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East Village: Country fried chicken for trolley watchers

Movie of life at 12th and Imp's snack gallery

At 12th and Imperial, switching from one trolley to another. Trouble is there's a third one gets in the way. Too late to jump through. Dang. Meantime my one goes. That's another fifteen minutes I've got to wait.

So I head to the A-Mart convenience snack place for, I swear, a snack. 

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/23/44320/

Problem is that's where I meet Ron. 

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/23/44327/

I'm guessing he's Chaldean. 

"Dichiwoods," I say, practicing the Aramaic my buddy Wissam from another liquor store taught me. "How are you?"

"Randa!" he says. "Good!" 

Name's Ron. 

"Looking for a snack till the next trolley," I say. 

"This is the food section," he says. "Lower shelf we microwave, upper, you wouldn't want to."

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/23/44314/

See what he means. It's all salads. The lower shelf has burgers, hot dogs, other stuff wrapped in plastic. 

"Uh, happy hour's off today."

Ron has a sense of humor. Chaldeans seem to. 

And then he's back serving the line of customers. 

Problem is Ron's made me realize how hungry I am. Have to move quick. Go for the heatable shelf. Grab a "Big AZ." Next to the cheeseburgers. A Country Fried Chicken. Five bucks. And, what da heck, a fruit salad ($3.99). And, help it all down, a small coffee $1.25). About ten buckeroos in all.

Take it to the long narrow counter that looks out across the platforms so I can see when mine's coming, alongside other people waiting for their ride like me, plus trolley drivers, security guards, moms with kids clinging and whining.

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/23/44312/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/23/44313/

Have to say, this is filling. Even the fruit salad would've been enough. And hey, it even has a slice of mango. I'm eating both plates at once, just for speed. The chicken sandwich is pretty huge. No fantastic flavor, but it does the job, specially when I put on the mustard and mayo and ketchup that Ron loaded me up with. 

Bonus: All the while, you're watching the drama of humanity right outside. Little romances, big worries, loud laffs, like a movie at your table. 

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/23/44316/

Uh oh. I hear the horn. That's mine. And hey, Ron's there, plastic bag in hand. I stuff my leftovers into it. 

"Watch before you cross the tracks!" he warns.

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At 12th and Imperial, switching from one trolley to another. Trouble is there's a third one gets in the way. Too late to jump through. Dang. Meantime my one goes. That's another fifteen minutes I've got to wait.

So I head to the A-Mart convenience snack place for, I swear, a snack. 

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/23/44320/

Problem is that's where I meet Ron. 

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/23/44327/

I'm guessing he's Chaldean. 

"Dichiwoods," I say, practicing the Aramaic my buddy Wissam from another liquor store taught me. "How are you?"

"Randa!" he says. "Good!" 

Name's Ron. 

"Looking for a snack till the next trolley," I say. 

"This is the food section," he says. "Lower shelf we microwave, upper, you wouldn't want to."

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/23/44314/

See what he means. It's all salads. The lower shelf has burgers, hot dogs, other stuff wrapped in plastic. 

"Uh, happy hour's off today."

Ron has a sense of humor. Chaldeans seem to. 

And then he's back serving the line of customers. 

Problem is Ron's made me realize how hungry I am. Have to move quick. Go for the heatable shelf. Grab a "Big AZ." Next to the cheeseburgers. A Country Fried Chicken. Five bucks. And, what da heck, a fruit salad ($3.99). And, help it all down, a small coffee $1.25). About ten buckeroos in all.

Take it to the long narrow counter that looks out across the platforms so I can see when mine's coming, alongside other people waiting for their ride like me, plus trolley drivers, security guards, moms with kids clinging and whining.

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/23/44312/

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/23/44313/

Have to say, this is filling. Even the fruit salad would've been enough. And hey, it even has a slice of mango. I'm eating both plates at once, just for speed. The chicken sandwich is pretty huge. No fantastic flavor, but it does the job, specially when I put on the mustard and mayo and ketchup that Ron loaded me up with. 

Bonus: All the while, you're watching the drama of humanity right outside. Little romances, big worries, loud laffs, like a movie at your table. 

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/apr/23/44316/

Uh oh. I hear the horn. That's mine. And hey, Ron's there, plastic bag in hand. I stuff my leftovers into it. 

"Watch before you cross the tracks!" he warns.

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