Overheard in the Parking Lot

 

Sometimes you meet the rudest people in parking lots. Like when I stop  to drop off my kids who are late (again) for their martial arts class.

Of course, the boys are slow, and I’m yelling at them to hurry up because cars are lining up behind us. This is a Safeway — not Whole Foods — parking lot, so people are inching forward menacingly, honking and zooming around me.

I try to pull out of the way, but my van beeps angrily and refuses to go into gear until the (very slow) automatic door finishes closing. When I finally do start moving, I’m nearly side swiped by one of those lowered mini-cars.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see that the martial arts class I thought my kids were going to is actually just ending, so I run across the lot to talk to the instructor.

“Excuse me?” A young Asian guy in saggy jeans and a gold chain is leaning against his car.

Ignore him. Just keep walking.

“Miss?” he calls out again.

Stop. Death look.

“In the future, could you not stop there? This is a really crowded area, and there’s a whole line of cars behind you.”

And??? More death look.

“I mean… in the future.”

“You know, my kids are late for their class and there’s no parking in this whole place, so I don’t really have a choice.” I snap as I aim for the door.

“What I mean is, could you pull over to the side so you’re not blocking the whole lane?”

Oh yeah. That one. Okay, thanks.

I hate myself sometimes.