I am going to do my utmost not to turn this post into a rant, but I make no promises.
The population in our tiny town explodes from May to October. Cottagers and tourists alike flock to our little oasis to drink from our serene waters, to sip from the fountain of relaxation and to let every ounce of their city stress slowly dissipate until they resemble nothing of their former city-dwelling selves. This is what we are selling and this is what they are buying.
This year seems to have hit an all-time high for human traffic. Stores are reaping the benefits of the excess numbers of shoppers, our local Foodland check-outs are all lined up six shoppers deep but I have learned to adjust my shopping schedule accordingly.
We get it. We are not new to this phenomenon and we learn to adapt to our new routines to keep our sanity. But there are moments that we cannot control – moments when we have to shop during the peak times and it is during these times I lose my sense of humor.
Blatant rudeness and uncaring attitudes run rampant. You may think I am simply frustrated from working long hours and dealing with unbearably hot temperatures, but I have first-hand experience of the uncaring attitude of some of our summer guests. My latest encounter today prompted me to vent write this post.
I pulled into the liquor store and was shocked to get a parking spot without having to wait. I noticed three carts left on the sidewalk in front of the store, collected them and returned them to their rightful place inside the store. Wine in hand, I moved to the tills and the line moved quickly. I was lucky to get in and out without incident. The woman who was parked beside me had just loaded her box of goodies into her BMW SUV and lifted her cart up over the curb, leaving it on the sidewalk. I got into my car, made eye contact with BMW lady and then she and I both watched as her cart slowly rolled backwards, tipped over the curb and landed on my front bumper. Not missing a beat, she slid her vehicle into reverse, no apology, not a shred of remorse, backed out of her spot to head back to her restful vacation spot.
I could feel my blood pressure rising before the color of my cheeks betrayed me. I got out of my car, checked my bumper and wheeled her cart back in to the store to avoid having this happen to another car.
These are the people who frustrate me. These are the people who make me believe that, to them, other people just don’t matter. I may have ranted in an earlier blog and received many varying comments, perhaps rightfully so, but my rants are justified. Ask yourself how you would have reacted in that situation. For me, I would never have left the cart in the first place but, I would certainly have jumped out of my car to make sure the other vehicle had not sustained any damage.
Rant over. What would you have done?
polysyllabic profundities 
That’s a major pet peeve of mine, Susan. People are too lazy to walk five feet, to put the cart in the stall. Often I’ll find carts up against my car, when I come out of a store.
I wouldn’t have said anything to the woman, she’s obviously in her own world, that only includes her. Now I’m mad!
I was astounded, Jill. I couldn’t believe she watched it roll into my car and just left!
Of course you get out and apologize. I blame their mothers.
This woman was in her 60’s!
Baby boomers!
Oh dear, she should have at least got out and checked. You should have taken her license plate number and put a note on her car next time you saw it parked up.
I know people bring money into the town, but it doesn’t mean they can act like they own the place. Some people think they can get away with bad behaviour because they are spending money but she spends money at home so would she do the same then?
(Tbh probably, this lady was blatantly looking right at you at the time.).
It boggled my mind, Kate. Especially after I returned HER cart after it bounced off MY car. Unreal.
Maybe a little note could be added to the information advertising holidays in the town.
I remember reading a brochure about the Lake District in UK a few years back and it had a paragraph to say ‘ please note that local people and local area should be treated with respect as this is their home’ then there was something about any problems being dealt with by a main office.
You could make a suggestion at your local town meeting about this and also for some recourse for locals. It could be under the supervision of your local council or law enforcement office – someone to whom complaints can be made about visitors by locals(like a mini arbitration service).
It didn’t stop me from booking a holiday with them. It made me want to go as it thought it meant they cared for the area and that any ‘trouble makers’ would be dealt with or it would put them off booking in the first place.
I would have made note of her license plate and called the cops. That sort of nonchalant disregard for others is unacceptable.
The locals are counting down to when we get our town back. This is, by far, the worst year yet. So sad.
I’m sorry you are on the front lines of our deteriorating manners. I have plans to retire to a small town eventually, but I fear that dealing with the necessary evil of tourists will ruin it for me.
Small town living is wonderful. I’m sure she has this attitude of entitlement everywhere she goes.
Sadly, you are probably right.
Please do rant away. It is all I seem to do, faced with the stupidity and carelessness of so much of humanity. (and when I lived in Florence, I came to wish all tourists just mysteriously disappeared..)
I, too, have those moments. Hope you are doing well.
I am. Just getting more and more crotchety as time goes by!
Me too! I think we’ve earned it!!
Oooh….cart rage! This would make my blood boil, too, Susan 😦
It was all I could do not to let loose!
I would have gone psycho, followed her home with my baseball bat…. (I’m kidding…). I hate to say it, but I probably would have done the same thing you did but only because you can’t tell if I have a new scratch on my car or not. I have said “words” to people before and nothing good comes out of it. Even as a guy, people will act crazy if you confront them. Vent anytime you want; it makes for a great blog post!
Thanks Kevin! I had to do the “count to 10” thing before I got out of the car to remove her cart from my bumper.
Infuriating! I don’t know why society has become so blatantly egotistical and uncaring. We don’t have problems with tourists but hate the way Italians think they can park anywhere and anyhow. Nothing is sacrosanct- not parking bays for the disabled, not the pedestrian crossing, and not parking on the wrong side of the road facing oncoming traffic, something we would never do back home in SA! So rant on, we all need to vent sometimes.