It's approaching Christmas, and I have a complaint. It's not a new complaint, but it's time to bring it up again. I'm here today to complain about parking lots! Not the lots themselves, although they usually have the lanes too narrow for easy and safe backing out, but the behavior of people in those parking lots.
Here we are in the season of love and charity, and it sometimes seems that it's really the season of parking lot gladiatorial combat. First of all, people almost invariably drive too fast in parking lots. They are in a hurry to get in the store and spend money, and so they race around the lot seeking a space within 10 feet of the store entrance. Of course, there isn't one, so they speed up and criss-cross the lot to find a space that's near enough for them. They wind up spending more time and energy by far than they would have spent just parking well away from the store in the first open spot. And while they are zipping back and forth in the lanes, they are looking only for spaces, not for people. I'm surprised that so few people are maimed in parking lot encounters. It's usually just fender benders, but lots of them!
And look at their faces while they are seeking space to park: there are no smiles to be seen. Grim, intent, tense, children crying, adults complaining - all in the spirit of a merchandise Chri$tma$! Add to that the harried people trying to get from their cars to the bargains, not ever looking behind them; and the children, often not holding parents' hands, bewildered by the whole thing - it's amazing that there aren't more accidents.
So, please, when you are in one of those parking lots: please slow down, take the time to look around, park relatively far from the store so you don't spend so much time and money just driving in the lot, and watch out both driving and walking. Pay attention to the people and cars around you, and smile and be happy and share the spirit of the season! And by the way -- Happy Holidays!
Here we are in the season of love and charity, and it sometimes seems that it's really the season of parking lot gladiatorial combat. First of all, people almost invariably drive too fast in parking lots. They are in a hurry to get in the store and spend money, and so they race around the lot seeking a space within 10 feet of the store entrance. Of course, there isn't one, so they speed up and criss-cross the lot to find a space that's near enough for them. They wind up spending more time and energy by far than they would have spent just parking well away from the store in the first open spot. And while they are zipping back and forth in the lanes, they are looking only for spaces, not for people. I'm surprised that so few people are maimed in parking lot encounters. It's usually just fender benders, but lots of them!
And look at their faces while they are seeking space to park: there are no smiles to be seen. Grim, intent, tense, children crying, adults complaining - all in the spirit of a merchandise Chri$tma$! Add to that the harried people trying to get from their cars to the bargains, not ever looking behind them; and the children, often not holding parents' hands, bewildered by the whole thing - it's amazing that there aren't more accidents.
So, please, when you are in one of those parking lots: please slow down, take the time to look around, park relatively far from the store so you don't spend so much time and money just driving in the lot, and watch out both driving and walking. Pay attention to the people and cars around you, and smile and be happy and share the spirit of the season! And by the way -- Happy Holidays!
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