Parked in the driveway

I don't know if it's rudeness or stupidity. Perhaps they just can't see it because their blinders are on too tight. But I continue to be amazed at the rank lack of consideration among people today.

As I approached the entrance to my Shop yesterday I saw that a man had parked his bike across the driveway as he checked his bags and spoke on the phone. There were no cars on the street on either side of the drive, and a complete lack of obstructions on the sidewalk. Yet he was stopped, standing astride his bike checking things out right smack in the way of anyone who might want to get to my Shop. Like me.

I sat with my signal on, and he looked at me as though What's your problem? After a few seconds I gave up and circled around to another point of entry. I came in the back, a block away.

And he was still there when I arrived at the front of the Shop. I briefly considered saying something to him yet decided I would not. There was no reason: if he didn't see by then that he was a problem why should he if I brought it up? That just risks escalating a situation and that's when things can spin out of control. Better to be the adult, a task which even I can occasionally accomplish.

It still rankles me though.

Just plain rude

Just when you think you've seen it all, you see something you never think you'd see. This one had me doing a slow burn.

As I walked into UPS yesterday to ship a small package there was one woman in front of me with six packages. Oh well, those things happen. She got in there first and that's that. But what ground my gears was that none of the packages were taped shut. The attendant was doing that. He was also attaching the preprinted address labels.

Are. You. Kidding. Me? This young woman brought in a half dozen parcels which were not addressed, which were not even taped shut (in short, not ready for shipment at all) and had the UPS employee doing all that for her, while me and the soon four people who came in after me waited. What the (insert preferred inapropriate adjective here).

As I said, I could live with the fact that she got into the shipping office ahead of me. That stuff happens. But to bring unclosed, unaddressed parcels into UPS and have the clerk secure them?

Just. Plain. Rude. The height of being inconsiderate.