CHOPPING BLOCK
“Did you see the statistic that the government spends more on military bands than its entire budget for the National Endowment for the Humanities and National Endowment for the Arts?” a man asked a woman as they hurried down the Eastern Market Metro escalator on a windy Washington morning.
Behind them, a woman interrupted: “Oh please, don’t cut them anymore.”
It’s Washington, of course, where nearly everyone has a connection to federal government.
“I work there,” she added, as she bustled down the escalator.
BAKING OCCUPIERS
When it comes to Washington’s notoriously awful weather, Occupy DC just can’t catch a break.
The occupation of McPherson Square from October to February saw protesters bundling up in tents in often frigid temperatures. But re-occupying the square last week (members moved in three new tents Thursday) meant Occupiers had to deal with record-high heat instead.
Sprawled languorously in a tiny patch of shade near the park’s south lawn, Occupiers dealt with the 104-degree heat as best they could. Protesters said they had stocked up on “lots and lots of water and Gatorade,” and the camp’s medic was on hand to help dehydrated Occupiers.
“It’s just another extreme we have to deal with,” said one protester, laughing. “When it was winter, we were begging for summer, and now that it’s summer, we’re begging for fall.”
GAS WARS
One of the biggest head-scratchers for distance commuters to Washington is the variable price of gas, sometimes in the same neighborhoods or within the same chain gas stations.
In Loudoun County, until about a month ago, the Costco in Sterling regularly priced its fuel at 5 cents lower than the Leesburg Costco. That’s changed. This week, Sterling charged members $3.37 for regular gas, while Leesburg wanted $3.34.
Confused and curious, a customer asked the Leesburg Costco attendant why the prices were different.
“We go by the prices in the area,” said the attendant, pointing across the street to a Sunoco charging $3.37. “We try to charge less.”
The attendant went on to admit that Leesburg used to be more expensive than Sterling, while the reverse was true now. He didn’t know why, especially because his Costco had to add Leesburg taxes.
“It makes no sense, but I like it because I buy my gas here, too,” he concluded.
BUDDY, CAN YOU SPARE A DOLLAR?
At a busy intersection of Aspen Hill, a woman noticed the driver in front of her was caught in a predicament. A man was leaning into the driver’s window, asking a little too enthusiastically for spare cash.
Judging the man to be a bit unstable — and unwilling to part with her hard-earned cash — the woman tried to roll up her window before the donation-seeker made his way over.
Too late.
The gentleman caught the movement and turned her way as her window rolled up. He began screaming at the woman, then reached into his cup, plucked out a dollar and threw it at her. It landed in the gutter.
Didn’t he need that, she wondered. Apparently not. In the gutter the dollar stayed.
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