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Chapter 21: Unpaid Tolls, Workplace Drama, and Thanksgiving Awkwardness

caninelover's picture

In the fall of 2019, Bratty’s Americorps job did not get off to a great start.  Bratty complained that the program director (a middle-aged male, so not the fault of the evil Middle-Aged Women this time) would not use her requested pronouns.  She had submitted a proposal recommending various changes to the office, including converting the restrooms to gender-neutral.  Since they did not immediately implement Bratty’s recommendations she decided to exit the program after serving only 4 months of the expected 12 month role.  Bratty did find a new job as an entry-level medical assistant at a clinic.  She would use this as part of her preparation for her future medical school plans as she still hoped to become a doctor someday.

As Thanksgiving rolled around, we planned to head up to the Bay Area as SO’s brother had invited us as well as Bratty and other family/friends.  SO and I decided we would drive up the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and leave the Saturday after.  We booked a nice hotel with a spa so I could spend the Friday after Thanksgiving relaxing while SO and Bratty spent the day together.

For Thanksgiving dinner, I brought cranberry sauce and cornbread muffins to share.   SO’s brother has a large house but since they were expecting almost 30 people there were 3 different tables set up.  While I was not looking forward to seeing Bratty, I was relieved to not have to deal with her random vegan-ness and figured the gathering was large enough that she wouldn’t bother me.  Bratty was planning to carpool over in her cousin’s car and texted SO a couple of times complaining that her cousin was making them late.  Bratty was bringing a vegan tofu roast thingee and her cousin’s lateness was making it soggy.

Bratty eventually did arrive with her cousins just before we sat down to dinner.  Bratty again complained to SO that her cousin made them late because he was late returning from his workout, and how inconsiderate he was.  Unfortunately, Bratty ended up at a table with just SO and I as there were a few last-minute cancellations so I got to hear all of Bratty’s complaining first hand.  I sat there thinking about Bratty showing up a day late to SO’s birthday camping trip and couldn’t help but wonder why Bratty didn’t apply those same standards to herself.

As dinner went on Bratty talked about a road trip she was planning after New Year’s.  She had emailed me prior to Thanksgiving and asked if it was alright if she and a friend spent a night or two at our home during their trip, as they were planning to drive to Mexico.  SO and I discussed and we said no problem.  During dinner, Bratty talked about her trip and mentioned she had emailed my friend (without asking either SO or I) to ask if she and her friend could stay with my friends mother for a couple of days in Mexico.  WTF. 

My friend is a few years older than me (and the same friend whose husband Bratty called a misogynist after he asked his son to walk Bratty to her car after a dinner party) and her mother was almost 90, lived in a small village in Mexico, speaks no English, suffers from dementia, and was in rapidly declining health (in fact, she passed away in early 2020).  I’m thinking what kind of person even asks their SM’s friend (who they met twice) if they can stay with their mother on their vacation?  Holy inappropriate freeloading, Batman!  Of course my friend politely declined.  When I checked in with her later, she said she thought the request was odd but aside from that there was no way it would work due to her mother’s condition.  At any rate, I let it pass but did tell SO later that I thought it was incredibly rude and inappropriate for Bratty to make such a request.

The day after Thanksgiving I got to treat myself to nice spa day with thankfully no interaction with Bratty.  She and SO spent the day together doing some sightseeing.  We returned home on Saturday and just relaxed at home on Sunday.

A few weeks later, SO gets a ticket in the mail.  It was his old car, now Bratty’s car.  When SO gave her the car, he told her she was required to go to the DMV and transfer the ownership into her name.  She told SO she would get right on it.  Guess what, she never did.  And she received a ticket evading a bridge toll – the camera got the plate number and of course the ticket was mailed to SO since Bratty never changed the registration. 

The toll system was such that if you received this type of ticket you could simply go online and pay the toll that was due with no penalty within 30-ish days.  The toll came to $6, I think.  If you missed the deadline you had to pay the toll plus a $70 fine.  SO called Bratty right away and told her she had to transfer the registration and pay the toll online.  Bratty said ok.

A few weeks later, SO was on a business trip and I am going through our mail.  I see another ticket, open it, and text a photo to SO.  Bratty had not paid the $7 toll and now owed almost $80.  He said he’d let Bratty know but she was responsible for taking care of it.  Eventually after some ‘follow up’ Bratty did register the car in her name and paid her unnecessarily expensive fine.

As Bratty was set to start her new job in mid-January of 2020, her friend flew in from the east coast for their mini-vacation road trip to Mexico.  A road trip to Mexico with Bratty McBratFace – what could go wrong?  We shall see…

PS – No one other than Bratty ate her soggy vegan tofu roast thingee except for Bratty.  She took most of back home with her that night.

Comments

CLove's picture

Yeah, and then...cue eerie music...Covid, then Corona, virus started making things chaotic because no one knew anything, but folks were still traveling.

Speaking of traveling, I remember this was when Toxic Troll went to Hawaii. It was right before the march lockdown, and right before she decided to buy a puppy. See my posts on machete man, lol. I also recall we were at a restaurant when things were still open and TT was requesting "her support check" early so she would have spending cash for this trip. DH has never been to Hawaii and has never been on a vacation.

So, Im going to be interested to know what happens on this vacation with bratola. 

Shes got some cajones thats for sure! Trying to impose herself on YOUR friends. And vegan thanksgiving. Yuk.

tog redux's picture

OMG, how entitled must you be to expect an elderly person you've never met to put you up for a couple nights, so you can have a free trip to Mexico, lol.

caninelover's picture

Bratty is the world's biggest freeloader for sure

JRI's picture

I guess we were all young, inconsiderate, self-centered people at one time.   Sigh....

caninelover's picture

Yeah I never asked to stay with my parents' friends' parents on a vacation!  That would have been an ick no thank you from me...

IDontCare3117's picture

This just occurred to me.  Didn't she plan another trip where she thought 4 people could sleep in a little convertible to save money on hotels?  Why was she all of a sudden too good to sleep in her car?  She could have used her traffic violations to keep her warm.  

caninelover's picture

When she wanted to go to the Bay Area the summer she stayed with us.  

She wanted to impress this friend with her 'connections' in other countries, LOL.

IDontCare3117's picture

Yeeeeaaaaahhhhh, Bratty should be instructed to NEVER contact any of your friends again after that little stunt.  She's got a pair as big as (entitled) church bells.

caninelover's picture

She hasn't tried since and don't think she will again.  She knows now that they don't like her much.

Stepdrama2020's picture

She has no shame what a freeloader . Yea I am sure a 90 yr old would have just loved bratty mcbrat face. No problemo tofu tacos for all. Geez

Cant wait to hear about the road trip. Let me guess she turned in El Chapo.

caninelover's picture

Right?  What the eff was she even thinking!

IDontCare3117's picture

I may get flamed on for this, but so be it.

Gender-neutral bathrooms?  Sorry, I'd rather not change my tampon in one stall while some guy in the next stall is getting rid of his breakfast with extra hot sauce.  

tog redux's picture

It's usually the one-person type of bathroom.  Though we did have mixed bathrooms in college. No big deal, but I was 19, lol.

IDontCare3117's picture

Ah!  That makes more sense.  Big DUH on my part.  I was thinking large bathrooms with multiple sinks and stalls.  

notarelative's picture

I've encountered gender neutral bathrooms in Ireland (Cliffs of Moher) and Italy (near the Sistine Chapel). In both cases it was rows of single stalls with walls and doors that touched the floor. The stalls I used did not have urinals. There was a line of sinks just as rhere are in single sex bathrooms. It was fine and I'd be ok with a similar setup here at large venues.

I like that must better than the set up we ran into in France. Gender neutral single stalls, but with squat toilets. Urinals in the back of the building in the open air. 

The only place I have ever seen long lines for men is at NASCAR.

 

caninelover's picture

A lot of places have them now.  I much prefer a seperate ladies room because urinals stink (literally) and I like a nice fresh powder room!

tog redux's picture

I've heard a few times now, that per cleaning people, women's bathrooms are usually far, far worse than men's.

JRI's picture

I love the part about her starting a new job and submitting the list of changes they should make.   Lol.

JRI's picture

Do you think she made the connection that perhaps that wasn't the wisest move?  Im guessing not.

advice.only2's picture

I would like to think I am shocked an appalled at the nerve of Bratty to reach out to your friends after she was rude and snubbed them repeatedly, but I think she is just that socially inept she thinks everybody likes her and should be willing to help her.

caninelover's picture

Yes, she can't see beyond herself and thinks that my friends' mother would be happy to host some rando who doesn't speak her language and wants special food and pronouns.  When she has dementia and can't function well herself.  Ridiculous.

KC is not the stepmother's picture

So are you telling me that negotiating with the DMV doesn't actually work?  Who'd have thought!

caninelover's picture

$6 fine turns into a >$50 fine.  Stupid.