I love to walk. And now that I have my fitbit Force, I am constantly on the go trying to beat my friends with my daily step total. Zumba is a great way to hit my 10,000 step goal.
However, I have noticed that fewer and fewer Americans are choosing to walk. Especially when they arrive at a store. I’m sure that we have all witnessed the following scene: a vehicle pulls up, parks in the fire lane and out pops someone from the passenger side who scurries into the store. The driver then proceeds to sit in the fire lane with the car running until the shopper returns.
I must say, this truly enrages me. First of all, this is illegal. You are not allowed to park in a fire lane. What if the store caught fire? Imagine the chaos that would ensue if the fire truck pulled up to see a car parked where they need to be. Then, the fire fighters would have to wait until the driver moves, delaying the time that the fire gets put out, increasing the damage that is done to the store and potentially endangering the lives of the shoppers within.
Another scene that I simply cannot stand is when a vehicle pulls up to the curb of a store and out hop three or four teenagers. The vehicle then speeds away while the kids dance into the store. Why are they receiving curbside service? These people appear to be healthy. So, why can’t they seem to make the short trek from the parking lot to the store? And what are they going to do when they get into the store?
These kids need to realize how lucky they are to be able to walk. There are many children at local children’s hospitals that are confined to their beds or wheelchairs for life. They will never experience the joy of running barefoot through grass or wading in a cool lake. These children would love to be able to walk anywhere and would have no problem waiting until their parent’s park the vehicle to enter the store.
Perhaps the most frustrating of these offenders are the yuppies. You know the type. These people are dressed to the nines, wearing the latest Gucci clothing and toting around a Michael Kors purse. Their Prada sunglasses are perched atop their heads. And they all have of the same look of entitlement. “I have the right to be dropped off at the door. I’m special.” It literally makes me sick.
I recently witnessed one such scene. My husband and I were out shopping with my in-laws. We went to a fun strip mall in Missouri. It housed an REI, Whole Foods, Nordstrom Rack and more. As my father-in-law was searching for a parking space, he got behind a 4×4. Before the vehicle parked, the yuppie looking wife and teenage daughter hoped out of the car. They turned around and looked right at us and laughed. Laughed! They seemed to think it was hilarious that they were making us wait to park. Yes, entitlement is a horrible thing.
The husband/father then proceeded to park in the closest parking spot on the lot, aside from the handicap spaces. His wife and daughter couldn’t have waited the additional two minutes for him to park? Plus, we had to continue circling the lot since he took the parking spot we thought we were going to be getting.
I will never understand people who think that the rules and laws do not apply to them. There is a reason why these rules and laws are in place: to keep us safe and prevent the world from falling into utter chaos. Why should anyone be an exception?
The final type of drop off that bothers me is that of the obese shopper. I understand that being obese is a medical condition. However, I have seen too many of these shoppers getting dropped off at the door and the first place they head to is the Starbucks inside of Target or the mini food court at Wal*Mart. Then, they continue to shop while noshing on popcorn and a caramel latte.
While I am not a doctor, I am an avid exerciser. And I subscribe to both Self and Shape magazine in addition to working out with my Jillian Michaels DVDs daily. I have learned quite a bit about health and fitness in the last few years. Like Jillian says, “Eat less, move more.” These are the people that desperately need exercise. And that trip from the parking lot into the store would burn off more calories than being dropped off at the door.
All in all, we, as Americans, need to quit being lazy. We should appreciate the fact that we live in a country where we are able to go shopping whenever we want. And above all, we need to remember that somewhere in the United States is a person who is wishing that they could walk. Be thankful and walk on!
More Than Words 