Amusing Musings

First off I want to thank everyone for the wonderful welcome to blogger; I have been blown away by all of the kind words of encouragement ~ Thank you.

I was contemplating what my first official post should be about when it dawned on me that the best things in life to note are in the details - so here are some details I wonder if any of you have noticed.

Handicapped Spaces:

Why are there so many? In even the smallest of parking lots the ratio of blue lined spots to "get out and hoof it" spots is drastically disproportionate to the amount of people seemingly in need of said preferred parking.

IE: Home Depot/Lowes. Is this really a gathering point for people in wheelchairs? I don't think many of them are laying cable on the rooftops or planning to build a tree house anytime soon. Meanwhile you can see middle aged men and entire families pushing carts and dodging cars trying to get their haul of lumber and soil out to the back 40 in the scorching mid-day heat. All while passing empty spaces waiting in anticipation for the onslaught of people with special needs who never seem to come.

Another point: If you can crawl up out of a Corvette or down from a Hummer; you don't technically qualify as handicapped in my book. Hey, the baby boomers are all about to turn the page at once, technically all of us could qualify for handicapped parking eventually.

I was actually at a medical office building and had to park way, way out there (it was so far out that by the time I got to the building my shoes needed to be re-soled); anyway as I was catching my breath I looked around at the massive amount of empty but waiting handicapped spaces.

I had a few moments to kill before my appointment, and I was still out of breath from the hike, so I decided to count the spaces in this lot. Apparently, I was there so long counting that a kind woman in a mini-van stopped to ask me if I needed assistance (I am assuming my flushed face and heaving chest might have looked like I was in some sort of distress instead of someone who had just finished an impromptu jazzercise class). She kindly asked if I was OK or needed "help". I replied sweetly, "Oh no thank you; I am just counting how many handicapped spaces there are here. Can you believe there are 22 spaces?!" I said in a shocked tone. I was taken aback by her look of dismay and then disdain as I apparently had crossed some politically correct line which was obviously obscured from all the blue lines painted on the pavement.

Don't get me wrong, I have empathy and then some for people with compromised health (I am one of them)...but this is getting out of hand. As long as the building has access to accommodate people with wheelchairs let's not get carried away with good intentions gone awry.

Now there are special spaces delineated for trivial things to which I say "REBEL PEOPLE". There are spaces for pregnant women, employee of the month, VIP's, visitors, Dry Cleaning Only, this list goes on and on. I say park wherever you please.

Pregnant Ladies: You think it's hard to get to the door while the baby is still inside of you? What about the woman with 3 kids who is ready to pull her last hair out who has to park 2 blocks away because her kids are out now? Besides, I carry my weight like I'm pregnant...this space cracks me up; because how pregnant do you have to be to qualify for this special space ? What are they going to make me do pee in a cup?

Employee Of the Month: You get paid for working, you probably got your photo put up on a board somewhere - let the paying customers get in so we can keep your employer in business so he can continue to pay you.

VIP's - well this space is all ego related and I say if you have a strong sense of self - take the spot.

Visitors - Aren't we ALL visitors; none of us is going to live in the parking lot - go for it.

Dry Cleaners (or any other store claiming a spot in the lot for themselves): You are in a strip mall - everyone shares the same lot; Why should I park far away because you chose to lease next to the Chinese restaurant I want to eat at? How about this; offer customer service and bring the clothes to your clients so they don't have to get out. I'm parking there.

That is my rant for today. What are your thoughts on the whole Parking No Parking dilemma?