him. Folks who have a huge (and undeserved) sense of entitlement kind of bug me too.
That said, you’ll have a WHOLE lot more fun messing with them rather than allowing them to make you mad. Someone earlier on posted a good “icy comeback” of something to the effect of “do you have someplace to go?” But you could make it even more fun than that, if you were so inclined.
As soon as you note the “you’re cutting into my cellphone time” attitude kicking in with him, (and keeping in mind consideration should other customers be in line behind you), you can EVER so sweetly and unconcernedly slow things way down. Including conversations/stupid questions to him that make it impossible for him to continue his gabfest on the cellphone.
The trick to making it fun, and switching the frustration to their side is to remain oblivious (outwardly) to any attempts on their part to show you how “stupid”, annoying and time-consuming you’re being.
You don’t even notice his cellphone, his snotty rollie-eyes, his finger drumming. You are HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY, and slow, and not just slow, but making it impossible for him to do the lackadaisical “talking on the cellphone, waiting on you without even looking at you” thing.
If you make a game out of it, you’ll find that it’s a lot less stressful, AND you get to get a tiny measure of revenge as well. Thus having your cake and eating it too!
Lute, you are a master of the oblivious. I assume you mean this definition–
I have absolutely no idea what (b) has do do with anything. (a) merely states that an occupation is how people get money; it says absolutely nothing about how much money, or whether that money is sufficient to their needs. Or is it your contention that everyone who is employed makes enough money to live on? Or that no one who has a job needs government assistance, or is in debt much greater than their ability to repay?
And if we were talking about tendencies you might have a point. However, we are talking about specific examples, kind of like in the OP, you know? Here’s one. Postulate a lawyer with a private source of income who performs legal services exclusively pro bono. Is he a professional?
How about you do what is SOP on the Dope and provide a cite, rather than telling me to go look it up.
I have provided you with a perfectly good definition of ‘profession’ that makes it perfectly clear that more is required than simply the exchange of money for services rendered, as you would have it. Here it is again.
Your refusal or inability to comprehend this wearying. The last word is yours.
I have a degree and I wish I could get a raise so I could make $8/hour.
It’s not always about lack of ambition, folks.
I would assume he didn’t know he was drumming his fingers. Maybe I’m just generous.
It was a goof. So sue me.
However much is needed to support themselves.
If it’s not sufficent to their needs then they should take on a second occupation, adjust their needs accordingly, or get public assistance.
Depends. Does this hypothetical lawyer have a license to practice law?
Here’s one for you: postulate a paralegal who is pulling down 50K a year but does not have a degree. Is he a professional?
My point is quite simple: the term “profession” usually but does not always refer to an occupation that requires higher learning and “professional” usually but does not always indicate a person with an advanced degree. How else would you explain someone who does not fit your definition of “professional” being fired for unprofessionalism?
I didn’t tell you to do shit. I was trying to avoid game of duelling dictionaries. Didn’t seem to work.
Gee, thanks.
What Lute Skywatcher and Contrapuntal are saying:
Blah blah blah.
What everyone else is hearing: the actual thread.
Seriously. Guys, I like both of you and normally appreciate what y’all contribute to threads, but after the first two exchanges here, I’ve been exercising my pagedown key. Could one of you pit the other one, link to it from here, and continue on there? I don’t think you’re still talking about the gas station boy (although to be fair you could be and I wouldn’t know).
Daniel
Ha, ha, ha! 
Thanks Lou.
I don’t blame you. Contra is just about the obstinate Doper that I’ve ever encountered. 'Course I am, too, whenenver I encouter the “I’m right, I know I’m right, and nothing you say or do will disuade me” mentality. The object is to get them to consider the possibility that they just might not be so right.
Even when this doesn’t work, which it usually doesn’t, at least it serves as an example to those watching.
For God’s sake, just call the station manager or owner in the morning and have the fuckwit fired.
I know a couple of gas station owners and they don’t tolerate disrespectful behavior from employees. Gas stations thrive on repeat business and the owner won’t appreciate the employee pissing you off.
Er, that should have been “Contra is just about the most obstinate Doper that I’ve ever encountered.”
Screw you. I don’t get people fired because they piss me off unless they require my vote in the next election. I bitch. M’kay?
Why couldn’t you just register a complaint? It the guy gets fired, then he’s probably done other stupid shit and this was just the last straw.
Because it’s just a stupid rant about something that pissed me off. Quit drumming your damn fingers. It’s not a fireable offense. It’s just a gas station.
Getting this guy fired isn’t going to change the world in any meaningful way. Featherlou has it right. Go back, wait for gas station boy to do it again and ask, “you got somewhere to be?”
Not that big a deal. It just pissed me off. Don’t sit there on your cell phone and drum your fingers while I’m boring you by buying things.
levkadron, Lefty, featherlou, et.al.
Sorry about the hijack.
And not nearly as fun as the Photoshopped jpg of myself, the entire Bulgarian Olympic team, and the vat of Vicks Vapo-Rub.
Regards,
Shodan
I managed a gas station when I was much younger, and I loved customers like you. You are the type of customer who kept me from going into the safe to get more change because of all the people who paid in 20s. So I thank you for your singles, and I really thank the people who pay with exact change, 'cause nothin’s worse than having to open a roll of pennies 5 minutes before closing.
I’ve got no dog in this fight, but would like to point out that the M in ATM stands for Machine.
The previous post was provided through the Department of Duplicitous Redundancy™