So, I'm pretty much a live and let live kind of a girl. You do your thing, I do mine, and we all just do our best. It takes a lot to get me riled up (unless you are one of my children!)
That's why I was surprised at my reaction to something the other day. Total strangers did something, not even aimed at me (or at anyone, really) which had me steaming for a long time afterwards. It was last week and I'm still irritated about it. Want to know what they did??
They left their shopping carts between cars instead of putting them back in the cart return.
Argh! I hate that! It was raining/snowing at Costco, and all of my groceries were getting wet. My children were getting wet. My HAIR was getting wet. I think I was already cranky. In fact, this was like my first time going shopping since my morning sickness hit a couple of months ago. But, even though things were uncomfortable, would I have left my cart sitting in between a couple of parked cars where they could damage cars, create chaos for parking, and require some other human being to take care of what I was to lazy to do myself? No.
There were three adults with two carts. No kids to deal with. No disabilities that I could see. The cart return was actually pretty close by. I REALLY wanted to point this out to them, but my non-confrontational self stepped in and wouldn't let me. Then I REALLY wanted to offer to take their carts for them while me, my groceries and my children got wet, hoping that they could also tell that I was pregnant. But my rational self said that was a stupid idea.
I watched them drive off as I put everything into my car. I tried to glare at them, but still, that's too confrontational for me to handle. So I just steamed about all twenty minutes that it took me to drive home. Sad, huh?
It always bugs me to see the carts left everywhere. Especially with bad whether when they end up blowing all over the parking lot. I am always tempted to leave carts out myself, but I never do. No matter what children are crying in the car. No matter how wet I get. No matter how late I am. No matter how far away the cart return is (I try to park really close so I don't have to leave the kids alone while I'm taking it back) I always take it back. It's not that hard! One time, I was at Wal-mart and I decided that I was actually closer to the front doors than I was to any cartr returns (Wal-mart is the worst), so I took it to the front of the store. Before I made it inside, a manager stopped me with a very confused expression and asked what I was doing. I told him, and he just looked more confused. Then he smiled and said, "You're my new favorite customer!" Then he took my cart for me and told me to have a nice day!
And it wasn't that hard. I still want to tell those people that I for one, was not happy that they couldn't bother taking care of their own carts. I know, I shoudn't let a pet peeve bother me so much!
And other pet peeves out there?
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5 comments:
I am so with you on this one. My Dad has an unwritten list of what makes someone a "quality person"--putting shopping carts away is one of those attributes. I hate stray carts and have the thought EVERY time, "I am a quality person. I am a quality person." Things that people do or don't do that inconvenience others makes my blood boil as well.
My mom wants you to know that she is one of those guilty annoying people that leave her carts wherever. We read your post together and she has decided to change her evil ways!!! She says never again will she do this! See, writing pet peeves can actually do some good in this world!
Heather and Gene
I too put my shopping carts away for this reason. I almost always park right next to the cart return corral to facilitate this. And I MUST park in the same vicinity every time I shop or I lose my mini-van. I have learned this from too many searches trudging up and down the parking lot aisles.
My biggest pet peeve though? Hands down -- a messy house, my messy house to be exact. And to be even more specific...a very messy kitchen. I don't mind others' messes, but my own freak me out. A wee bit of OCD there .
I am also sometimes one of those people. Although...as often as I do it, I still hate it when other people do. I'm pretty much a hypocrite. :)
I agree on the shopping carts. I never leave them out and am bugged by people who do. Another pet peeve comes from my being a teacher - when people talk during a lesson or when they're supposed to be listening to someone or something (during movies at the theater for example). A few whispers here and there don't bother me . . . it's the people talking in normal voices or constant whispered that kills me.
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