Published on 12, July, 2020
I've just returned from the shops
I try to do all my Christmas shopping presents online or by voucher nowadays.
However, I had to go to buy lunch.
I get a Sainsburys delivery but the food was from S+M today, so needed to be done by hand.
S+M + TK Maxx - not too bad but already too busy a few minutes after opening.
Sainsburys - mad. Totally mad.
People walking into me, shouting, standing far too close.
It opens at 11am and by 11.05am the large car park was full and people were driving around with no care whatsover.
I had a car at my heels (obviously desperate for a space) as I walked back to my car but I couldn't walk any faster as there were people in front.
Then, when I pulled out the car that wanted my space was sitting where I needed to drive to actually go anywhere.
People driving at 60mph in a 30mph zone.
It's bonkers. It's still November.
Why do people have no consideration, awareness, manners or spacial awareness at this time of year?
Also, why do people drive so recklessly?
I'm aware that there are some people (often the muggles) who seem to love the hustle and bustle of going out shopping during the busy weeks leading up to Christmas, but I have never understood the appeal.
When I was back in my teens, I remember one memorable occasion when my mother had taken me birthday shopping. I wanted clothing, and the only place to get clothing back then was a large out-of-town shopping centre, which all the clothing stores in my town had relocated to. The locals often refer to it as 'Merry Hell', and with good reason.
Due to extended Christmas opening hours, my mother thought it would be quieter if we visited mid-week during the evening. I'm not sure how many times my mother drove around the vast car park trying to find an empty space, whilst I kept my eyes peeled for anyone who looked like they were about to return to their car and depart.
"Hey, there are some people over there putting bags of shopping in their car. Quick! Drive around again and we can have their space". Well, if some other eagle-eyed driver hadn't beaten us to the soon-to-be vacated parking space, we would discover the people were simply depositing their bags in the car, in order to go back and get more shopping. Agh!
Leaving proved to be even more of a nightmare. I think it had taken at least thirty minutes for us to exit the car park, and then another hour to drive just over half a mile to leave the site. When we returned home, my dad was expecting me to be laden down with bags galore, due to how long our shopping excursion had taken. If memory serves, I only had one bag as we had only visited one store.
The term “muggles” always makes me feel slightly smug, Is “mud bloods” too strong? Our nearest town had a Victorian Christmas evening on the 18th Nov, is the middle of November Christmas? The masses walk around with these permanent grins, some try to make eye contact, “good try, that’s never going to happen, I won’t be brainwashed.”
Ive observed how the Italians deal with busy car parks, they simply drop off Nonna first, she will go and stand in the next available space, no one messes with a Nonna, they are formidable, just one stare from them is worse than Medusa. The fact they are normally under 5ft tall means nothing.