Overheard

I had a God awful ride home tonight; all roads were not accommodating and I nearly had an accident behind an SUV with Florida plates. Florida drivers are my latest aggravation. But I digress.

When I finally got to my apartment building well past 8 pm, I ran for the elevator. There was one woman with a compact face and a stern, tightly pursed mouth. She entered the elevator. There was a second women with a luggage trolley loaded with dry cleaning and boxes. I held the elevator door for her so she could enter the elevator with her unwieldy stuff. I then stepped in. Floors were called. I'm on 4. My trolley counterpart was on 10. Miss Pursed Lips was on 11. Up we go.

The moment the door closed, Miss Pursed Lips spoke. She did so with a repressed and vitriolic tone.

Pursed Lips: Ladies (she blurted out with hostility)--what the hell is happening with our country?

Me: You mean the mortgage crisis news today?

PL: The country is going to hell and fast.The government is buying out all the banks. It's chaos.

Me: Yes, I hear it will cost the government a few billion dollars. Maybe a trillion.

PL: Well you know why this is a problem, don't you? it's men. Men control the House. They control the Senate. Until we have a woman president, this country will continue to run to ruin. Only women can save this country.

Finally trolley girl speaks. She asks in a breathless and girlish voice: Why is that?

PL: (exasperated) Because women are so much smarter than men. Don't you KNOW THAT?!

The elevator stops at the 4th floor. I am grateful for my reprieve. "Have a nice weekend," I exclaim as I dash for the parting exit of the elevator doors.

God help Trolley Girl. She had six more floors to go.