Parking Lot Rage

Is there anything as dumb as Parking Lot Rage? I mean, we all have experienced, or have come in contact with someone experiencing Road Rage, but Parking Lot Rage? How is this even a thing?

I get my kids in the car and drive to the US Post Office a couple miles away from my house. I needed to mail a few photo CDs out to my clients. I get in the parking lot, it's full. (little did I know I'd be waiting for almost an hour inside! oh well!)

I see a lady get in her car near the front door of the post office, and naturally assume she's leaving. It was the first available spot, so I drove up to wait for it.

I knew it was near the exit, but it was the first spot, so I went for it. I put on my blinker and waited for a full 60 second count... she never even turned her car on, just sat there (annoying, much?!). As it turned out, there was another person leaving, two spots down from this one, so I had to back up maybe 2 feet. There was a guy in a very large truck behind me, waiting to leave.

Now, I understand wanting to leave, but if I have to back up to get out of your way, you might want to back up just a smidge to let me get by, right? Well not this guy!!

I put my car in reverse, and wait a second so he can see my reverse lights. I see him. I see him see the lights. I see him look at me, and stare at me blankly. We made eye contact, and he shrugged. Didn't move his truck an inch. So I just verbally say, "THANK YOU." and back up, best I can, so I can get out of his way. I came within inches of his truck, and he didn't care, didn't move.

When I get to where I need to be to park, my passenger window is even with the front driver's side of his truck. I said, "Sorry, THANK YOU." one more time, and he gave me the meanest look and flipped me off. He looked at my kids in the back seat, buckled safely in their car seats, and flipped me off even stronger, waving it around.

I found the image at DavisBodyShop.com via google image search.

His window was already down, so I rolled mine down and said, "Really? Flip me off in front of my kids, while I'm trying my best to move out of your way. THANK YOU!!!"

He responded with, "There is a whole fucking parking lot back there! Get the FUCK out of my WAY!" (There isn't. It's completely full.)

I was shocked, and said, "Woah, please don't talk like that--" at which point he cuts me off and starts blaring his horn at me while flipping me off, still.

It shocks me, it startled my children, and they both started sobbing in the back seat. Keep in mind, my window is still open, I'm in a tiny little Nissan Sentra, and he is in an enormous TRUCK. That horn is loud and scary, especially when it's less than 3 feet away from you!

As that happened, I said, "OK, I'M CALLING THE COPS!" and pulled out my cell phone. I enunciated it very clearly so he could read my lips, since I'm sure he couldn't hear me over the blare of his horn.

When I said that, he took off, still blaring his horn and giving me the bird. My one-year-old daughter had passed out from being scared and sobbing so hard. I parked in the spot, and just told my three-year-old son, "Everything is ok, that man was very mean. He's gone now, don't worry." He calmed down.

I could see people in the parking lot, laughing and pointing, telling other's about what had just happened. Pointing at me, making what appeared to be off-color remarks. What bothers me is that no one said or did anything to help. There were people watching this unfold.

Hey everyone, guess what? You can stick up for others. If you see something bad happening, do something about it! That was your PSA for the day.

It took me a good 10 minutes to gather myself. I was so shaken and rattled from what had just happened, but I was trying to hold it together for the kids. I really didn't want to break down in front of them, after I just told them it would be ok.

My son asked me if I was ready to go into the Post Office. I said, "No buddy, not yet. That guy was really mean, and I'm still a little sad about it. I just need to calm down a little more."

That's when my son said the sweetest, kindest, most caring and adorable thing he's ever said to me.

"It's ok, Mommy. That guy was really mean, but you're not mean. You just have to breathe. I will count to 5, ok? You take a big breath every time I say a number. Are you ready?" Then he started counting: 1... 2... 3... 4... 5... I took a breath after each number, just like he said to. Then he said, "Do you feel better now? Are we ready to go in to the post office?"

My little man... he gave me the strength and courage I needed to pull myself together. It's times like that... he reminded me that my husband and I are really doing a good job raising these babies!!

When we left the post office, he asked if that mean man was going to honk at us again. :( I told him no, and said he was all gone and far away now.

I just can't believe people can be that way to other people! To a mother in front of her children?! Why? And the saddest thing about all of this? This isn't even the first time it's happened. *sigh* Let's be good to each other! Life is too short, people!


Have you ever experienced parking lot rage? Tell me about it in the comments below! Or tweet about it, @itslikemusic, #ParkingLotRage.