I had to go to walmart. And BLAST it, I had to go on a Saturday, for the love of God -- Saturday!!!! This is the day when the truly interesting people come out to shop. It's like a county fair with no governmentally-recognized livestock competing for awards. Were I going for sociological (or zoological) observation, this would be a schmorgasbord. (Hoping I spelled that right...)
I was preparing to turn into the next parking aisle when a teal car, piloted by a moronic driver with delusions of NASCAR grandeur, sped in front of me. I missed hitting the car, thankfully. As the driver bounced down the row, a red truck near the front of the aisle (in a very desirable spot indeed!) began to back out. "JOY! I'm getting the good spot because I was patient!!!" I'm thinking. I stopped and waited for the truck to back out.
The driver of the bouncing teal car saw the error and began backing up! I was within ideal range for pulling in the delightful spot WITH my blinker on. The driver ignored me and backed up with the car's trunk to my passenger door and its nose in front of my hood. The car was angled for my spot and was within feet of the backing truck. My blinker must not have been bright enough. It seemed to be clicking 8 times lounder than usual to me!!! How do you just ignore when someone marks their territory so clearly as that?!
The truck backed a few inches and stopped. The driver of the red truck was clearly irritated at having no room. The traffic behind me wasn't going anywhere and I wasn't either. The teal car's driver backed a few INCHES! Red truck: inches. Stop. Teal car: inches. Stop. Red truck: inches. Stop. You see where this is going. It was ridiculous.
I had my sunroof open. The teal car's windows were down and the driver was smack in front of me still ignoring my disbelief and growing irritation. I was trying very hard to control my tounge -- I don't believe in using it for evil, but boy was I close! I think I said, "oh, come on!" and "This is ridiculous." But it was the obvious. And what good did it do? I didn't even blow my horn. Sometimes its not worth it. Finally, the red truck pulled an austin powers and got out. The little teal car sped right in. I parked at the end of the same row.
As I pondered the complete lack of courtesy in some members of our society and the audacity that can be paired with it at times, I rememeberd a college professor of mine talking about a darker side of human nature.
Territoriality.
We are very teritorial. That parking spot was mine, dang it! And when someone messes with that, that sacred slot of slab we worked so hard to locate, we can get irate. And rightfully so! Or when someone cuts in line... or uses something we'd been saving for ourselves... the list goes on. I don't mind giving my spot to that sweet little blue-haired lady who can't find a spot, even if it means me walking. But not to a moronic teal car with a driver who can walk as well as I can!
It's all instinctual. So I guess it's not all my fault for getting irritated at that teal car. Walmart always brings out the worst in me.