I am a customer at a well-known hair salon for a haircut. The store is in a slightly undeveloped area but the employees are very polite and do their jobs well; I’ve been getting haircuts from these employees since I was a child. I am patiently waiting with a couple in the waiting seats while a male employee and two female employees cut other peoples’ hair.

The phone rings and a male employee answers.

Employee: “[Salon], [Employee] speaking. How may I help you?”

Caller: *Unintelligible*

Employee: “Oh, you need directions to get here? Well, we are between [Avenue] and [Interstate Road].”

Caller: *Unintelligible*

Employee: “May I ask where you’re driving from to get here?”

The employee’s shoulders and head sag in disbelief.

Employee: “Brandon?”

Brandon is over a half-hour drive from Tampa. Everyone else in the salon laughs at the ludicrousness of that. I turn to a woman next to me.

Me: “Is a $15 haircut really worth that much gas?”

Woman: *Laughs* “I know, right?”

Employee: *Finishing the call* “Well, sir, I will see you in thirty to forty minutes.”

Me: *Raising my voice* “Don’t forget to factor in evening traffic!”

Employee: “Make that the next hour. Bye!”