Saturday, June 4, 2011

Wal-Mart Rudeness Revisited

Driving transit is never dull. I experience all sorts of different people, on and off transit. Most people are courteous and respectful. Occasionally, we get people who expect the world to bow down to them as though they are entitled.

A few weeks back, I blogged about the lady who decided to argue over a parking space. As expected then, she didn't get her way, but it goes to show there is no boundary to rudeness. Today I pulled into Wal-Mart to let a handicapped gentleman off the bus so he could do his shopping. As I pull into the front of the store, I pass the Home Goods entrance and go to pull by the Food Center where I normally let people off and there is a big SUV parked at an angle with the majority of the vehicle blocking part of the entrance and the lane of traffic and the tail end blocking both lanes of traffic. The vehicle is clearly in a "No Parking" zone.

Rude Lady behind the wheel is busy talking with her friend at the entrance to Wal-Mart. There is clearly not enough space for me to pull around and let my passenger off without blocking traffic or causing a major traffic jam in both directions. I pull up and wait for her to notice me and give her a chance to politely end her conversation, or at least make arrangements for the conversation to be continued at a later time. Rude Lady glances my way and returns to her conversation, effectively ignoring me. I beep the horn twice and raise my hands as if to ask, "Are you going to move?" She glares at me and then pulls her vehicle a couple feet up and towards the entrance, still in the "No Parking" zone and still blocking at least one lane of traffic.

I barely had enough room to pull around her large SUV and had space to let down the wheelchair lift. As I pulled to the side very carefully, the gentleman in the wheelchair remarked, "I think she gave you the finger!" I hadn't noticed if she had because I was too busy maneuvering my large bus around her wrongly parked SUV. As I let down the lift, I pulled a Wal-Mart employee aside and pointed her out and suggested they tell her to move because she was clearly blocking traffic or call the police to get her to move. Rude Lady and her friend are glaring at me as are their kids.

The Wal-Mart employee approached her and told her to move because she was blocking traffic, and she rolled her eyes at the employee! The sad thing is, she did this in front of her kids and her friends kids. I only wonder what these kids are learning with the disrespect their parents show.

Feeling disrespected,

The Bus Driver

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

OMG ! Sounds like she is not only very rude, but also very ignorant.

ChiTown Girl said...

Oh my hell! How did I miss this post? What an assbag! Yeah, nice example to set for kids. And people wonder why this generation is a bunch of disrespectful, ungrateful, rude little shits. It's idiots like this that are making me seriously think about leaving my chosen profession. I'm sick and tired of trying to counteract shit parenting!!!! ARGH!

Sorry, I'll climb off my soapbox now...

Nevine Spicer said...

It is so sad when parents choose to act as a poor role model for students. It does give you the opportunity to comment on the rude behavior and use it as a teaching tool.

It is sad for this woman wheo is probably completely unaware that her behavior is unacceptable.

Thanks for sharing. Sorry that you have to feel disresprected especially when you have such an important job interacting with the youth. At least they have you as a good role model to counteract the rudeness they experience.
mommyteaching.com

tattle tale said...

I totally agree. So unnecessary.
Our school is on a busy road with resident houses. One of them has a disabled space outside, which our parents (in their 4x4s) seem to be completely unaware of and are always parking in- if you can call that parking!