« Top 10 of 2008 - #6 | Main | How boys and girls are different »
January 07, 2009
Not in my neighborhood
I left my house after one of the more recent snowfalls, to a most unusual sight: somebody had put "dibs" on The Spot. The Spot, of course, is the parking spot directly in front of my door. It is the most coveted of parking spots, for me at least. I suppose people who live at other houses covet the spots directly in front of their houses, as opposed to the spot directly in front of my house. Anyway.
Dibs is a controversial practice. I am not going to get into specifics about why it is bad, but the main point is that in my neighborhood, people don't dibs. I've lived in the same place for five years, and never have I seen a spot get dibs'ed. Thus, I was angry when I saw this wheelbarrow in a precious, open parking spot.
I decided that if it was still there in a few hours, I was going to get rid of it. I won't even let that crap exist in my neighborhood. I didn't care if I got confronted about it.
It turns out that the wheelbarrow was there because some workmen were delivering furniture and saved the space for their delivery truck. Although this isn't as bad as dibs, there is a certain etiquette about saving spaces: you only get so long to save it. If somebody comes by for your space, you had better produce the guy you are saving the spot for soon. I'm talking a matter of seconds here.
When I was younger, we were up at the Columbus Zoo. (Jack Hanna, holla!) Parking was scarce, and my mom had me lie down in a space and pretend I had fainted. It seemed like a good idea at the time, and although we got the spot, I had to act like I was woozy the rest of the time. (No, I don't know how I got to the space before the car I was riding in got to the space, either. But I swear this happened.)
entry no. 1273
Posted at January 7, 2009 11:16 PM