The World Thru My Eyes - I speak my mind and man does it like to talk.
Published on August 29, 2008 By CharlesCS In Blogging
Well I figured, since Little-Whip mentioned others can pick up on keeping the tradition of the Friday Five article, I would give it a try to see what I could come up with.

My Friday Five is about 5 things that one would normally be expected to do but one either does or does not. Name 5 things you know of that is expected to be done yet either you do or don't do it. It was inspired by a recent trip to the supermarket where I can never park or leave the parking without having to move a bunch of shopping carts out of the way. Here are my 5 as follow:

1) Taking the shopping cart to the shopping cart stop in the parking lot.

I do sometimes, usually because I see the store employee doing it by hand unlike some places that have those remote machines to help push. It shows we care even though they have a job for our laziness.

2) Put items back from the shelves you get them from if you decide you don't want them anymore.

If I am close I will but often not will leave it on the closest shelf unless its a cold item for which I will find the closest fridge.


3) Change the 5 gallon bottle of water at the office.

There are very few guys on my floor so I am usually the one the ladies ask to change the water bottle
.

4) Allow people to change lanes when they have their signal lights on.

I usually do just because I can't stand people being so rude not to let them, or me, in when we really need to get in cause some to force themselves in creating an opportunity for a terrible accident.
When I don't I try to move up fast to allow them to get behind me before the vehicle behind me gets a chance to accelerate and take the spot.


5) Not occupy a handi-cap spot just because you stay in the car and will leave in a minute or two.

I just find this rude and, obviously, wrong all together (Illegal). I am usually in a rush (my nature) but I would not go as far as parking in a handi-cap zone just to be closer while I wait for my passenger to get out in a minute or less. I much rather drive around the parking or park in the back in a way where I can see them exit the store while not disrupting normal parking traffic.


Feel free to use these 5 example or maybe create 5 of your own.

Comments
on Aug 29, 2008

1. Always

2. About 80% of the time

3. Never (I dont drink it or belong to the club)

4. Most of the time.  But I do hate line jumpers.

5. Never.  And get angry at those that do.

Having been to florida recently, I can see why 3 is a big deal to you.  Your tap water stinks!

on Aug 29, 2008

1.  Depends.  Mostly on how close the cart return is located to where I parked.  If its not within about 3 slots, and the weather is bad, I don't take it back.  I'm not comfortable walking away from my vehicle with a 5 year old in it alone.  If its not raining, or the weather is good, then he just walks it back with me.  So see, depends.

2. 50/50

3. N/A

4. Usually

5. Never.  Though sometimes I wonder how many handicap people there are in a geographic area.  Some businesses around here devote almost half of their parking lot to handicap, and I've NEVER seen the slots full.

on Aug 29, 2008

Having been to florida recently, I can see why 3 is a big deal to you.  Your tap water stinks!

I agree whole heartedly. But there is this area in West Palm Beach called Palm Spings where they claim their water is the best water in the area where you can drink it right out of the faucet. I Have to say that I tried it and the taste came close to bottled water. During the year I lived in that area I saved a ton on filtered water.

1.  Depends.  Mostly on how close the cart return is located to where I parked.  If its not within about 3 slots, and the weather is bad, I don't take it back.  I'm not comfortable walking away from my vehicle with a 5 year old in it alone.  If its not raining, or the weather is good, then he just walks it back with me.  So see, depends.

Same here, only if it's close, but I also try not to put it in a place where it will get in someone elses way, like so many here do. God, I find it so annoying.

5. Never.  Though sometimes I wonder how many handicap people there are in a geographic area.  Some businesses around here devote almost half of their parking lot to handicap, and I've NEVER seen the slots full.

You know, I wonder that from time to time. I usually notice those in handi-cap parking (sitting in the car waiting often) most tend to not be handi-cap authorized vehicles. And I also notice they are hardly used in some places.

on Aug 29, 2008

Five things I'm expected to do huh?  Well....

1. Shut off the water on the garden hose and close and lock back door to garden. 

 Yep,  I do these all the time.

2.  Recycle. 

We just started this recycling thing here about two months ago and I"m doing it,  MOST of the time..

3.  Not help myself to the Community Garden produce,  only the management is allowed to. 

So I leave it alone!

4.  Be a quiet and considerate resident here.

I"m quiet 9/10 of the time...unless the Minnesota Twins are playing!!

5.  Be a responsible pet owner.

Heck,  my cat is fat,  sassy,  and happy.  Of course she's well taken care of,  even though she thinks going to the vet is cruel and inhumane treatment...

We

 

on Aug 29, 2008

1. Always.

2. Usually, but there have been times when laziness has gotten the better of me there.

3. No big water bottle where I work.

4. Depends on if I feel that they are driving like an asshole.  I never have a problem putting people in their place on the road if they are just trying to get ahead of others and risking accidents.  They probably consider me to be driving like an ass when I won't let them in too, so I guess it's kind of a double-edged sword.

5. Never.  Don't park in handicapped spaces, I consider it disrespectful if you are not handicapped or don't have a sticker for an injury of some kind.

on Aug 29, 2008

Ah, LW did point at something i was hoping to see. It goes to show that being lazy, stupid or don't have time (not that I am saying you are either or both LW) actually provides job opportunities for others.

on Aug 30, 2008

That's a pretty intense story.  I never do change lanes aggressively to "put someone in their place".  Basically, I was just saying that if some driver going 90mph is trying to get around me I will slow myself down so he/she is forced to.  Also if they are trying to sneak around me quickly and try to fit through other cars I will speed up in my lane so that they can't weave through aggressively and endanger those others.  I don't engage in those kind of weaving tactics on the road.  Those are the kind of drivers that are only concerned about where they are on the road and pay little attention to what the other drivers are doing.  I'm always on the lookout for people coming off or getting on at ramps.  Also, I'm not living in an area where traffic is congested so bad that incidents of that nature would happen, I think the biggest danger people have on the highways here are running into deer late at night.   Thank you for sharing your story though, LW.  It will definitely make me think twice about acting on my instincts in those occurrences on the road.

on Aug 30, 2008

1) Taking the shopping cart to the shopping cart stop in the parking lot.

95% of the time.  If I am alone with Isabella and the cart corral is not too far, I strap her in and lock the vehicle and sprint the cart back.  If it's too far, I don't.  I like to do it, though, because carts being scattered around is a hazard and can damage people's vehicles.

2) Put items back from the shelves you get them from if you decide you don't want them anymore.

Not usually, LOL.  I know it's a PITA for the employees, but seriously, their job is a lot easier than mine.  Haha.

3) Change the 5 gallon bottle of water at the office.

I don't work in an office, and we don't have bottled water now, but when I was pregnant with Isabella I DID change out the water bottle.  Yes, I did.

4) Allow people to change lanes when they have their signal lights on.

ALWAYS.  Not letting someone in is an asshole thing to do.

5) Not occupy a handi-cap spot just because you stay in the car and will leave in a minute or two.

I never do that.  I am healthy and have no reason to do so, and further, it's illegal.

The local grocery store, UKROPS, provides spaces for 'expectant mothers or parents with infants.' Fukkem. If I'm gimped up myself (as i have been almost all damn summer this year) I'll take one of those spots, and I feel free to do so for several reasons.

1) I'm usually in a cast or a brace or whatever, and I didn't CHOOSE to need surgery or break my foot or (insert calamity here.)

2) Parents CHOSE to have their kids.

3) The signs aren't enforced by police, there's no law on the books that says a preggo gets prime parking.

 

LOL, ok, devil's advocate here.  The argument could be made that some/many people with disabilities have made choices that either conributed to, or directly caused, their physical condition. 

Having said that, generally it benefits a healthy pregnant woman to walk.  There are conditions that would contraindicate a lot of walking (severe SPD, placenta previa, etc.), but for the most part, walking is good for a pregnant woman.  IMO, it's easier to get out of the car and into the store as a lone pregnant woman than a woman with an infant and children.  It's nice when places provide parking like that, but in most places it's not remotely respected anyways, so what's the point.

At Tripler (hospital) they had stork parking.  The parking lot was always really super full so it was helpful.  The parking passes for it were not given out until later in pregnancy and they did keep an eye on who was parking there, but I do recall a douche bag guy parking there when I was going to an appointment once.  He had no car seat in his vehicle and was completely alone.  I asked him when he was due.  Asshole. 

In a hospital with a large maternity service, I think stork parking is great.  For most other places it's probably not necessary. 

What I love is people who go to great effort to get THE CLOSEST parking space they can, often in cut-throat ways, and then spend an hour walking around the store shopping. 

on Aug 30, 2008

1. N/A because we still have sackers at the grocery here who carry your stuff to the car.

2. I put stuff back where ever. I don't work for the grocery store and feel like putting things back is their problem.

3. N/A again. At my job we get our water outta the tap.

4. Yes, but to a limit if there's a bunch of cars.

5. Never. Matter of fact, I usually park way off from the door anyway.

on Aug 30, 2008

I can see why 3 is a big deal to you. Your tap water stinks!
I filter it.

on Sep 02, 2008

1) Taking the shopping cart to the shopping cart stop in the parking lot.

Always.  I'm am consistently amazed by how lazy some people are who would rather shove their trolley between two other cars than walk a couple of dozen steps and corral it.

2) Put items back from the shelves you get them from if you decide you don't want them anymore.

My mother taught me to always put things back where you got them from.

3) Change the 5 gallon bottle of water at the office.

My water comes from a tap too.

4) Allow people to change lanes when they have their signal lights on.

This is a depends.  If someone has been waiting for a time, then yes.  But if someone just sneaks up the inside line trying to jump the queue then generally I don't let them.  I also slow at busy intersections and let a few cars slip into the stream ahead of me.  I know they've usually been waiting for a while and I'm never in that much of a hurry anyway.

5) Not occupy a handi-cap spot just because you stay in the car and will leave in a minute or two.

Absolutely not.  This angers me greatly, particularly when it is some young healthy dude in a new imported car.  I can't believe how insensitive and inconsiderate some people are.

on Sep 02, 2008

1.  Always do.  I also take pleasure in taking the one some lazy sot leaves there while I'm watching, and walk it back, too.

2.  About 95%, but I'm a speed shopper.  I go in knowing exactly what I want with the intent of getting out fast, so I rarely have anything I don't want.

3.  Not applicable to me.

4.  If it's just general driving, I let them in.  If it's that situation where there's a traffic tie up and people are just speeding down the line so they can cut in at the front, I cut them off if I can.

5.  I never park in handicapped spots for any reason.  And the thing that pisses me off to no end is that family member of someone that is handicapped using their pass to park there even though they are perfectly healthy.