I've said before that I don't like to do negative ranting on this blog ... it's not really fun for me to put my bad attitude out there on the internet for everyone to see. However, I do have one thing that drives me out of my flipping mind and there's nothing I can do about it.
Imagine, if you will, an empty restaurant ... or an empty theater ... or an empty parking lot. Why in the world do strangers feel the absolute need to place themselves right next to me?
My mom pointed this phenomenon out to me years ago and I've just laughed and laughed every time it happens to me. Honestly, there has never been a single time that it hasn't happened to me.
I choose what seems to be a non-priority spot, out of the way, as innocuous as possible. Before I know what has happened, someone sits down at the table or booth right next to me. There are 15 other tables around, some clear on the other side of the restaurant, but the only place they can see to seat themselves is directly beside me.
A friend and I went to a late showing of a movie several weeks ago. When we walked in, we were the only people there. Cool!!! We found a couple of seats and parked ourselves. We weren't directly in the middle, we didn't pick front row seats, we didn't even sit on an end. Just a couple of random seats. The next couple of people that came in - sat in our row! Oh, they moved down a couple of seats, but right with us. We looked at each other, shook our heads and laughed.
I've pulled into a rest area, needing a 5 minute power nap. I know better than to park in front of the building, so I move down a ways, hoping to avert some of the sounds of car doors slamming and children racing around. There are very few vehicles in the rest area and 6-7 spots on either side of me. The VERY next car that pulls in - pulls in right beside me and chaos is released.
If you are one of those that NEEDS to plant yourself right beside someone else in an empty restaurant or theater, please explain to me why in the world it is so important to you. I'm certain the bogeyman isn't going to attack you if you are seated several places away from me. I'm also fairly certain that I'm not going to be able to protect you if he did.
There's my rant for the evening. Next time you enter an empty space as the first person there, pay attention to what happens next. Unless I know you very well, I promise not to sit right next to you. But, start watching to see how many times you end up being clustered together with lots of people with empty spaces filling the rest of the room!
3 comments:
It still bothers you that I slept in the bed next to yours that year at Coe doesn't it!
I seem to recall that they were bunkbeds and you slept in the top bunk! :) Unless of course you were in the top of the closet!! (hehe)
A similar rant of mine is this: At work, we have three computer stations. I will be standing at one ready to wait on people, and SOME people will go to the one furthest from me and look at me and say, "Oh, where are you working?" RIGHT HERE YOU IDIOT!!! I ALWAYS stand my ground (unless they are elderly or handicapped or child-ridden) and make them come to me. I DON'T GET IT!!!
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