An Asking of My Own

Since October, I've been following The Daily Asker, a blog documenting one woman's quest to, as the name suggests, ask for something every day for a year.

Last week I made an asking of my own. I'm not meek by character, but I'm surprisingly deferential to those with authority. I use the term authority loosely, because in this case, all it took to confer "authority" was a glass ticket window.

About two weeks ago, my friend Christin and I decided to get dinner and a movie. The parking lot was half-full, but the ticket area was empty save the two bored-looking high school girls manning the booth.

Christin walked up to the blonde on the left, I took the brunette on the right.

"One for the 6:45 showing of Benjamin Button," I said, handing her my credit card. As she slid me the receipt, Christin, who was still getting out her wallet, asked if there was a student discount. There was, $2 off.

"Oh, can I get the student discount too?" I asked, pulling out my college ID.

"Sorry, the transaction's already gone through. You have to ask for a discount first," she said monotonously.

Normally, I would have believed her and simply accepted the higher price to avoid causing a scene or looking like a cheapskate. After all, what do I know about credit card machines. But this time I decided to fight for my $2.

"Well, I didn't know there was a discount. Can't you just cancel the transaction and do it again?"

No, that would take the manager's approval, she said.

"Couldn't you just give me $2 cash? I mean, I am a student,"

No, then their cash drawer would be short.

I kept pressing, firmly but politely. They mentioned the manager again.

"OK, then may I speak to the manager?"

The two girls exchanged a look.

"You really want me to call the manager over $2?" the blonde asked incredulously.

"Yeah, I'd appreciate it if you could," I said.

She sighed and got the guy, who couldn't have been more than a year or two older than me.

"Oh yeah, we can do that for you," he said nonchalantly after I explained him what had happened.

I thanked him and the other two profusely and Christin and I went on to watch God's greatest creation (Brad Pitt, *sigh*) reverse age for the next two hours.

Gained: $2, the self-assurance not to believe everything I hear, and the self-confidence not to care what two bored high-schoolers who I will never see again thought of me.