You ever get the feeling that everyone else might be retarded? Or perhaps the way we live and communicate was officially changed but no one let you know about it?

Yesterday morning I get to my subway and there are a bunch of fire trucks and police cars. So I go up to this cop to see how long it will be closed.

Me: Do you know how long this will be closed for?
Cop: Yup.
Me (after long pause): OK, can you tell me for how long?
Cop: 'Bout an hour.
Me: Thanks.

Although it was a short conversation, it could have been much shorter. Maybe he thought I was just taking a survey of cops on the scene to see if they were informed.

Later in the day I went to go get some food at a falafel place near my house. I frequent this place quite a bit. They make good falaf. The last line of this conversation is made up:

Girl: Can I help you?
Me: Yeah, can I get a jalapeno falafel?
Girl: OK, it's going to take a little while to make, is that OK?
Me: Well, how long?
Girl: Um, about 2 minutes.
Me: Oooh, I've got to be somewhere in about 28 seconds. Sorry. I was hoping you could just cram three dollars worth of food in to my mouth.

I guess 2 minutes technically is "a little while." A very little while. Are we getting that impatient as a society where two minutes is really an inconvenience? I imagine this girl had some complete asshole in the store earlier who must have made a fuss.

Guy: What the fuck are you doing back there? I've been waiting for a minute and a half. This is bullshit! You've just ruined my day.