Jury Duty

If there was ever a day I wished I could simply disappear for a few hours with no one noticing, it was today. Jury duty began at 8am. A brief run through the metal detector and scan of my juror card and I was amongst the masses in an airport style terminal. I took a seat on the far left of the room. These seats were against the wall and had plenty of leg room. Perfect I thought, I can see everyone, I can lean my head up against the wall, and I can stretch. I felt a small victory in claiming my seat. Those around me--at first glance normal. Old white guy with newspaper in jeans, young white guy with newspaper and coffee and khakis, Asian guy with newspaper and laptop. We started off with a 35 minute video on our judicial system. Snoozer. Clips from the early eighties. The video moguls tried their best to make it so p.c. In one scene the judge, prosecutor, clerk and the plaintiff were all women of different ethnicities. It was a far stretch and took me out of the mini movie all together. Still I got a kick out of the commentator on the tape (also a woman) and the way she annunciated the word juror, apparently pronounced "jewroar".
After that they called the numbers and first names of those selected. About 90% of the people were chosen. I was not. I sat there reading my ever so exciting curriculum and development book. This girl, about ten minutes after the selection, plops herself four seats away. She was had a cleft lip and wore a mini sweater over a tank top, one that met the bottom of her boob, both too tight. This girly girl must have called everyone in her phone book to tell them she was in jury duty and ,"it so sucks. I am soo bored." Meanwhile I am half trying to read half listening to her. She talked to her boss about a chronic late comer, to her friend about not being able to make the party because she had to work and had a hair appointment she just couldn't cancel, her coworker to see if she could switch days, and a parent to see what the plans were for Marcy's birthday dinner. I was pissed I couldn't concentrate, but not pissed enough to move. I stayed put and remained only partially entertained.
After lunch, leaving and coming back an hour and a half later ( yeah I was late. What were they going to do? Kick me out?) I sat back down, getting comfortable with my big ole' boring textbook. The waiting area is still over 3/4 empty. I am in one seat, I use a seat for my bag (the customary buffer seat) and begin to read. Well I don't get a paragraph into my reading when a guy comes and plops himself down, next to my buffer seat and places his bag in the same seat as my bag seat. This when there are a number of seats available for him, his bag and five buffer seats on each side. But nooo, this middle-aged white guy decides to share my bag seat. I was ticked off. Just as I thought I couldn't take it anymore the lady who called out numbers announces that of we were not called to serve on a case we are dismissed. Did I pack up my stuff and haul ass out of there! So quick, I left a current of wind behind me. Next time I get a summons to serve I may just claim it got lost in the mail.