Brooks wastes Eric's time, Eric wastes Brooks' windshield

Yesterday I was reading the account of the windshield incident, the events leading up to it, the aftermath and so on, and I wondered--why did Brooks offer to do a favor for Eric if he was going to do it wrong? What is the point of driving your friend to class if you're constantly going to be late?

Maybe between friends it's the thought that counts, but school attendance policy counts one thing--the number of minutes it takes to get your ass through the door and into your seat.

Have you ever known someone who offers to do things for you, or help you, and they constantly do the thing wrong in such a way that their "help" is more of a hindrance to you than doing it yourself? And then when you call them on it, they call you an ingrate and act like you're spoiled and selfish for bringing it up?

Person A promises to do thing for Person B. A does thing, but screws it up so it is rendered unhelpful. B says "you screwed the thing up, why did you offer to do the thing if you were going to screw it up--stop screwing it up!" A says "Then you get NOTHING! After all I've done for you, if it's not good enough, then I guess you won't have the thing."

I know that the reasonable response would be to shrug it off, do it yourself or look for someone else to do it. But at that point, it's not a matter of practicality, it's a matter of Not Letting Them Win. Of avenging a slight. Walking away and letting go would be like conceding that you are in the wrong and they are justified in being disrespectful to you. Their little power trip, their attempt at exercising petty dominance over you, cannot go unanswered.

(Or maybe that's just how I feel, I dunno.)

Lobbing chunks of ice at windshields might start to look very tempting as a response.

Maybe it's because I'm a type A personality, but I agree with this. Why offer to do something and then repeatedly screw it up and get mad at the person for being upset? Seems kinda narcissistic to me. Although I don't agree with throwing chunks of ice at his windshield.

Brooks says in his book that it was Eric who asked for rides and that Eric knew Brooks was always running late but Eric still asked if he could ride with him.

Brook's lack of punctuality should have saved 15 lives.. if the JeffCo PD was worth their weight in salt.