Ghost

Ghost is one of the good ones. One of the great ones. If all customers were as nice as him, the job would be so much easier and so less interesting.

To be honest, I have no idea how he got his nickname. I've asked a few times, gotten unsatisfactory answers that I don't remember, and then went back to my crossword puzzle. How best to describe Ghost? Hm. Well, do you remember the guy from the rooftop in Blade Runner? No, not that guy, the other one, the Chinese one. Yeah, him. Ghost looks exactly like that creepy Chinese guy from Blade Runner. Only all in denim. Denim jeans, denim jacket, very tight fitting.

Random Ghost fact: on my first day ever out of training, he gave me my first and only tip for the day--ten bucks--which spoiled me and made me think most customers would tip me ten dollars at least once a day. Later that week I saw him on the R train and avoided eye contact.

Ghost is ridiculously friendly, always chatting and making jokes in his Broken English. He never gets upset, even when he loses or you screw up his bet. He's not perfect though--no customers ever are or ever will be. He usually waits 'til the race is about to go off and the horses are in the gate before he bets. You'll hear him coming because he runs across the branch, stomping hard like he's playing red-light-green-light. He'll stop short in front of your window and then shoots partial wheels (partial wheels are complicated bets involving many horses and potential race outcomes) at a rapid-fire rate in his Broken English. Usually I get it in time and he jumps up or pretends to faint or something ridiculous. Sometimes I don't and he does the exact same motions. My point is, since he is one of the good ones, and I like him, it's more pressure for me because I honestly don't want to disappoint him and screw up his bet or shut him out. I'm more emotionally invested in the transaction than I would be with some stranger. Or some dickwad regular. So it's tricky. Not really, but still.

Another con is the guy loves Sudokus, which are on the same page as the Metro Crossword. I usually do both. But when he sees me reading the paper, he asks if he can have the Sudoku and I reluctantly give it to him, indirectly including the crossword, and leaving me without post-newspaper entertainment... but I do it, because he's Ghost. Although sometimes I lie and hide it but only when I'm really bored. "No Metro?!" he'll exclaim. "No Metro," I'll reply. Sorry, Ghost.