She stomped across the street to the bistro, grabbed her food, and marched right back, clutching a brown paper bag that smelled of garlic and expensive pasta. She didn’t even head for her car—she went straight for the construction crew, waving the takeout bag like a weapon. “I am in a huge rush, and my food is getting cold!” she screamed, pointing aggressively at her trapped vehicle. “You must move this truck right now so I can leave!”
Before the foreman could even open his mouth to respond, the truck driver stepped forward, putting on a perfectly calm, professional face. “I’m terribly sorry, ma’am,” the truck driver said smoothly. “But it’s completely impossible for me to move right now. As you can see, we have already unstrapped the entire load of lumber to carry it up the hill. According to strict corporate safety policy, it is a major violation to operate or move this commercial vehicle with an unsecured load. I could lose my license. We have to finish unloading first.”
The woman looked at the massive pile of wood still on the truck. Unloading it by hand would take at least another thirty minutes. She was completely stuck, and she knew it.