My encounter w/ CraZy Man

I'm finding so much aggravation when driving around our neighborhood. The main road near our house is being widened and the traffic is a complete mess. They're working pretty fast so it should be finished soon, but the way ppl drive is crazy. This evening when we were at the DVD store, I found myself thinking about an incident that happened to me about four mths ago.

I had a mtg at Salmaniya Hospital and the parking there in the afternoons is .... well, people park anywhere and everywhere. There isn't adequate parking for the hospital so everyone parks in the bank parking lot. Good luck in finding a spot at around 10 a.m. There are NO places so I wound up driving thru the aisles waiting for someone to pull out.

I'm not all that familiar w/ side streets and such, so I tend to stay w/ what I know. If that means waiting for 10 to 15 minutes for a spot, then I'll do it.

Well, I was making my way around the end of the second aisle when I saw a lady walking to her car. She got into a car parked about three cars up from where I was. So, I stopped and as I was waiting for her to tidy herself and pull out, another car started coming down the same aisle. Well, they stopped and she started pulling out in my direction. In order for her to come down the aisle, I would have to back up. There was a car backing up behind me - they were trying to turn around in the parking lot.

So I backed up a little and realized that I wouldn't be able to do it, so I turned around and motioned to this woman to see if she could back up. Ok, maybe this was the wrong thing to do... but I was about to be late to a meeting and I had been waiting and wanted that spot. I knew if I waited for the ppl in back of me - and, OH YEAH, another man had gotten into his car and was starting to pull out to the left of me - so I really didn't see a problem w/ asking her to back up a little so I could pull into that spot.

Well, she did it. I rolled down my window and said thank you and I was very polite. I pulled into the spot, she drove off and the car behind her passed me, AND... after I rolled up my window, I turned to get my purse, grab the keys, and all of a sudden a man appeared next to my window and started yelling at me through the glass.

He was an expatriate man... not sure where he was from... maybe Irish or from New Zealand or maybe British... I'm not sure. I couldn't tell. This man was so mean and rude to me. He started telling me how rude I was and that I obviously hadn't been here for very long because I didn't have any driving etiquette and that it was so rude of me to do what I did. I didn't even know what he was talking about... other than asking that woman to back up... maybe it was his wife, that's all I can think of and, for some strange reason, it pissed him off. I don't know... maybe he thought he was being a good samiritan.

As he kept going on and on, I got soooo mad that I started yelling back at him. I told him that HE WAS RUDE. Then this guy basically started having a screaming match w/ me thru my car window. He would yell that I was rude and I would yell that he was rude. I finally started opening my door and told him that I was late for a meeting and I didn't have time for this crap, and I started walking off. He yelled and said that he was taking my license and I yelled and told him to go ahead, take it.

I was so mad that I was shaking. I just don't understand some ppl.

The reason I thought about this is because the traffic in the parking lot by the DVD store was soooo crowded tonight. The shop is on the main road that they're working on and they've blocked off not only our exit street but have also closed entrances and exits everywhere, so it's confusing and hectic.

When we pulled into the DVD parking lot tonight, there were cars coming towards us which makes it tough to drive because there isn't enough room for two cars to pass easily. As we made our way up the aisle, there was a lady in front of us trying to turn her car around. As she was pulling forward, backing up, pulling forward, backing up, another car pulled up on the other side of her/behind her, basically. This is when I started thinking about CraZy Man.

I found myself wondering about her parking spot, and then the thoughts flooded my mind.

CraZy Man.

I even remember what he looked like. A little, short man w/ white, thining hair. He was heavier and had on a light shirt. I should have taken his license plate number, my husband says. I can't imagine what it must be like to live w/ that man.... so early for so much drama! I usually wait until at least 12! ;)

In thinking about this man and the situation that presented itself tonight, I can see where it would have been easy to make a scene but what's the point. I would never, in my life, think of getting out of my car and yelling at someone like he did. Do I get mad, yes, very much so and I get so annoyed at ppl sometimes.... but I can't imagine exploding like that.

I think ppl like this can sometimes keep you in check. I know that I think more about my driving and try to be more considerate to others, and I try not to fume if someone starts pulling out in front of me on a busy road, stopping traffic in both directions..... and sometimes I succeed.