DRS: Not My Finest Hour...

Today I was at the post office. The lady at the counter next to me had a lot of business to take care of. The lady in line behind her kept jiggling her keys and loudly sighing, which meant, "Hurry up, chick. You're holding me up." It is frustrating when you're trying to take care of business in a hurry, but hey, the post office is there to serve everyone's needs and you simply have to wait your turn. Finally, little Ms. Impatient decided she couldn't wait another second and made a dramatic exit, which prompted everyone to stare at her, look at each other and shake their heads.

Not sure why, but the episode reminded me of something I did when my husband was deployed. Something I'm not very proud of.

Do you remember Erin's story? I had something very similar happen to me. I had been standing in line at the drug store for what felt like forever. There were two cashiers but one single line. Most people realize that the person at the front of the line gets to check out at whichever station becomes available next. It's not rocket science. Just as it was my turn, a lady came from out of nowhere and walked up to the available register, as if all ten people were standing in line for the other one.

I.Was.Incredulous.

I had patiently waited my turn, and was totally shocked at the audacity of the woman who had to know that she broke in line, yet had no shame whatsoever in doing so. A public hissy-fit, whether I'm in the right or not, isn't something that I generally wish to throw. But on this occasion, I did.

I walked up to the counter, plopped my items down and without looking at the lady standing there, told the cashier that I was next in line. Then, I looked at the intruder, pointed to the rather obvious line of people behind me and loudly said, "The line is there and I suggest you go to the back of it." She began mouthing off at me. I kept looking forward at the poor cashier who was clearly uncomfortable being in the middle of a customer disagreement, even though the intruder kept coming at me fast and furiously saying things like, if you can believe this, she had never seen someone behave so rudely in public.

Actually, I was rather rude with my huffiness and ordering her to the back of the line. A better person would have let it slide and not caused a scene. But I snapped and decided to take on the cause of everyone who has ever been a "victim" of line breakers. Believe it or not, the lady did not go to the back of the line. She waited right there beside me until I checked-out (yapping at me the whole time). I didn't look back when I was leaving the store, but I was hoping the next person in line would have bumped her, too. Or, that the cashier would have told her to go to the back of the line.

Nobody who witnessed the scene would have faulted me (they were probably giving me mental high-fives), but immediately after leaving the store, I was embarrassed and rather shocked by my sudden outburst.

Like Erin, this happened when my husband was deployed. Sadly, you can turn on just about any television channel these days and find some expert making excuses for all kinds of bad, strange and unacceptable behavior. I say we get in on the action, too, so I've invented a new term. Deployment Rage Syndrome (DRS, for short).

I don't know about you, but whew am I glad there is a term for this now. It's sure to help us in countless ways in the future.

Hey, did you hear that she ran over the Colonel's kid in the commissary with her cart?

Yeah, but she's suffering from DRS

Oh, well, then.... Poor Dear!

Comments

[wifeunit]

I love this Andy, I am totally going to use this in my future! I definitely had an attack of this variety while Mark was deployed, and oh my goodness wouldn't you know Mark called right afterwards and got hit with the DRS induced expletive laden crying fest. He tried to blame it on pregnancy hormones, but now I know where the blame really lies...

[liberal army wife]

Ah ha! ok.. now we have a syndrome - now we need an association DRSA (or should it be ADRS?) then we have to get a grant, and study it and try to find a cure.

OR - we can all tell the line jumpers to get to the back of the line and make sure they do it!

LAW

[Guard Wife]

My husband would be proud of you! We have a pick-up line at my girls' school & Hubs found himself in it quite a bit when he had some time off before leaving. A car drove past him and the SIX cars behind him and pulled into the alley that runs along the kids' school...completely oblivious that the LINE had already formed.
Hubs exited his truck and probably almost gave the guy a need for a diaper change...instead of telling him what to do, Hubs asked, "What are you DOING?!" Apparently, he had been texting and not really paying attention and he didn't KNOW. [to add insult to injury, this joker was wearing a (gasp!) FedEx uniform] It was a hoot.

Good for you! I would have had your back had I been there.

[Robb]

Holy cow. I'm that guy -- and proud of it too.

As the homespouse, especially during the summer, I drag the boys to a fast food place about once a week. We all know that Wendy's and BK have the mouse lines, but McD's and Chick-Fil-A have individual cashier lines.

So I rock into McD or CFA and there are ten people standing around like they are deciding between the Big Mac and the Filet-O-Fish, but there is no one at the register. So I just go up to the first register available and sustain evil looks.

I even had this happen at Trader Joe's. I try to go up to a register but a women is waiting between two of them. "Are you in line" I ask. She says she's waiting to see which line moves faster. ok then, I'm taking this line here.

The bottom line is: if there is no mouse line, just stand in front of a cashier and take your chances, rather than backing people out the door in your imaginary queue.

[Ann - AF spouse]

Don't you love the Commissary "next please" machine with the flashing register number? Everybody needs one! I once got dirty looks for going the wrong direction down the row of shelves. A women pointed to the Arrows painted on the floor!

Definitely had the "DRSA" syndrome, but I just burst into tears! The still remember the look of panic on the poor doctor's face. I had a bad case of tendonitus caused from rocking a baby with colic (try it for several hours at a stretch!)

I drug said screaming baby and an active pre-schooler to the doctor with me. He said I had a clasic case of "over use" and I needed to "stay off of it and rest". Then came the tears. Now it is a comical story, but he sure did reach for a prescription pad very fast.

[Michelle]

oh my. I had some nice bouts of DRS during our last deployment. my shining moment came in the ER where I was sitting for some undetermined stomach problem. He fist asked if I was preggers to which I tried to nicely explain that dh was gone and there was no way I could be pg. After insisting I needed a pg test just to make sure, I finally lost it on him and yelled "HE'S IN IRAQ - I HAVEN"T HAD SEX IN 10 MONTHS" I don't even want to tell you what happened when he told me I'd be staying in the hospital for 3 days.

[airforcewife]

Guard Wife, that is seriously one of the funniest things I've read this week.

OMG - I'm DYING here.

I've been known to miss where the line actually is in a new place, but I ALWAYS apologize and go to the end of the line when I do.

[Mrs G]

Heh, been there myself, I have big issues with line breakers, but that goes back to childhood ;P.

My kids hold there breath if someone dares to cut in line, I don't think I get nasty, just politely show them the end of the line, however, my kids always roll their eyes and tell me I sound bitchy, (whatevah!) anyway I have been getting better at choosing my battles.

DRS?, nah, possibly SPDM
(Short People Defensive Mechanism). Do they have a grant for that, I could use step stools and a special car where I'm not eating the dash board to reach the pedals, and hey one of those pole thingys to reach up high.

I digress, maybe I just have PMS :P

[Marine Wife]

Actual conversation with my mother during the last deployment:
Mom: What is wrong with you? Why are you so grumpy all the time?
Me: Oh, I don't know...Probably because my husband is in IRAQ. FOR. A. YEAR!
Mom: So, are you just going to be grumpy for the whole year?
Me: Probably.
Mom: That isn't healthy...It's not good for the girls...
(I was chewing off my tongue at this point to keep from pointing out that it was mainly her that was bringing out the worst in me)...
Me: ...okay, I'm hanging up now and I don't think we should talk for awhile.
(click)

Oh, and Mrs. G, my husband has been known to refer to me as the SAW (Short Angry Woman).

[angela]

I also get annoyed at the doctor always thinking I am pregnant. Like if you are a women that must be whats wrong with you. I had to have a minor surgery on my head while my husband was gone. Trying to explain that I am not pregnant because my husband is gone, even if he wasn't gone I got him fixed so I wouldn't be pregnant even if he was here, and what does that have to do with sewing up my head? I probably should have been nicer but after about the 5th nurse it got kinda old. I still want to know what sewing up my head had to do with being pregnant? It still would have had to be done. If my husband was there I would have been calmer.

[She of the Sea]

Oh, that pregnancy test thing makes me crazy, too. I understand that they want to be sure, but so often they're just going to proceed even if you were pregnant.

The ohter day, I had to sign a waiver saying that I wasn't pregnant when my daughter was getting x-rays. I still haven't figured out why, but even my 11 year old was incredulous.

Is DRS related to DSS (deployment slacker syndrome)? You know, unshaven legs, a messy bedroom & a freezer full of chicken nuggets. Cuz I surely have that!

[Jaded]

DRS! Thanks I needed this. I've been wondering what was wrong with me this past week.

[Jessica]

Wow!!! That is soo me. At least I have a name for it now! What really irks me is none of my friends call to check up on how I'm doing, they call to check on the dog!!

[Andria]

DRS! It's perfect. It describes exactly how I feel when I found out that the Army has told us one thing one minute and then changed in the next minute. My soldier hasn't left yet, but I've definately had moments of DRS.

[SailorGirl09]

i agree with you all. does anyone know if DRS applies to when you're deployed as well? or just when the hubby leaves? So far I've only dealt with him leaving. But I'm joining the Navy and I'm wondering how I'll handle him leaving. I definately deal with DRS a lot though! Thanks for the term!