Our trip to Wal-Mart was a complete success and I felt great about changing my attitude and thus changing their behavior. After loading kids and groceries into the car, I chatted with Nicole for a few minutes who was parked next me. As we finished up, I walked the cart to the front of the parking lot and left it in the lined walkway area, LIKE MILLIONS OF OTHER MOMS. As I turn back to the car, an old man honks at me. Thinking I've dropped something, I look at him and smile as he points angrily to my cart, and then back behind him, across the parking lot, to the cart corral. "PUT YOUR CART AWAY" he mouths to me angrily. Ok, right.
If I was a mature person, I would have smiled sheepishly and calmly put my cart away. BUT I'M NOT THAT PERSON. I gave him my best death look, glared him down and THEN put my cart away. And I hate myself for it! You'd think I'd be mad that I was rude to this old man who was so blatantly rude to me, but that's not it. I'm mad because I put my cart away!!!!
I walked back to Nicole and told her what happened and she reiterated my annoyance saying that I should have asked him to wait with THE FOUR KIDS IN MY CAR while I hiked across the parking lot to securely store my cart. I'm sorry, the world is not the same as it was 117 years ago old man when you could leave your kids in your car unattended and not fear for them being snatched away while your back is turned. I'm really not lazy, that's not my issue. I've just seen far to many 20/20 episodes where kids are taken and it scares the crap out of me. Nicole retaliated by leaving her cart right where I wanted to leave mine and we left feeling like we had made a difference in the mind of an old man.
I called Tiffany as I was leaving and told her what happened and while she laughed and laughed I said "I'm trying to be a better person, damnit!" I think that about sums it up.
Luckily, when I got home I had the cutest mug in the world waiting for me to cheer me up. Isn't it delightful?
9 comments:
I think Wal-Mart makes it especially hard to return shopping carts. There are only 3 spots in the entire parking lot to place your cart. I have to admit that if I am too far from one of those, I usually put my cart up on one of the median areas with bushes. I have gotten my fair share of dirty looks, but I'm not willing to leave the sight of my van for a Wal-Mart employee's convenience when retrieving those blasted 4-wheeled devices.
I never understood why people didn't put their carts away until I had a child and couldn't figure out how to put mine away, particularly at costco. So, I empathize with you. That man probably has never been faced with that dilemna. A similar story I heard was about a man who was balked for parking in a handicapped spot and didn't "look" handicapped. He actually had the disease where you are allergic to the sun so he needed to get inside fast. I bet the balker felt like an jack hole then!
I can totally relate Karen. I usually try to find a parking space near a cart corral, just to avoid the glares of self-righteous people.
Oh and that mug is adorable.
I'm still laughing! I'm sure that we would all be a bit more "responsible" with the carts if there were more spaces to put them. I've gotten many a glare for locking my children in the van for 17 seconds while I run, and I mean run to return the stupid cart. So really we just can't win. I also try to park next to a cart thingy, but it doesn't always work out, so I have no problem leaving it in the line lane with your old man!
I just had to comment on this. It is my biggest complaint about Wal-mart. They need more places to put your cart. I know they are probably thought they would just squeeze in more parking spaces, but I bet they have less available spaces because people leave there carts in the parking spots. Stupid Wal-mart! By the way you have no idea who I am but I love your blog! You are hilarious! I am glad you gave that grandpa a dirty look. You go!
Should I really comment? Even though it will be exactly the same as everyone else's I will. I, too, have tried all options. Locking kids in the car, leaving carts, and parking next to the corral...nothing is a GREAT solution, so maybe you could just forward your post to Wal*mart and maybe they would figure out that their engineering department missed the mark by a long shot on the RD 68 parking lot plan.
I'm Heathers sis-in law and I had to comment, (love your blog BTW!) I love it when people leave their carts in the parking lot, then I don't have to chase one down with three kids in tow! So next time you want to leave a cart in the lot, please do and think of the next mother that comes along!
That mug IS delightful!
I am so glad I was there to retaliate for you. But really, I wanted to chase him down and give him a talking to. Seriously! He was out of line. Instead of harassing Mothers of young children, maybe he should watch a little Oprah and see why we don't let our children out of our sight!
Unless the stars align and I get a spot next to a corral, my cart goes wherever it's most convenient. I figure it makes the cart boys' night a little more interesting;)
I am very touchy about this subject, too. Luckily, i have never been judged by some old man for leaving my cart between the fronts of cars or he seriously would have gotten more than a glare from me. I so would not have even moved it. I would have left it right there. It is absolutely assinine that anyone expect us to leave our kids in the car and go trekking across the walmart parking lot to find one of three cart holders. I have no guilt whatsoever each and every time I leave my cart right where it is, thinking, "If they want me to put it where it needs to go, they better &*#@ well realize they need more of them, closer together." Seriously, they're asking for it. I just wish some old man would do this to me so I could show him what those of us without arthritic fingers can do.
Post a Comment