Parking-Lot Rage
I’ve done something really embarrassing this morning.
I told a guy and his son to “get a room”.
Okay, I didn’t say that to their face. I was in the privacy of my car.
There were dozens of us, trying to drop our kids off at the elementary school. And some of us (like myself… wink wink) had more kids in the car with them, and more schools to go to. The drop-off lane was backed up to next century, and everybody was in sort of a hurry.
I pulled into the school’s lot calm and contented, because we were still on schedule. There was still enough time to drop K9 off, get to middle school, drop I12 off, and he’d still have a few minutes before the classes started.
There was only one car ahead of us, a Ford SUV. K9 was all ready to go, as soon as the SUV left and we pulled into its spot.
Meantime, the SUV is just sitting there. A few minutes go by and nothing happens.
Finally, the driver’s door slowly opens, a guy steps out of the car, and starts walking around it.
I stare in disbelief. You’ve got to be kidding me.
Okay, maybe the guy has a disabled kid that needs to be helped out of the car. Or a very young kid that also cannot get out by himself. I take a deep breath and wait.
Slowly, the guy opens the back door. There is a motion inside. After a while, a perfectly healthy boy gets out and he’s about K9’s age.
Maybe the kid got lost inside the SUV and couldn’t find his way out. Who knows. Those things are huge. You need a map to find your way around some of them.
So, the time goes by, the lane continues to back up, and the guy is standing on the sidewalk with his kid having a nice chat. Finally, the kid turns to leave. But no. He forgot something. Dad asks him to come back.
And gives him a hug and a kiss.
That’s when I said the infamous words.
I think the guy may have heard something. He kind of looked at me. So, either he heard me, or else he suddenly realized that there were other cars behind him.
Either way, I’ll give him credit - he was really cool about it. In slow motion, he walked back to his car, got in, and drove away. No rush.
I quickly pulled up to the sidewalk, K9 popped out of the car like a lightning, and I drove to the middle school like a banshee. We arrived just as the bell went off. Oh well. I12 didn’t seem to mind.
I don’t really think it was the guy’s fault. We should have left earlier anyway, to account for the traffic and stuff. The slow guy falling into the “stuff” category.
I just can’t help wondering. What’s up with everybody taking their sweet time at drop-off? I see it all the time. The hugging and kissing is what gets me the most. A kid would get out of the car and start walking away, and the parents would tell him to come back and give them that hug and kiss, dangit! Never mind the three dozen cars behind them.
Is it just me or is it inconsiderate as heck?
There’s a parking lot right next to the school. You can park, and then walk your kids to school, and while you’re walking, you can hug and kiss them to your heart’s content. But, if you have decided to drop them off, then do it quickly.
My kids jump out of the car like it’s on fire. That’s what I taught them to do. I tell them to gather their things and get ready to go as soon as I turn into the parking lot. We catch up on our hugs and kisses in the evening.
I tell them they have to get out fast, because there are people behind us waiting for us to leave. The way I see it, it’s common courtesy.
Is it? Or am I missing something?
Feel free to comment.
I told a guy and his son to “get a room”.
Okay, I didn’t say that to their face. I was in the privacy of my car.
There were dozens of us, trying to drop our kids off at the elementary school. And some of us (like myself… wink wink) had more kids in the car with them, and more schools to go to. The drop-off lane was backed up to next century, and everybody was in sort of a hurry.
I pulled into the school’s lot calm and contented, because we were still on schedule. There was still enough time to drop K9 off, get to middle school, drop I12 off, and he’d still have a few minutes before the classes started.
There was only one car ahead of us, a Ford SUV. K9 was all ready to go, as soon as the SUV left and we pulled into its spot.
Meantime, the SUV is just sitting there. A few minutes go by and nothing happens.
Finally, the driver’s door slowly opens, a guy steps out of the car, and starts walking around it.
I stare in disbelief. You’ve got to be kidding me.
Okay, maybe the guy has a disabled kid that needs to be helped out of the car. Or a very young kid that also cannot get out by himself. I take a deep breath and wait.
Slowly, the guy opens the back door. There is a motion inside. After a while, a perfectly healthy boy gets out and he’s about K9’s age.
Maybe the kid got lost inside the SUV and couldn’t find his way out. Who knows. Those things are huge. You need a map to find your way around some of them.
So, the time goes by, the lane continues to back up, and the guy is standing on the sidewalk with his kid having a nice chat. Finally, the kid turns to leave. But no. He forgot something. Dad asks him to come back.
And gives him a hug and a kiss.
That’s when I said the infamous words.
I think the guy may have heard something. He kind of looked at me. So, either he heard me, or else he suddenly realized that there were other cars behind him.
Either way, I’ll give him credit - he was really cool about it. In slow motion, he walked back to his car, got in, and drove away. No rush.
I quickly pulled up to the sidewalk, K9 popped out of the car like a lightning, and I drove to the middle school like a banshee. We arrived just as the bell went off. Oh well. I12 didn’t seem to mind.
I don’t really think it was the guy’s fault. We should have left earlier anyway, to account for the traffic and stuff. The slow guy falling into the “stuff” category.
I just can’t help wondering. What’s up with everybody taking their sweet time at drop-off? I see it all the time. The hugging and kissing is what gets me the most. A kid would get out of the car and start walking away, and the parents would tell him to come back and give them that hug and kiss, dangit! Never mind the three dozen cars behind them.
Is it just me or is it inconsiderate as heck?
There’s a parking lot right next to the school. You can park, and then walk your kids to school, and while you’re walking, you can hug and kiss them to your heart’s content. But, if you have decided to drop them off, then do it quickly.
My kids jump out of the car like it’s on fire. That’s what I taught them to do. I tell them to gather their things and get ready to go as soon as I turn into the parking lot. We catch up on our hugs and kisses in the evening.
I tell them they have to get out fast, because there are people behind us waiting for us to leave. The way I see it, it’s common courtesy.
Is it? Or am I missing something?
Feel free to comment.
