Random Thoughts – Randocity!

For some reason that’s unexplainable, I’ve recently seen more and more people digging around in or cleaning their cars in parking lots of retail stores. While I have no problem with a person wanting to clean or rearrange their car, I do have a problem when they’re doing it at an inappropriate time and blocking people from parking or getting out of their vehicles to go to the store. Common courtesy, people, common courtesy. Let’s explore.

Parking and Shopping

When shopping at Target, Walmart, 7-Eleven, Safeway or while doing any other retail shopping, the parking lot is for parking your vehicle. A parking lot is not the place to clean or rearrange things in your car with your trunk open, with all car doors open and just randomly standing at and fiddling with something on your passenger seat. This is neither the time nor the place. If you’ve lost something, figure it out later. If you’re securing a child, do it quickly and finish up. If you are putting your bags away, finish that up. People may be waiting for you to get done with whatever it is you are doing.

When I see this happening, typically the person is parked in a reasonably close spot. What I mean is, they are usually by the door. No, they aren’t just putting their bags away. They’ve got their passenger side door wide open leaning over the passenger seat and digging for something. And they dig and dig and dig for minutes. Not only are they not in the store shopping, they are blocking the space they are in. They are also blocking the two adjacent spaces next to them because their car doors are wide open.

During the holiday season, this is especially frustrating. But, it’s frustrating any time of the year.

Common Courtesy

When a car pulls into a space next to you, they shouldn’t be expected to wait why you fiddle around in your passenger seat. If you’re digging for something, go do it somewhere else. Blocking other people from getting to parking spaces at the store is not what you should be doing and is definitely not what the store intended. Additionally, by doing this, you’re being entirely rude and discourteous. If you need to clean out or dig through your vehicle, take it to a place where it is appropriate. A place like your driveway at home or a car wash. Or, alternatively, move your vehicle to the back of the parking lot where fewer people park and you can do whatever it is you are doing until the cows come home. Don’t do this when parked in the busiest parking section of the lot.

Self entitlement

This is a subject that probably deserves an entire rant on its own. However, more and more people have some notion that they are entitled wherever they go. Such as thinking like, “I’m now a parent with child, I’m entitled to park close.” “I have a big expensive vehicle, I am entitled to do whatever I please with it.” No, when in public, you are no more entitled than anyone else. I’ll repeat that. You are no more entitled than anyone else when you visit any public place. Instead, courtesy trumps entitlement. If you are intentionally blocking or otherwise hindering another person’s ability to get something done, go shopping, park in a space, or otherwise visit a shopping establishment, you are firmly in the wrong. Not only that, you’re lucky that security doesn’t come out and ask you to leave the lot or threaten to tow your vehicle.

As I said above, if you want to go digging in your car for 30 minutes, do it somewhere else more appropriate.

Example

Tonight I was visiting 7-eleven to pick up a package from an Amazon Locker. Just as I pulled into my parking space, some dumbass had the nerve to walk up to and open up the passenger door of his vehicle and proceed to rummage for at least 5 minutes with the door open (I only waited about 60 seconds of it). I was parked right next to him and could not open my driver’s side door to get out. I ended up moving my vehicle to a different space so that I could finally get out. What a complete and utter self-entitled dumbass. Rummaging in your car with all doors open at 7-Eleven is not the time nor the place for that activity. Get your crap together and leave the parking lot. Use common courtesy and allow people who’ve just parked to get out of their car. If you want to rummage, step aside for the 10 seconds it takes to let the person out of their car. Then, go back to it when the person has stepped away. Be cognizant and aware of your environment and the people around you. Apparently, some people just don’t understand the concept of common courtesy anymore.