Power to the shoppers and their shopping habits

Recently, I wrote a short play-ette in my A. Playwright's Rambling blog, focusing on the encounter of two women shopping for lipstick. Although it was exaggerated for drama and content, it was based on a real-life encounter as are many of my "Scenes from Real Life" Life experiences lend themselves as fodder for drama.

For whatever reason, shopping carts or maybe it extends to anything with wheels, seem to bring out the inner beast in some people. Perhaps it's a skewed feeling of power in that they control a vehicle be it a means to hold food items, which could in theory give them muscle over other shoppers. This is particularly noticeable when lining up at the cash to pay. During a big sale at a supermarket, I watched two females (but it just as easily could have been males) actually sling verbal accusations at each other focusing on who was went before while waiting to pay. I mean, really.

Related to this is the quest for parking place and the need to be close to a mall entrance. Shoppers for whatever reason - laziness springs to mind - will drive around and around in tight groups, one car behind the other, ready to spring into action lest a car be spotted pulling out of a space near the door. As a shopper I've been followed by a lineup of ve-hi-cles while walking to retrieve my car. Usually, it's located two rows over from where I'm searching and upon arrival at my destination, the cars are already waiting for my departure. What's the difference if you have to walk a few feet more is my philosophy.

Thinking further perhaps it goes back to our basic survival instinct in that we feel the necessity to exend our superiority and strength in social situations. A shopping cart gives the customer control be it in a limited fashion, over her/his immediate environment. Then again, a parking spot is a parking spot is...unless of course it's 20 below zero in a snow storm. Then it's every man or woman for themselves.

Rant time - physically "normal" people who park in handicapped zones

Rant time and this time the subject focuses on a very serious subject. Question of the day: why do people who are physically healthy park in the limited spaces reserved for people who aren't?

Turned into a small parking lot to do some indoor banking and while searching for a place, spotted a young woman who appeared to be in her 30's, rushing into her car and preparing to back up out of the spot. At that point, especially since it was raining and being close to the entrance of the bank, it would have been an ideal parking spot for us. Another spot became empty and we parked there instead. Getting out of the car, my attention focused on the woman who had backed out and saw that her space had been set aside for handicapped persons by a bright yellow wheelchair painted on the cement. Perhaps I shouldn't have been shocked but I was and as she slowly passed and our eyes met, I tilted my head up and stared at the designated handicap parking space and then glared at her. She turned her head and glanced backwards, looked at me and then sped off.

It's not the first time I've seen "normal" people use these spaces for a quick run in to a supermarket or pharmacy...or wherever. It's not like they don't see that they are specifically marked as such and by law the malls have to put aside specific areas for people who aren't physically capable of walking far or use wheelchairs. You can't blame the mall owners since there is no way for them to ensure that the wrong people don't park where they shouldn't be. In the end it's up to people's good will and conscience to do the right thing. Big deal - so they have to walk a few extra steps!

The lyrics of the song, "Walk a Mile in My Shoes" says it perfectly: "If I could be you and you could be me for just one hour
If we could find a way to get inside each other's mind..."

Enough said.