Ever feel like you're trapped in a bad comedy routine?
In Logan Airport, in Boston, in May of 2003, I stopped at Baldini's Italian Cooking for lunch. The menu said "Pasta of the day: baked ziti." I went up to the kid behind the counter and the following loop occurred:
Me: Is there meat in the baked ziti?
Kid: We don't have baked ziti.
Me [looking at next item on menu]: Then can I have the broccoli chicken ziti?
Kid: We don't have broccoli chicken ziti.
Me: Then what do you have?
Kid [to other counterperson]: What do we have?
Counterguy [to kid]: Just what's out on display there.
Kid [to me, pointing to food on display]: Just what's here.
Me [pointing to ziti-like food]: What's that?
Kid [to counterguy]: What's that?
Counterguy [to kid]: Baked ziti.
Kid [to me]: Baked ziti.
Me: So is there meat in the baked ziti?
[Kid starts to go ask counterguy. I decide it's not worth my time and take my business elsewhere.]
The kid showed no indication through the entire dialogue that he saw anything contradictory about his statements. . . .
Leave a comment