Trying to get somewhere to do some little thing between the hours of 4 and 6 PM, weekdays, isn't worth the emotional toll. Unless you have incredible inner peace, you may feel so hassled that restraint and consideration fail to guide your interactions. You could end up flipping somebody off--which is what happened to me yesterday evening.

Yes, I overreacted. So did the object of my wrath. No, no physically injuries were dealt, or lasting harm done, unless it turns out I know this individual from some other sphere of my life--which would be embarrassing, but maybe just comeuppance.

I was in the crammed, too-small parking lot of a large East Bay market, trying to find a space. The parking lot consisted of a large L-shaped main area abreast of the store front, and one side it, with a much smaller vestibule at the building's third side. The vestibule didn't have its own entry from the street. You had to access it through a narrow channel, bounded on one side by parked cars, and on the other, by packing equipment.

I finally spotted an empty legal space, clear at the back of the vestibule. I was first in line to nab it. But I had to wait for another customer to back out of his space, and clear out of the vestibule, for me to enter.

I put my blinker on and waited patiently for the other driver to emerge. By some miracle, considering I was obviously waiting patiently for him, he...didn't...budge. Does he not have enough room? I wondered. Is he wary of hitting somebody's car, if he drives forward? I carefully backed myself to create more room for him. I had been looking over my right shoulder. Unfortunately, to my driver's side, some pedestrians were crowded, and had to jump out of my car's path.

To make a long story short, the other driver still didn't budge, even after I had backed up, and was gesticulating expressively. So I backed up again, trying to do the right thing. The pedestrians had to jump back again. This time, one of the inconvenienced pedestrians walked up to my window and barked at me:

"Make up your mind, lady!"

I turned. How dare he hassle me, at a moment when I had so much on my mind, and was trying so hard to do right? It was then I flashed him my finger.

"She's having a bad day," I heard a woman say.

I waited a moment more for the oblivious driver to clear the vestibule, so I could park. In that time, the offended pedestrian approached my window again, and thumped.

"Hey, lady, I don't appreciate your flipping me off in front of my granddaughter. That's really rude!"

I wouldn't make eye contact. I pointedly turned my head all the way to the right. This is not long before I was finally able to park.

Like I say, minimize your errands, or plan them better. It's just not worth the wear-and-tear.
9:26:57 AM    comment []