We went shopping on Saturday. We don’t usually do the “big shop” on a Saturday, so I popped along to push the trolley and generally run around the aisles like a nutter with my son. We found parking a problem though, and although it was busy, the parking situation was made worse by people like this.
This lady decided to park in the only remaining “parent and child” space on the car park. We had to park further away, then somehow try and get Billy out of his seat with just a few inches between me and the next car along. Getting a child out of a baby seat is difficult enough, but what most drivers don’t realise is that you have to open the car door fully to lift your child out properly. This is why the “parent and child” spaces are larger, but they’re also right next to the door of the supermarket, which means that lazy people will park on them (or the disabled spaces).
Emily went off to get the trolley and, while I watched the selfish lady merrily chatting on her mobile phone, it made me think about a similar thing that happened the night before. I was at the chip-shop. There’s a car-park outside the chippie but, on a Friday evening it’s rather busy. People fill up the car park then start parking on the footpath – usually all over the path, blocking access for wheelchairs, pushchairs and sometimes everyone else too. However, just around the corner there’s a massive empty car-park for a local pub, shop and church. It doesn’t get used much even at this busy time because it’s more than 20 yards from the chip shop.
When did people get so lazy?
I guess it’s our generation. When we hear our grandparents talking about cycling or walking 10 miles to get to work we simply don’t understand. We don’t understand how anyone ever saved and waited for stuff to happen. We live in a society where anything taking longer than 15 seconds or being further than 10 yards away by foot is simply too much, and we instead reach for our car keys or remote control.
So, I looked round to locate Emily. She was stood next to the lady, who was in her car and pretending like mad to be on the phone. Why? Because Emily was shouting at her..
“Look at her, we’re stuggling and she’s taken the last ruddy parent and child space! OI! OI!”
The lady turned away, pretending not to hear or see Emily ..
“You, yes you – how are we supposed to get our push-chair out now? You selfish cow”.
It’s at times like this I remember why I married Emily ;)