Day 12 - Flagstaff
From confused Daleks to waitresses on wheels
No road trip today. We went to the University to collect Adam's room keys and shop for the final things we knew he would then need for the year ahead once we had sight of the space he would be living in. Adam was to be sharing with another student who was not due to arrive until later in the week as the university allowed overseas students to settle in their rooms earlier. In contrast to a UK university, American ones typically have shared bedrooms as well. Given this fact we obviously hoped that there were no unfortunate overnight habits from his future room buddy.*
In bringing the items we had bought from the car to the room, I observed a small number of American students doing likewise. My immediate conclusion, from this admittedly small sample survey, was that American students like to create a home from home environment. I saw a father and his daughter unload a flatbed truck with her 'basic needs' for university life including a large coffee percolator, bean bag seat and floor standing fan. I felt that, providing Adam's room mate was okay to share, Adam would live comfortably in his time in Arizona.
The University provided wheeled box trolleys probably about a metre square or so and these were being put to good use. Unfortunately, there were places where stairs were encountered which led to quizzical looks between those involved as to what they should do next given this inconvenience; similar I imagine to what must have gone through the minds of the Daleks in those early episodes of Doctor Who.
A long day behind us, we headed out for our last evening meal together before I was to return home the following day. Of course we chose a diner, and on entering and waiting to be seated, I noticed a lady with a leg encased in a knee length plastic cast and kneeling on a tricycle style bike talking to the people at a table just in front of us. We were shown to our table and awaited our 'server'. Arriving on the tricycle I had noticed earlier was our waitress. She greeted us with a cheery "Hi and how are you guys tonight?" Waitress comedy gold had arrived and the opportunity was not going to be lost despite Adam's peevishness and criticism of my previous efforts. "Well somebody has probably told you this before but, I reckon we're doing better than you are", I replied. She laughed and confirmed that wasn't the first time she had heard that one. A generous tip was guaranteed I noted.
I began to wonder how this alternative Deliveroo service might transport our food and drinks to the table; balanced on a tray on her head? Somehow carried on the handlebars? Maybe she had built some adaptation device which could be attached to her tricycle? We ordered drinks and I sat back waiting for these questions to be answered. She went up to the bar and placed our drinks on a small round tray. Disappointingly she then positioned it across her palm and forearm as any waitress or waiter would and began to slowly wheel a route around a table before alighting at ours and placing the tray down. Not a drop spilt and to my dismay no spectacular alternative delivery technique to report.
As we were near finishing our meal, it became evident that there were maybe only a table or two of other diners and the diner was wanting to close, and presumably put the tricycle away in the bike shed for another day. Our waitress wheeled over to us and placed our bill on the table and said, "Here's your check but there's no rush." She paused before continuing, "We won't kick you out". What a set up line! As she turned her vehicle around I said, "Well you'll be struggling to do that I think." Without stopping she replied, "I still have this leg.", and flamboyantly flexed and straightened her good leg out as she continued on her journey to the cash till. It had taken the complete road trip near enough, but I had found my real American waitress.
*Adam is pleased to report there hasn't been and he gets on very well with Lorenzo.