The parking lot at Wal-Mart is a curious thing. Of course the place is always busy. That’s a given. Because of its being busy, you can come across a pretty good cross-section of life there. At our Wal-Mart, there are some people that are always peddling homemade tamales. You put your groceries in the car, shut the back door, and suddenly, there’s a guy about six feet away from you with a gallon sized Ziploc bag full of tamales. “You want some tamales, ma’am?” My kids want some tamales, they want’em bad. I love tamales. But I also love knowing where they come from. I should just buy some one of these times. Quell the curiosity.
Finding a parking space is fun at Wal-Mart. If you are in one of the first ten stalls, in my opinion you're close. Most of the time I purposely park far away. Doesn’t walking a long ways into Wal-Mart count for exercise?
I went to Wal-Mart a couple days ago. I landed a spot nine stalls away from the door. Nice. I had three of my four kids with me and was in a hurry. We got Aaron some baseball cleats, Kate some socks, and a few other grocery items. We left the store. At the van, Kate helped Emmy into the car while I unloaded the cart. As I’m unloading I noticed a black SUV waiting for what I assumed was my spot. “Ah, let’em wait,” I thought. I kept unloading. I noticed an empty space three spots away from my van. Mischievous thoughts popped into my head. What if I’m really slow? Will they give up and go for the other spot? How much time do they think they’re saving with my spot, fifteen feet closer? So I slowed things down a bit. Got the back carefully loaded. Shut the back gate. I returned my cart. They waited. I went to the side of the van and helped Emmy get buckled. They waited. I got in my door, fastened my seat belt, and looked back. Still waiting. Several cars had driven around this waiting SUV. I stalled about thirty more seconds. Finally, I backed out. I watched in my rear view mirror as I slowly left. The SUV didn’t budge. As I rounded the row of parked cars, a car pulled out that was two stalls closer than my space. The SUV put on its blinker. Finally! It triumphantly claimed its hard won space.
Okay, so maybe the driver had physical limitations that made that space extremely preferable over one nearly as close. Maybe the driver was just waiting for someone already in the store. But really, it is far more likely that the driver simply wanted a closer space. That drives me crazy! I see drivers do it all the time! Seriously, how much time did that lady save? She wasted so much time waiting it was painful. Next time someone waits for my spot, I’m buying tamales.
7 comments:
That's pretty funny. I think it is the rudest thing in the world to sit and wait for a spot and make people go around you. But that's what I expect at Walmart. The rudest people. That's why I don't go unless it's desperation. Desperation hits about 3 times a year.
Target all the way, baby.
You should write a book on the woes of motherhood. I would NEVER buy tamales in a plastic bag from a man in a Wal-Mart parking lot! Come on, Biffy! We're talking about cleanliness and sanitation! After traveling to Honduras last year, I will never trust anyone selling latin food on the side of the road... you may end up with more than the food in your stomach... like a lot of diarrhea. Good luck with that one ;) BTW, I hate Wal-Mart with a passion. Hate it.
It must be my dad coming out in me (we always bought "authentic" cuisine while we traveled) because I was going to buy those tamales once - I just didn't have the cash.
Biffy, listen to your mom. Do NOT buy the tamales!
I'd buy the tamales just out of spite for the person waiting for the spot--then go home and throw them away. I'm with everyone else--if you buy them, don't eat them.
I love it! I've waited for parking spaces before(haven't we all), but never THAT long! And I agree - NO tamales... I always wonder how long those guys walk around the parking lot with the same bag until they sell them. Too long probably.
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