To honk or not to honk......

I was minding my own business tonight at Walmart. I loaded the groceries into the van and backed out. The parking lot was crowded due to the 5:00 dinner rush. I was parked just a few spaces from the front. I backed out from my spot - and at the same time - this little Hyundai, Rice burner, with a handicapped parking permit --- pulled out of the handicapped space next to me. I noticed that the little, old lady's head was barely pepping over the top of her steering wheel.

Well, she backed out and then put her car into "park". I was behind her and I noticed traffic building up behind me. Everyone needed through and she was blocking the path of traffic. I tried to be patient and give her time to "figure out" how to get her car in gear......but her car still sat motionless. People behind me were throwing their hands up in the air - giving me the "what the heck?" signal.

I had to do it. I was peer pressured. I honked at the geriatric handicapped lady. I saw her glare in her rear view mirror at me. She scooted up about 4 feet and put her car in park again. I pulled up next to her and I saw she was writing in a journal. NOT the best place to let the thoughts flow.

Anyway, I sat there, waiting for pedestrians to pass so I could go....and when I looked left again, she sat there, motionless, with her middle finger straight up in the air. I have been flipped off - meaning a quick flip of the finger - but this was a ruthless, cold blooded, stationary flippage. There was unbroken eye contact. I didn't know if I should laugh or cry. Who gets flipped off by a grandma? A handicapped grandma???

AGAIN, I was instantly reminded of something HORRIBLE that I had done about 7 years ago. Let me preface this by saying I was younger, dumber, and pregnant. I was a hormonal lunatic, the day that I did this. Bad Karma - here we come.

I pulled into the same walmart parking lot 7 years ago and the parking lot was PACKED. I got so excited when I saw a spot right up front! I flipped my car around and headed for it - when all of the sudden, this HUGE BOAT OF A BUICK came driving down the aisle the WRONG DIRECTION. He docked his blue beast DIAGONALLY across the handicapped spot - so the front of his car took up my coveted space. He then hung a handicapped permit on his mirror and skipped into the store. There was nothing handicapped about him.

So, I did what any horrible pregnant woman would do. I parked my car - FAR IN THE BACK - and wrote him a nasty little letter. It went a bit like this....

"Sir- If you are SO old that you don't know how to park your car - GET OFF THE ROAD! Your boat is way too big for you to handle. Leave it docked at the lake and drive something smaller. And by the way....you may be old - but you are NOT handicapped!

Not so much love,

A 9 month pregnant woman who had to walk from the back of the parking lot because you parked across my spot."

I feel horrible even admitting this. Deep within myself I know we have a God that doesn't hold pregnant women accountable for anything they do in their 3rd trimester.

The bad karma kicked in again - this time I was given the perma-bird by an equally old woman - who was equally NOT handicapped.

I am one of those who is always skeptical of someone who has a handicapped parking permit. I have known WAY too many people who have them from old injuries, relatives, and ebay. Regardless of where these people are getting their tags - One thing I know for sure. I'm not messing with em. If only they could understand.....