Musical Chairs on Wheels
Trader Joe’s is a unique, specialty grocery store with wonderful products but small parking spaces. I love the store but hate the parking lot. Its a scratch and dent lot at best and I always plan my arrival at off times. Lately, this is an impossible mission.
You see, the parking spaces are even more limited due to construction over the parking area. I have trouble parking at 2pm on a Thursday now. Finding a parking space resembles musical chairs. We line up and circle around the lot until a space comes open, or you’re brave enough to squeeze your car into a space an inch bigger than your car is.
Last week, on the second time around the circle, the tan SUV in front of me stopped. I glanced left and jumped into a spot near a column. I narrowly missed the column, darting behind the SUV. Relieved, I stepped out of my car to retrieve my grocery bags out of the trunk.
The man in a gray SUV next to me partially backed out, pulled back in and then attempted to back out again. Horns blared, and I glanced nervously around. Are they honking at me? Its a legitimate parking spot and I didn’t see anyone else near it. I beheld the tan SUV still firmly in place with at least 5 cars behind it. The parking area is one way, one car, no passing lane. Musical chairs on wheels grinds to a halt.
A woman walks up to the tan SUV from her car stuck in the 5 car line up. She bangs on the tan SUV driver side window, begging the woman to move. Explaining no one can drive by her and she’s blocking the exit of at least 5 cars.
The tan SUV exhibits no remorse, playing a game of her own, called “Be An Ass”. She plans to wait for the space ahead of her to open and damn the consequences.
I count myself lucky and escape into the store, before tensions reach a boiling point.
20 minutes later, when I finish my shopping, the tan SUV has claimed its space and a new game of grab a “scratch and dent” spot is already afoot.
Rattled by the parking horror show, I shopped at a Trader Joe’s store farther north this week, located in a shopping center with piles of parking spots. I couldn’t handle another game of musical chairs with an ass for a scratch and dent spot.
