People Watching, Episode One: The Laundry Conundrum

You're outside your apartment having the usual afternoon smoke. You lean over the railing on the third floor to engage in a little not-creepy-you-swear people watching. There isn't much going on today, to your dismay, although the apartment complex isn't completely devoid of activity.

Some woman from the building next to you is lugging a full basket of laundry across the street. She's got a lot of laundry in that basket, and briefly you wonder what would happen if she dropped it. Assorted items of clothing would fly everywhere, right in the middle of the street. Anyone driving by would have to stop; after all, what kind of jerk would just drive over someone's clean laundry? They'd probably sit there until she'd gathered everything up, or if they're a jerk (but not as much of a jerk that would keep driving), they'd blast their horn a little too.

You wonder what you would do if such a scenario came true; would you run down to help her? You are on the third floor after all, and that's quite a bit of stairs to run down. She'd probably have gathered everything up by then. In that case, would it be better just to stay put? You imagine you'd feel like an ass, hanging over the railing and smoking a cigarette and just watching her predicament. You'd probably look like one as well--she would probably know you were up there. Maybe it would just be better to go back inside, although you still have most of the cigarette left. It's no fun to waste a cigarette, especially after all the tax you had to pay to buy them. What would Aristotle do in this situation, you wonder?

After wrestling over the conundrum for a while, you realize the woman has already disappeared back into her apartment. Relieved you don't have to make such a harrowing decision (at least for today), you finish off the cigarette and escape to warmer climates inside.

Moral: Carry your laundry in a bag. It makes things easier for everyone.