Gas station courtesy? (Yes, this will be a rant.)

The older I the less patience I have. And a lot of it is aimed at old people, sadly. It seems to me that the older people here in my town seem to expect you to move out of their way instead of being polite and waiting their turn.

A friend of mine was in a store and he said an old man tried to move him away from where he was standing, looking for a good steak, by standing right next to him and nudging him with his shoulder. He turned to the old man and said, "you're a little frail to be trying to move me."

I don't have the rudeness in me to do something like that, but I really wish I could. I'm often moving down an aisle behind someone waiting to get to that section of the store, when an older person, usually female, will dart in front of my cart and stand there looking. I'm too polite to say anything so it takes forever to shop if I go during high Walking Dead time (during sunlight when the retirees feel safe to come to the grocery store), so I try to go before the sun rises on the weekend, before 6am. That way I avoid the prime-time rudeness of the young (8pm-10pm), and the daytime rudeness of the elderly.

Thank you for providing me the opportunity to pontificate. It is greatly appreciated. Let's start with location, the last time I was in your great state I was appalled at the rudeness of, not the native Floridians, but the transplanted snowbirds. Exiting the state near the Fla/Georgia line upon entering a convenience store the cashier greeted me with a "How y'all doing". I wanted to marry her. Location, location. location!! Moving on to retirees, not all of us are reaching the age of senility nor have we lost "all" our manners. I was able to retire early that did not automatically make me a geezer. Lastly, I do like your shopping strategy. I too avoid "during high Walking Dead time (during sunlight when the retirees feel safe to come to the grocery store)". I do occasionally like to shop "the prime-time rudeness of the young (8pm-10pm)". The reason being, I need the amusement of seeing how many oblivious snowflakes I can make unhappy with an old fat man. Everyone needs a hobby. Thank you for your time.. :D hardcase60
 
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THAT BOY AINT RIGHT.

The weather was stormy, and he had a new truck...so, when I got there, he was parked at one of the gas pumps, under the canopy.

He came over to my truck and started to get in. I asked him if he was going to move his truck, and he said no. I told him we'd be gone a couple of hours at least, and he said he didn't want to leave his truck out in the open (bear in mind that he lived in a nearby apartment, and didn't have a garage there.) I insisted that he at least go in the store and ask them if it was okay for him to leave his truck at the pump while we were gone, fearing that they may have it towed, not to mention the discourtesy of blocking one of the few pumps. He went inside, and of course they told him no.

Did he eat a lot of paint chips as a kid? If he weren't married, I'd say to fix him up with my sister. :D
 
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Reminds me of the time I was looking at some beef at a local grocery store. As I was looking at the various offerings, an old goat (I am 60-ish, so I am in that particular flock of age-endowed people), raised his cane toward me and told me in a loud voice that I was blocking him from the meat counter and to get out of his way. Doing my best Steve Martin impression, and saying my response LOUDLY enough for others to hear, I apologized to him, saying I was sorry that my very existence was such a burden for him, using exaggerated humility, and humbly asked for his forgiveness...the look on his face and that of passerby's who overheard my comment was worth the effort. Some laughed. Passed by the gentleman later in a different aisle, and he avoided eye contact.
 
Well EXCUUUUSE ME...

What a schtick Martin had back in those early SNL years. He had a good Elvis act too.

I'm one of the retired guys and my errands are run 9:30-11 am. Stores are usually deserted except for people like me. Most of my gas comes from Sam's and they don't have the riff-raff stop & robs have.
 
My rant is people who block the meat area with their carts. They could easily leave the cart and go to the counter. I wait patiently while they decide what to buy. Most of them are probably fine people, just clueless about the world around them. Wife thinks I over react.
 
YOU CAN RUN, BUT NOT HIDE.

Young/old, North/South, AM/PM, it will be there. File it under things you can't control & suck it up buttercup. ;) If you find a workable solution, give us a holler. I don't drive on Fridays after 4PM. :D
 
Happily after I had my knee surgery last March and was walking with a leg brace and cane I found people to be incredibly courteous and helpful to me. It took me awhile to get used to it because I had always tried to be self-sufficient while at the same time trying to be considerate of others. It took me awhile to realize that there were a lot of folks who were trying to be good to me in the situation I was in
 
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Blocking the gas pump thing doesn't bother me too bad. But driving at or below the speed limit in the left lane of a four lane road/highway is inconsiderate and I truly believe half the people who do it because "I'm a 'Merican and it's my God given right" to do so. The other half who do it are just clueless.

I want to "like" this 1000 times.
 
My rant is people who block the meat area with their carts. They could easily leave the cart and go to the counter. I wait patiently while they decide what to buy. Most of them are probably fine people, just clueless about the world around them. Wife thinks I over react.

I was at a Walmart one morning, shopping. I realized I had forgotten something on aisle infinity-2, so I parked my cart and walked back to get what I'd forgotten. When I got back to where I had left my cart (not more than 3 minutes later) my cart was gone. I started looking for it and found it on the previous aisle over, with a Walmart employee removing things from it and putting them back on the shelf. :mad:

I'm afraid I kind of let her have it; no profanity, but a bit of meanness. I sure felt bad afterward. I apologized, but i still feel bad about it.
 
My rant is people who block the meat area with their carts. They could easily leave the cart and go to the counter. I wait patiently while they decide what to buy. Most of them are probably fine people, just clueless about the world around them. Wife thinks I over react.

Many wives, mine included, keep their purse in the shopping cart while shopping, never more than two feet away. My attitude these days is if you can afford meat, ya have to put up with a little grief (when did bacon hit $5 a pound?). We are now down to buying hamburger helper-helper to stretch those food dollars...What do you add to "helper" to help it?
 
ABANDONED CART AISLE 3.

I was at a Walmart one morning, shopping. I realized I had forgotten something on aisle infinity-2, so I parked my cart and walked back to get what I'd forgotten. When I got back to where I had left my cart (not more than 3 minutes later) my cart was gone. I started looking for it and found it on the previous aisle over, with a Walmart employee removing things from it and putting them back on the shelf. :mad:

I'm afraid I kind of let her have it; no profanity, but a bit of meanness. I sure felt bad afterward. I apologized, but i still feel bad about it.

YOUR FAULT, you should feel bad. If the checkout lines are long and patience short, forgot my wallet (various other reasons), many leave em & walk out. Just doing her job.
 
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My rant is people who block the meat area with their carts. They could easily leave the cart and go to the counter. I wait patiently while they decide what to buy. Most of them are probably fine people, just clueless about the world around them. Wife thinks I over react.

Meanwhile, in a forum somewhere on the Interwebs, somebody is complaining about people leaving their carts unattended to walk away to the meat counter...and being blocked by the unattended carts.
 
Many wives, mine included, keep their purse in the shopping cart while shopping, never more than two feet away. My attitude these days is if you can afford meat, ya have to put up with a little grief (when did bacon hit $5 a pound?). We are now down to buying hamburger helper-helper to stretch those food dollars...What do you add to "helper" to help it?

Road kill helper
 
When I got back to where I had left my cart (not more than 3 minutes later) my cart was gone. I started looking for it and found it on the previous aisle over, with a Walmart employee removing things from it and putting them back on the shelf.

You must have one of the elite Walmarts...where I shop, they very rarely put stuff back. In fact, I've seen multiple carts at the returns counter piled up with food items, waiting to be restocked on the shelves...including refrigerated items like milk. I'm thinking, I sure hope I don't get one of those milks that set out for a day or so...
 
I've noticed over the years that the handle on a shopping cart is on the back side and should be steered from behind. I've also noticed that the isles are getting narrower.

Here's the newest rudeness,,,, Walking beside the cart and talking on the cell. Again, oblivious to those around them.

Manners are like common sense. Gone.
 
Rudeness is a funny thing, i mean, what constitutes being rude. When I was a youngster folks used to just drop by the house, knock on the door, and that was how you visited. Now (I was recently informed) it's rude to go to someones home without calling first. I related that to another person and they said "it's rude to ask someone if you can come over. You should wait to be invited."

Must be why city people don't know their neighbors. They don't wanna be rude.....People might talk :rolleyes:

Or maybe...I need a more effective deodorant :D
 
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