It's the Most Wonderful Time of The Year!

I decided to take a trip to one of the many local malls this weekend, Fashion Valley Mall. I love this mall, because it has some of my favorite stores in it, and it's just a nice mall, open air, decorated nicely, etc. Since it is still nice here in San Diego (low 70's), a walk around the mall with my daughter seemed like a nice Saturday activity.

Apparently, everyone else in San Diego County had the same idea. The parking lot was jammed! I even went to the back entrance where it's usually not as bad. But, we got fairly lucky with a parking space, and were on our way. There's nothing like a trip to the mall to reaffirm my belief that the general population is generally morons. Well, maybe self-centered gits is a better description, but either way I have little to no patience for such obliviousness.

The lack of awareness is just astounding. Hello! You are not the only person in the mall. If you want to stand and talk to your friend, there are a few nice benches over there, out of the flow of traffic. Heck, just take two steps to the left or right. At the very least, if you fail to do either of those, don't get all mad when the 6 dozen of us who are actually trying to walk in the walk way bump into you.

Parents with baby strollers: The world does not revolve around you just because you have a kid. Also, when did baby strollers become the size of small elephants? You have one infant, roughly the size of a large turkey. I promise you, a stroller the size of a Mini Cooper is not necessary for an afternoon at the mall. If you don't believe me and bring one anyway, don't get mad when it doesn't fit through the aisles in the stores. And for the love of God, don't abandon it across a major aisle way blocking half the store, or if you do don't give me a dirty look for moving it. If you'd lined it up parallel with the aisle as opposed to the more perpendicular direction you chose, I could have squeezed by. Now, if you've tried your hardest to place the stroller out of the way, and I just happen to need the one thing behind it, I will look around for you and ask nicely for it to be moved. It's common courtesy. Or maybe uncommon courtesy, but you reap what you sow.

Speaking of common courtesy, let's talk about parking. I have the same philosophy on parking. We all know the parking lot's tight, but if you park within your lines, I will do everything within my power and contorting ability not to door ding your car. If you park over the line 4" in to my space, however, all bets are off. I won't do anything deliberately, but I won't go out of my way to be extra careful either.

In the end, I think I'm done with the major malls down here until after Christmas. I will do Black Friday, but that's up in Orange County, and is done with a very specific plan of attack, starting at 5 a.m., and done by around 11a.m., just as the madness is shifting into high gear.