It's been awhile since I've written a Friday Flip Offs post. I like to save them until I have something happen that made me legit want to flip someone off. I think sincerity is important even when flipping someone off. Virtually or otherwise. Well this week, a couple of things happened that definitely warrant a virtual flip off, so here we are.
I'll preface this by saying that I realize driving can be a pain. We all have lives we're trying to get to [or away from, as the case may be] or things we're just trying to get done. I get that. But the one thing I abso-freaking-lutely do not get is why some drivers have to be a-holes.
Case in point...
On Wednesday, I had just left the Wally World parking lot, turning right onto the main street in our town and heading south. It was going to be dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant for the Hubs & Me, so we were on our way to meet there. I got into the left turn lane and there was an SUV in front of me. I patiently waited the customary annoying length of time for the light to change so that I could turn onto the road that leads to the restaurant. Then we get the green arrow. But the SUV doesn't move. It sits there immobile for what seems an eternity before finally changing from his left turn signal to his right. Ummm...
That's right. After we got the left turn arrow, this dude decided that he no longer wanted to turn left. No, no, he now wanted to go straight, and he couldn't have cared less that the 8 cars behind him in the turn lane were stuck there as he waited for the cars going straight to pass, so that he could maneuver into their lane.
I know what you're thinking: this is not a serious problem. And no doubt you are correct. But when you're a teacher, having been on your feet for 90% of your day, and then having spent over an hour getting groceries, thanks in part to Wally World's convoluted commitment to having only two checkout lanes open--all you want to do is get where you're going. Add to that the turn signals that seem to last long enough to sing an entire rendition of 99 Bottles of Beer, and a girl who hasn't eaten since 11:30, and the desire to get to one's destination is increased exponentially. Not to mention that it is just not OK for someone to change their mind at said turn signal at the moment it finally turns green, forcing everyone behind them to sit through that stoplight all over again. Like, seriously.
That dude seriously needs to learn some manners. Clearly his mama didn't teach him any.
But you know, the crazy day of a-hole behavior did not end there.
I pulled into the back entrance of the restaurant and headed toward the parking spaces on the north side of the building. In addition to the back entrance, the restaurant has an IN only for those entering from the main road, and an EXIT only, which is the side where the parking spaces are that I was heading to. As I got close to the building and the open parking space, some guy--also in an SUV--pulled into the EXIT ONLY side. That alone was enough to irritate me. But he not only blocked the parking space I was heading toward, he was also edging himself toward me. He was basically expecting me to back up and move so that he could get around me, since I was stopped in the middle of the driving area.
I seriously wish you could have seen my face at this moment, especially considering I'd just had the incident at the turn signal. It was a look of complete bewilderment. Befuddlement mixed with Bemusement. The look on my face couldn't have hidden what I was thinking.
It basically became a parking lot showdown. Who was going to move? One of us had to, but it was not going to be me. I mean, he was the a-hole; he came in the wrong entrance *and* expected *me* to move. I'm sorry--but I was not going to give him the satisfaction of moving out of his way when I had the right of way. So, I stared at the guy for a minute, then simply shrugged and mouthed the words, "I'm not moving." Because at that point I was just over it.
Amazingly, it worked. The guy moved. And that was that. Sheesh.
You know, I have a lot of mottos that I try to live by. But there's one that comes into play quite often, especially while I'm driving. And I think everyone should try to live by it. Just four little words.
Don't be an a-hole.