My third encounter was the most disturbing and left me with more 'I should have said' and 'I should have done..' than the other two. I was back at Costco again, on a week day after Christmas early enough in the morning that the parking lot was fairly lightly filled. I'd just filled my gas tank and was cruising along fairly quickly at the front of the parking next to the building. As I neared a row just before where the doors to the store are, I spotted a car backing out in a front spot, and slid right into it as they backed around to go the other way. As I pulled in, I felt a little surge of satisfaction at finding such a close spot to the door so quickly. I couldn't see past the car backing out very well, but thought there was a car pulling up on the other side of the backing out car and thought that there was probably someone there who was eying the spot as well, but figured as we both were there at the same time, there was no unfairness for me to get it since I was in the position to get it first.
I was turned away towards the passenger side gathering my purse up when there was a sharp, angry rap on my window. Dismay. That other driver was obviously pretty upset with me. I rolled down the window, and a young woman was standing there. She started in immediately, outrage evident in every word and tone. "You could see I'd been sitting there waiting for that spot!" I glanced up, and sure enough, now that the other car was gone, I could see there were actually four cars waiting behind hers. Dang. I was certainly in the wrong here, even though I hadn't known she had been there waiting. She went on, "My mother is elderly and handicapped, and..." Aware that there were all those other drivers waiting, and not wanting to prolong things for anyone, I cut her off, saying, "I'm sorry. How about if I go ahead and leave the space so you can use it?" Her demeanor instantly softened, and warmed. "Oh! Thank you! That would be wonderful!" I just smiled and said, 'It's no problem at all.'
I backed out and moved farther along a couple of rows to the other side of the doors into the store, and found an uncontested spot identically in the very front slot. So I didn't lose anything by moving. But my composure was shaken, and I felt really bad that I impulsively took advantage like that and caused that young lady such an upset. Really I don't think in the long run it ever hurts us to be aware of others and try to quietly be kind to them. I'm pretty oblivious when I'm out shopping, don't usually look at others or pay much attention to them. My war stories have reminded me to be more aware.
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