There are certain traditions in the holiday season that we all know, love, and celebrate every year.
Whether it be gathering around the table for a feast, watching holiday specials on the TV, or giving gifts until you're deep in credit card debt, we all know certain things happen this time of the year.
I, for one, partook in one of the newer holiday traditions just last night. I got into a fight with a guy at the supermarket parking lot.
Parking lots, and the people and cars that park in them, are a constant annoyance of mine. From the inability to park a car between two perfectly straight lines to improper use of handicapped parking spaces, it's amazing I'm willing to venture forth to a lot at all.
Humans, as a breed, are complete and insensitive idiots when it comes to what they do in parking lots.

First, the facts: I am authorized to park in a handicapped space. Mind you, while I may be in decent physical condition (I could lose a pound or 20, I know), the handicapped permit is for my mother.
She has trouble walking thanks to Diabetic Neuropathy in her feet and Macular Degeneration has taken part of her vision. Between that and the aches and pains that inevitably develop when you reach 78, her doctor signed off on the form that granted her a handicapped permit.
Mind you, I don't take advantage of the permit when I'm alone. But when we go shopping, it does give us a chance to park nearer to the door, so she can just go inside, sit on the bench, and watch folks go past. It's a chance for her to get out of the house, something that doesn't happen too too often these days.

Naturally, this time of year, it's difficult enough to find parking at the store anyway. Thankfully, the permit gives us a decent chance at finding one of those close spots.
However, the remainder of humanity believes that handicapped parking spaces are shopping cart return spaces.

After pulling halfway into the parking space, I had to get out of the car and move one of the carts that some kind soul decided to leave right in my way. Get back in the car, pull in, and straighten it out (so I, at least, will be centered between the lines).
I shut the car off and am getting out to go around the other side and help my mother out when this...gentleman...decided to park his shopping cart in the handicapped space right in front of me.
"Handicapped spaces aren't cart returns, ya know," I tell him in my most polite-yet still annoyed-voice.
He merely smiles and starts to walk away.

"Smile all you want, but a handicapped space still isn't a cart return," I yell out as he goes.

He turns and looks back at me. "You've got two good legs, return it yourself!" was his reply.

"I've got two good legs, but she doesn't, you insensitive jackass!" Unfortunately, he decided to keep walking.


It amazes me to no end the attitude some folks take. Would it kill you to walk an extra twenty feet to return your shopping cart inside the store?

Let's take a couple things into consideration here:

• There are places set aside in nearly every aisle to return your cart.
• No one wants their car ding-ed by a shopping cart.
• If you're close enough to the door, why not return it to the store itself?

These are fairly simple ideas, people.
Think before you act for a change.