Not much sympathy here

Twenty years ago certainly, ten years ago maybe, but today someone asked to
write a check and I didn’t have much sympathy. Unless you are known at the
location, most places these days just don’t accept checks. And at a motel
that is even more true. And today someone came in and asked to write a
check. The fact that it is snowing and the interstate is closed made me a
little more sympathetic - until I realized that they lived in this area.
We’ve had winter storm warnings and watches for the last couple of days.
This storm is no surprise. And then the person said something along the
lines of “I didn’t think I’d need my wallet.”

And that’s fine. I don’t mind that you didn’t bring your wallet. But I do
mind that you expect me to pick up after you when you just plain didn’t plan
for the problem. And the problem was easily foreseeable. This is Colorado.
If you travel even thirty miles from home you can get stuck away from it
for several hours or a night when a storm comes up. And the weather
channels have been forecasting an incoming storm for several days. And this
morning the forecast was for a nasty storm tonight. And I could go on.

And I did offer to help. I dialed the sheriff’s department. But you hung
up saying that they weren’t answering. If you really wanted help you would
have navigated the menu. You would have looked into what they could
provide. I know that the sheriff’s department will come out and help since
I’ve asked them to do so in times that aren’t emergencies and when someone
really needs help. But this timeÂ… you didn’t want help. Or you wanted it
in a way that allowed you to control the situation. And that just wasn’t
going to happen. So pardon me if I am less than sympathetic. What you
wanted just doesn’t rise to the level of necessity that would invoke my
sympathy.