Where’s the Limit?

Sometimes I don’t think anyone reads this column and then I’m surprised when out of the blue someone comments on something I’ve written.

For example, I was loading up my car after grocery shopping and I heard someone call, “Excuse me!” It took me a minute to realize that it was me that was being addressed.

The gal behind the wheel of her car said, “You know, whenever I approach a stop sign in this parking lot I think of you! You’re the CV Weekly lady, right?”

I confirmed that, yup, it was me who wrote of my frustration when in the parking lot and seeing people just driving through the stop signs as if they were merely a suggestion.

Of course, that got me going off on another tangent.

I was told – years ago – by hubby Steve that my job was to get out of the way of cars – when in a store parking lot, don’t walk in the middle of the lot but instead stick to either the right side or left side so someone not paying attention won’t hit me. Also, take the most expeditious path to get across the lot – don’t walk at an angle in the parking lot, just dawdling around, but instead walk with purpose from my car to the door of the store. Also when walking across the parking lot it is not the time to check my phone for messages. 

Oh my gosh! How often have I seen someone walking in the parking lot who stops in the middle of the lot and checks their phone without a clue that a car is right behind them! And these are not just teenagers – they’re grown adults. Talk about FOMO (fear of missing out); these people cannot live without checking their phone. Seriously?! 

Which leads me to think about the drivers who totally ignore the limit lines at the end of their street. I’ll be honest; countless times I’ve crept past a limit line in order to see oncoming traffic. To me sometimes those lines are nowhere near where my line of vision is when looking for oncoming traffic. And when there are cars and bigger vehicles parked nearby that block my view it just makes it harder to see oncoming traffic.

But what I’ve come to realize is that many of those limit lines are exactly where they need to be. When stopped at them I can clearly see oncoming traffic, giving me the chance to decide when it’s the safest for me to pull out.

Looking over my rant for the day, I know I sound like a Mrs. Crabapple – oh, well. At least I didn’t tell folks to “stay off my lawn!”