[Shrek] Excuse Me, But You're In Everyone's Way

Fiona and I went shopping yesterday, making sure to run our errands early before most people's working days have ended and while school is still in session. We prefer to do this because the odds of running into an absolutely clueless person rises exponentially as more people are in the store.

We all know one of the types of clueless person I'm talking about; the one that walks their cart at a snail's pace down the middle of the aisle stopping to study every product even though they have no intention of buying it, making sure to block the progress of everyone behind them as they go from side to side.

You'd think after the 20th person says "excuse me" they'd get the hint they're in the way and maybe should pick a side for their cart, but they won't let anyone ruin that great shopping experience for them.

Or better yet, two friends walking side by side each with their own carts. Add kids or cell phones to the mix and you've got yourself a party.

Another one that gets me is the person going against the flow. Did you not notice that everyone is moving in one direction and you're going in another? Inevitably that person will stop their cart right next to another stopped cart, blocking the aisle in both directions.

And for the folks that don't know this, when the express lane says "10 items or less" or something similar, it doesn't mean your 12 bottles of Pepsi count as one item because it's all the same...IT COUNTS AS 12 ITEMS! The worst offenders of this are the people that buy huge amounts of greeting cards at BJs and go to the express lane because "they're just greeting cards". Yeah, but you got 50 of them. Get your ass in the regular line.

And speaking of BJs, one of the things I like to do when I'm their is browse the table of new books that they have. Why do people feel the need to push their cart right up to the table so no one else can get in to take a look? And why do people do that at the deli too? Are they afraid someone will come by and take stuff out of their cart so they must protect it as if their very lives depended on it?

My time isn't any more valuable than anyone else's. It's also not any less valuable. How about exercising a little courtesy and take up a little less space so folks can go about their business?

There's plenty of room for everyone provided no one takes more than their share.