Travels With My Placard: The Worthy

I've been living it up in the parking lots, ever since I got my handicap placard last week! 

One of my first stops was Save A Lot. It's in a little strip-mall place, and parking is horrific. One long row, with a second row directly across from it. There are four handicap spaces, two on each side of the cart return. Only one space is up to my standards! The space to the right of the cart corral. It guarantees that nobody can block T-Hoe's driver's door. Unless they put carts there, outside the corral. But carts are easy enough to move out of my way. The other three spaces lend themselves to close-parkers!

Lucky for me, that coveted space was the only handicap slot open on the day I went. I parked and helped myself to a cart/walker to go inside. First stop was their lottery machine. Then I proceeded to the bread, which they've put in the most inconvenient place possible. Because who wants to buy their bread first? After you've gone through the store, you might have picked up something that requires buns or rolls! In which case you have to traverse the maze of barriers of sale items to get back to that front wall bread display.

Anyhoo, I had just turned down the north wall to get some romaine lettuce, when I noticed a man trailing behind me. An older man, though perhaps not quite as old as me! He wasn't a full weirdo, but I felt like he was following me. I encountered him on a couple of other aisles. It just seemed like a sense of disapproval was coming from him. What could THAT be about? Did he see me park in the handicap space? I hung my placard! Am I not worthy?

Follower was faster boxing his groceries than I was. And I found myself behind HIM as I went out the door and wheeled my purchases to T-Hoe's rear. I was mortified to see that Follower had a limp, and was putting groceries into his truck, which was parked directly in front of 

T-Hoe. 

Did I take away a handicap space that he needed??? Wait a minute! I also needed that handicap space! I have a PLACARD, by cracky! And my limp was a little worse than his. I'm pretty sure he could beat me in a footrace. Had he been following me and watching me because he wanted that parking space?

As I finished stowing away my two boxes of groceries, and was closing the hatch, here came Follower, wheeling his cart up along T-Hoe, to put in the cart corral. What in the NOT-HEAVEN! Follower was giving me the side-eye! I took a step so as not to get closed under T-Hoe's hatch, and Follower spoke:

"Can I take that cart for you?"

"Oh, yes! That would help! Anything that saves me a step, I really appreciate. Thank you so much!"

"I just had my knee done, and I know how much it helps for someone to save me a step."

Wow. What a nice guy. At least he is on the mend now.