I Can't Beat Them, So I'm Joining Them

My trip to Walmart yesterday made it ever the more obvious that people these days only care about themselves!

Granted, I raised one of them myself. The Pony, you know, really doesn't care about helping people. But still, he's not to the point of selfishly making his own path through life easier, by refusing to yield in a game of chicken with society. He may not care about helping people, but he doesn't go out of his way to hinder them, either.

You can't be nice to people any more. You get no acknowledgement. Sometimes you even get a box of donuts slammed down on the counter when you are careful to not step in line ahead of some chewing-the-fat-with-good-old-boy dude who's all the way across the convenience store. There is no reciprocation for your niceness. Hold the door open for someone, and they barge on through the next portal of the double-doors, letting it swing back at you.

I don't know about your Walmart, but our Supercenter has two sets of sliding doors. Clearly marked above each one is ENTRANCE and EXIT. As you're coming out of the store, one even has DO NOT EXIT on it, a laminated white sign with black letters hung across the glass at chest level. This signage is not even taken as a suggestion. It's like the whole population of Backroads consists of a race of CONTRARIANS. They always do the opposite. If they were characters in Bel Kaufman's "Up the Down Staircase," she would have had no title.

Going into the store, I had to stop dead in my tracks just as those doors on the ENTRANCE side slid open for me. Because coming OUT that side (ignoring or nose-thumbing the DO NOT EXIT notice) was a lady pushing a cart. Just like I know when I'll win a collision in T-Hoe vs Hyundai, I knew that I'd lose a collision of Val vs loaded cart. That gal even had the nerve to sigh heavily at me because she had to steer to one side. Too bad, so sad. I'm NOT backing up from the entrance to let a cart out.

Once inside, I seemed to be shopping with a busload of visitors from the U.K. Everyone I met with an oncoming cart was rolling down the LEFT SIDE of the aisle! People! In the U.S., we KEEP RIGHT! It's the civilized thing to do. I can't believe we had a sudden influx of Brits in Backroads. I'm betting it was just CONTRARIANS. Several times, I had to pull over and let them by, because they were not giving an inch.

On the way out, I had to rein in my cart at the EXIT door, because a lady and man were COMING IN. Seriously. They were half my age. With working knees. Unencumbered by a cart. And they couldn't walk five more feet to the ENTRANCE door? At least, after passing me, allowing me to start on my way out again, he said to his companion, "You came in the wrong door." Kudos to him. He probably wasn't gettin' any later that night.

I swear! I can't beat them, so I'm joining them.

I had snagged a prime parking space. Sure, it was three rows over from the doors, almost to the embankment with an apartment complex up top. And it had taken me three trips around the parking lot to get it. But it was ON THE END! I love a parking space on the end! You can cheat over into that yellow-striped triangle area (as long as no CONTRARIAN has decided to park in it) and allow plenty of room for your large Tahoe door to open all the way.

So there I was, unloading the cart into T-Hoe's rear. I heard a car idling. When I looked over my shoulder, I saw a red truck sitting in front of the store. In the white-striped walkway area. Just sitting. As if parked. But with a blinker on to turn my way.

Huh. Maybe he's sitting there waiting for this space.

Normally, I would have hurried my unloading/loading, hopped inside, and backed out. Because I'm a nice Val. I could have done my checkbook business at my next stop, the Gas Station Chicken Store, before getting out of T-Hoe. But then I thought

NO! I ALWAYS write down my receipt amount in the checkbook when I come out. Uh huh. After first GermXing my hands, and putting the debit card back into its slot in the checkbook. Then I subtract to show the running balance. Why should I put myself out, just to let that guy have my space? Maybe he should be driving up and down three rows to find a good space of his own. EFF HIMMMM!

Okay. Maybe I got a little carried away. That red truck guy hadn't done anything to me. He was just waiting, blocking traffic, not bothering me. I went on about my business at my normal pace. Got in and did my checkbooking.

If I'm going to be so outnumbered by CONTRARIANS, I might as well join their ranks. Temporarily, anyway, as the situation merits.