This weekend I rented a van so I could pick up some furniture and save on shipping charges.

The line at the Berkeley U-Haul stretched out the door.  There was a certain amount of tension in the air--people waiting to get their vehicles, hoping to get their moving done on time--and one guy in particular looked nervous.  He was wearing a yellow T-shirt that showed the front of a Cheerios box.

When he got to the front of the line, he asked to change his 10 footer truck for a 14 footer.  The woman behind the counter told him no.  He argued.  She finally screamed “THE RESERVATION IS THE RESERVATION.  THERE’S NOTHING I CAN DO ABOUT IT.  WE ARE VERY BUSY THIS MORNING.  THAT’S THE END OF IT.”

You might think she had gotten away with being so rude because U-Haul is basically the only game in town in Berkeley--I mean what are you going to do, rent one of those godawful yellow trucks from Ryder?  U-Haul is the brand everyone knows and trusts.

But no, I think she simply looked at the shirt and recognized weakness.  I think it’s a bad idea to venture out doors wearing a Cheerios shirt at any point in time, but you definitely shouldn’t do it if there’s even the remotest chance you might end up in an argument with someone. 

I never took a debate class, but I bet the instructors always give a warning: “Never wear cereal to a debate.  Granted, it may be a balanced part of a nutritious breakfast.  But it has no place in a formal rhetorical exchange.”