Are we allowed to save parking spaces?

Well, you already know what I would have done.

http://now.msn.com/angela-cornett-allegedly-hit-teen-with-suv-in-walmart-parking-space-dispute

Ghandi wrote:Well, you already know what I would have done.

http://now.msn.com/angela-cornett-allegedly-hit-teen-with-suv-in-walmart-parking-space-dispute

The woman who hit the girl should be in jail. Good God, running someone down over a parking space? Reminds me again of how much I HATE going to Walmart. From the parking lot to the front door to the inside of the store with all the noise. Ever notice how often you hear alarm-type bells just going and going and going and going at Walmart? No one turns them off? What the heck are those alarms, anyway? Also, the way Walmarts are built--with the open ceilings...all of the noise--alarms/babies crying/loud obnoxious people --all of it seems to be amplified in Walmart stores.

I'm looking at this from another perspective, Neko.

Not too long ago, I was in a convenience store buying some chips. An angelic little girl, about eight years old, was standing beside me in line with a candy bar in her hand. I told her she could stand in line ahead of me.

When her time came to check out, her family members converged from all corners of the store. I'm talking about five OTHER people. From all the stuff they had, it looked like they had done their weekly shopping at the convenience store.

I said, "Now wait a minute....I let this little girl go ahead of me, not all of you."

To which the mother replied, "You MF'er...she's my daughter, and she was in line. I'm paying for her candy bar, you GD MFi'ng bitch."

I replied, "You are being quite rude!"

Daddy, who was about 6'5" and 300 pounds, then said, to me, "GD it, woman, shut your mouth."

The cashier told them if they didn't hush she wasn't going to check them out, period. She then asked me what I wanted to do. I told her to just go ahead and check them out, which she did.

After she checked them out, the cashier told them,"And go shop somewhere else next time, please."

Heck, I was half afraid to leave the store and return to our car. But only half afraid. I don't do bullies well, and I was ready to continue it in the parking lot if need be. I might have been shot, who knows? My hubby rushed me right on out of there.

My point is this: The new "thing" at stores seems to be to appoint someone to hold a space in line. I suspect the same idea applies to parking spaces.

PB, I completely understand and I would not like to encounter someone standing in a parking spot to hold it. I would just drive on by and find another spot. It's not worth fighting someone about. But that is part of what I'm talking about with Walmart--from the parking lot to the inside of the store--there seems to be a mentality among Walmart shoppers of rudeness and "me, me, me". I am sure that it's not just Walmart, but it seems worse there--kind of like shopping at Walmart brings out the worst in people?

But in that convenience store--you didn't get in your car and run that family down or start beating on them!

What most bothers me about your experience is the way people act and talk in front of their kids.

Nekochan wrote:What most bothers me about your experience is the way people act and talk in front of their kids.

I know, Neko. I couldn't believe it. I felt so sorry for that little girl. It amounted to a form of child abuse, I think. That's the main reason I opted to go ahead and let them check out.

That poor little girl probably has a dismal future. I was just as livid that the parents used their little girl in that manner as I was about them checking out all that "stuff."

I wish I'd had the presence of mind to get their license tag number. This could well have been a reportable offense. Dreams would know, but she's mad at me, so I guess she won't chime in on this.

I just wonder how many other parents out there are using their little children in this manner.

.

I normally go to 5 Flags speedway either during practice on Thursday nights or early on race days to save 5-6 seats for myself and some friends who can't get there early enough to get seats in the top row.. I normally use some plastic rope that I tie to a few places and duct tape it to the seats.. One time, I showed up Friday and there was a man with 2 teenagers sitting in lawn chairs, right on the rope.. There is a sign right at the ticket booth that says "NO lawn chairs allowed". I politely told the father that I had those seats reserved, and he started with one cuss word after another and refused to move.. I then went to let security know about the lawn chairs and after the deputy told them the lawn chairs have to leave, the father had one of his sons take them to the car while he continued cussing me out. I said, "great example your making for your sons on how to steal something that doesn't belong to them".. The other people around ALL supported me and agreed they should not have sat where they did. We heard more cussing for the rest of the night about anything he could cuss about until they left before the last race for the night.. There are another 10-20 people that go to save seats every time there are races, so it's not only me..

About saving the parking spot, I would have went inside the store to get one of the scooters and taken it to the friends car if she couldn't walk OR did the shopping for the friend.. They were BOTH wrong!!!!

Jake92 wrote:I normally go to 5 Flags speedway either during practice on Thursday nights or early on race days to save 5-6 seats for myself and some friends who can't get there early enough to get seats in the top row.. I normally use some plastic rope that I tie to a few places and duct tape it to the seats.. One time, I showed up Friday and there was a man with 2 teenagers sitting in lawn chairs, right on the rope.. There is a sign right at the ticket booth that says "NO lawn chairs allowed". I politely told the father that I had those seats reserved, and he started with one cuss word after another and refused to move.. I then went to let security know about the lawn chairs and after the deputy told them the lawn chairs have to leave, the father had one of his sons take them to the car while he continued cussing me out. I said, "great example your making for your sons on how to steal something that doesn't belong to them".. The other people around ALL supported me and agreed they should not have sat where they did. We heard more cussing for the rest of the night about anything he could cuss about until they left before the last race for the night.. There are another 10-20 people that go to save seats every time there are races, so it's not only me..

About saving the parking spot, I would have went inside the store to get one of the scooters and taken it to the friends car if she couldn't walk OR did the shopping for the friend.. They were BOTH wrong!!!!

I understand that the lawnchair patrons were in the wrong, if there was a sign disallowing their use. But, how is it you see it as fair that you can rope off a section (at the top row, which is presumably prime real estate)? What happened to first come, first served? I have seen this type of seat saving at church events or graduation exercises, but at an event with an admission charge it doesnt seem fair to everyone to allow the few to save more seats than they themselves can sit in. "Come early for the best seats" should not extend to those who do not come early!

There are many people that go home after work, then wait until the last minute to come and there are others that have to work later and barely make it to the track before the races start. After sitting in the same area with the same people for the last 2-5 years, it's almost like visiting with family, not just random people that don't even know each other.. There are husbands who work until 6 and the wife saves a seat for them by putting a seat cushion down, then goes to get him when he gets home and people from Mobile that want to sit together with the same friends.. Is it any different than you going to a movie and saving a seat for your wife and kids while they go potty or visit the snack bar??? Is it any different than the Boy Scouts or a church group roping off 50 seats so they can sit together in a group??

PBulldog2 wrote:I'm looking at this from another perspective, Neko.

Not too long ago, I was in a convenience store buying some chips. An angelic little girl, about eight years old, was standing beside me in line with a candy bar in her hand. I told her she could stand in line ahead of me.

When her time came to check out, her family members converged from all corners of the store. I'm talking about five OTHER people. From all the stuff they had, it looked like they had done their weekly shopping at the convenience store.

I said, "Now wait a minute....I let this little girl go ahead of me, not all of you."

To which the mother replied, "You MF'er...she's my daughter, and she was in line. I'm paying for her candy bar, you GD MFi'ng bitch."

I replied, "You are being quite rude!"

Daddy, who was about 6'5" and 300 pounds, then said, to me, "GD it, woman, shut your mouth."

The cashier told them if they didn't hush she wasn't going to check them out, period. She then asked me what I wanted to do. I told her to just go ahead and check them out, which she did.

After she checked them out, the cashier told them,"And go shop somewhere else next time, please."

Heck, I was half afraid to leave the store and return to our car. But only half afraid. I don't do bullies well, and I was ready to continue it in the parking lot if need be. I might have been shot, who knows? My hubby rushed me right on out of there.

My point is this: The new "thing" at stores seems to be to appoint someone to hold a space in line. I suspect the same idea applies to parking spaces.

Oh my God PB. I would have been horrified. I commend you for even speaking up, I would have just bitched when I got back to the car. But had I said something and that happened I dont know what I would have done. Ive had people holding places in line before but never to that extreme and to be spoken to that way in public attounds me.

I have to admit when I saw the topic it reminded me of fried green tomatoes where the lady rammed into the younger girls car and said "Tawanda" lol

PB, it sounds like it may have been a good thing you were in there with hubby. Like you, I would have also let the little girl go in front of me because it always troubles me to see children alone -- or who SEEM to be alone, as in this case -- in stores. But like Chrissy, I would have likely let it pass. You've got Big Ones, girl! lol.

Last week I let a woman with her arms full of a few things in front of me at WalMart. As soon as she put her things on the belt, her kids did the same thing and kept grabbing more and more things from the candy rack. Finally, another one came with a buggy and the cashier told them, "this line has a 20 item limit" and she refused to start ringing her up.. The woman cussed and moved to the next line.. LOL Everybody that saw what happened said "thank you" to the cashier, not for people cutting in line, but for not letting 1 customer exceed the 20 item limit when there were others in line with a few things.. ALL I had was a few things in the buggy, including a 37 pound box of kitty litter.

Jake92 wrote:Last week I let a woman with her arms full of a few things in front of me at WalMart. As soon as she put her things on the belt, her kids did the same thing and kept grabbing more and more things from the candy rack. Finally, another one came with a buggy and the cashier told them, "this line has a 20 item limit" and she refused to start ringing her up.. The woman cussed and moved to the next line.. LOL Everybody that saw what happened said "thank you" to the cashier, not for people cutting in line, but for not letting 1 customer exceed the 20 item limit when there were others in line with a few things.. ALL I had was a few things in the buggy, including a 37 pound box of kitty litter.

DAMN, you hiding The Crazy Cat Lady at your house?? Just kidding. I buy 50lb bags of pine pellets that I use for kitty litter at the feed store and I only have one tiny little kitty.

If I have a full cart at the grocery, I always let folks with just a few things ahead of me too... just seems like a common courtesy. It was nice of all the folks in line to thank the cashier considering that seems to be one of the many thankless jobs in which the employee often seems to be on the receiving end of a lot of verbal abuse from customers.

One would hope that your above story would teach the offending shopper not to try and pull the same stunt again. Unfortunately, I have little hope.

The cashier commented that she is one of a few that do the same thing every time they come into the store because she feels her time is more important than other peoples.. I guess mommy and daddy never taught her common courtesy..

Jake92 wrote:The cashier commented that she is one of a few that do the same thing every time they come into the store because she feels her time is more important than other peoples.. I guess mommy and daddy never taught her common courtesy..

Because the shopper feels her time is more important than others', or because the cashier feels her's is??

The cashier was just doing her job when the few "important" people came in and wanted special treatment when others were in line ahead of her.. The cashier was 100% right..