Trying to have a relaxing afternoon when...

I have been having a really rough couple of weeks at work. I have been working a lot, even at home after leaving the office. So today I took today's afternoon off. I was -- still am -- in need of some stress-free quality time. We all need it sometimes.

I had a plan for today -- I decided that I was going for a run in a park -- something that I LOVE to do but I'm a bit to scared to do it at night which is when I have time to do it. After working out I wanted to pamper my self with a nice long hot shower -- it would be a bath but I don't have a bathtub -- and then go out to dinner, have some drinks, get a little bit tipsy and forget all my stupid work problems. This is -- was -- the plan.

So I went to a park near where my house. I ran for maybe 45 min and then I wanted to do some abs and squats. In this park there are those like outdoorsy workout machines -- you know what I'm talking about, right? One of them is to do abs. And I wanted to use that one. But one of the sides was broken and on the other side there was a lady sitting on it reading a magazine. Like that thing was a bench. Oh god that's when everything went wrong... I asked her politely if I could use the machine and she said with a very strong African accent "aaah, no I'm sitting here". Of course I answered very politely again " I am sorry but you are not using it for what is for so maybe you could just let me use it for 10 min and sit there in the bench" And I pointed out the bench that was right next to the machine, which had an old lady sitting on but it there was definitely enough space for the two. And she replied "All the benches are occupied". Yes it was true but that's not to sit on, and she could share a bench. I calmly explained her that. And she continued to say that she wouldn't get up.

In the meanwhile, a gentleman that was also running noticed the situation and stopped.  And was like in the background listening to the conversation, and he just got annoyed and started telling her exactly what I was saying but in a more assertive tone. The old lady that was sitting on the bench even offered to move to another bench so that the stupid lady could move. And still she was saying she was there first. At this point I didn't want to use the machine anymore,  I was completely pissed. So was the gentlemen. So he started to tell her somethings that I found it to be a little bit racist and rude. He said that she came from Africa and that's a jungle. They don't know how to live within a civilized society and that if she doesn't want to respect others she should go back to her country. And then he said -- I'm gonna call my son, he's a policeman. I don't know if she thought he was bluffing,  but he called his son. And it took him two minutes to get there. And even with the police there she was saying. "I was already sitting here reading my magazine,  I don't have to get up because they want to". And the police officer had the exact same talk with her that we both had. And he got mad with the lady's stupidity and asked her for her documents. And guess what.. she is an illegal immigrant. Her visa was a tourist visa from 3 years ago. So he took her. And he is going to press charges for public disturbance and refusing a police order!

This is just insane and stupid and It stressed me out so so much. If she had just get up for 10 min, this could all been avoided..

My stress-free afternoon did not had a good start. Let's see how the rest of the evening goes.

I hope you'll have a great Friday :)