F You, Einstein

I enjoy a good bagel.  I'm not ashamed to admit that. 

I especially enjoy a good "everything" bagel.  And when I say good, I do have a few criteria.
1) "Everything" doesn't actually mean "everything."  It means the right things.
2) Rye is a deal-breaker.
3) Full sunflower or pumpkin seeds, while not deal-breakers, have no business in an "everything" bagel

That's about it.  I did find one place that had the "everything" over the entire bagel, which was a bonus, but I will not judge other bagels on that high standard.

Central Market has good "everything" bagels.  A long-defunct coffee shop in Houston named Toopee's had the absolute best.  I still miss that place.

Einstein's does not have good "everything" bagels.  See criteria #2 above.  But in the absence of a good everything bagel, a garlic bagel will suffice (an onion bagel in dire emergencies).

Since Einstein's is on my way to work, I have been know to stop there upon occasion (twice, maybe three times.  Per week).

Garlic bagel, toasted with butter.  $1.95. 

Today, I had one of my occasional visits.  Handed the cashier my two dollars, and she gave me back a shiny quarter. 

I told her that I think she erred, as I normally get back a dull nickel. 

"I gave you the senior discount."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"The senior discount.  10% off."

"Why in the living hell would you do that?  I did not ask for the senior discount.  There is no way I even qualify for the senior discount."

"It's for people over 50."

"Oh."

Maybe she came to Einstein's from the circus, where she used to guess people's weight and age.  Maybe she thought that she was doing me a favor by saving me a tiny amount of change.

But weighing my self-perception as someone who does not automatically and without question qualify for a senior discount versus the $0.20 savings, self-perception wins hands down.  Thinking about it more, the price point where my outrage equals the value is probably closer to $1, or about a 50% discount.

"Ma'am, I did not ask for, not do I require, your 'senior discount'.  I wish to pay full-price for my bagels, and have the means to do so.  Good day."

I then dumped the quarter into the tip jar.  Which, in retrospect, may have been the plan all along.