Before we post pictures and our story from Solvang this weekend we have more odd things to mention from this past holiday …
On Saturday we stopped on Olympic Boulevard to get gas. When I got out of the car I notice a woman one ‘island’ over washing the windows of her car. After filling up the tank I was placing the hose/nozzle back on the pump when I notice this woman over near our car. She was dipping the squeegee into the water and took a massive handful of paper towels. As I got back into the car I thought to myself, “She’s been cleaning her windows an awful long time. What else can she be doing?”. If you’re looking for the answer it’s washing her car. As we pulled out we drove past her car and witnessed the woman just finishing a wash of the entire hood with the squeegee, at which point she took the paper towels and began drying her car.
Earlier in the day we visited what I believe to be a tie for the world’s worst Target. I say a tie because I can’t stand the Elston Avenue location back in Chicago but this is the west coast counterpart. Honestly, I don’t know where to start …
- Screaming kids everywhere! Look, I know children act up from time to time and certainly expect the odd cry or scream. However I never understand why parents allow their young ones to scream constantly. The store was filled with kids screaming for little or no reason – apparently something upset them at some point and they were still screaming about it. How much screaming? One kid screamed until she was out of breath and made herself sick, then took a second to regain herself and went right back at it. Back in the day my mom would have told me to knock it off or else she was taking me home. That usually worked by the way.
- Staying with the child theme, a few pointers for the parents out there:
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- Please do not allow your kids to play on the shelves. I’m not talking about items on the shelves but rather the kids that are crawling on the shelves and playing with things. It made it quite difficult to search for detergent when a boy and girl were crawling amongst the Tide.
- You decided to have a gaggle a kids, now control them. If you decide to take 3, 4, 5, 6 and in one case on Saturday 7 kids shopping than please make sure they aren’t driving everyone else in the store crazy enough to wander into the stationary isle, open a package of scissors and poke my eyes out over and over.
- Keep your kid’s hands off my cart. I shouldn’t have to tell a little one that it’s time for him to let go of my cart so I can push my deodorant and paper towel around the store.
- Target decided to replace the traditional shopping carts with gigantic, all-plastic, monster truck carts. You can barely fit one by another in the aisle they’re so big. I understand you want me to fill the cart with all kinds of stuff but it’s hardly functional.
- Get some people at the checkout lines to help with the queue. Each register had a line of at least 15 people, I kid you not. Lines were back into the clothing section, or snaking down into the cosmetic area just to the left of registers at most Target stores. It was chaos and everyone was out for themselves. We finally took the lead of others and joined the register line closest to the door (at Target they have two registers in line with one another for some reason). H got there at the same time as a young women and we told her to go ahead of us. As I am moving the cart up to the line an older lady proceeds to take our spot in line. H and the younger girl both mention to the woman that we are next but she pays no attention and keeps putting her stuff on the conveyor belt. This wouldn’t have been a problem if …
- Why do people pick-up more items that they can afford? The woman that cut in our line pulled the same crap a woman in our original line was doing … sorta. The older lady rung all her stuff up and then decided to pick through her bag and have stuff taken off the bill. She did this 2 or three times which isn’t a big deal. The problem was the few minutes she spent each time debating what item to take out next and her disbelief with how little her total was coming down with each item. This is similar to the original line we were in where a woman rang up 5 items and paid. Then she rang up five more items and paid. This went on for five transactions and she left with her bags and a gigantic cart of stuff she decided not to purchase. I know times are tough and money is tight but there has to be a better solution for your fellow shoppers.
Finally, we are in Santa Barbara on Sunday along the ocean front and searching for parking spot. We find a family loading up their mini-van to leave so we pull in front of them and put on our turn signal. I had to get a little out of the lane or else I would have been blocking traffic. Anyhow, we waited at least 7-8 minutes while mom loaded her gigantic stroller in the back of the van. I’m not sure what else was going on back there but no problem, we were in no rush. As the van starts to pull out we begin to back up. At this point a BMW darts into the spot we’ve been waiting for. I honk the horn and continue to back up and which point the BMW honks back at me. Seriously? I’ve been waiting for 10-12 lights for this spot and you are just going to jump in there? I held my ground and the BMW finally relented but not before honking wildly at me and shaking his fist as they drove by. For a parking spot? That you tried to steal?
All of this made downtown pooping seem like a picnic.
Every time i am in a similar situation i am thankful that i do not have or want kids. I know myself and my limits.
But i am an uncle to about 16 or 18 ( i lost count) nieces and nephews. Yes my 5 older brothers are quite the “breeders” lol
What Target was this the one in Glendale or Eagle Rock?
I always say children are a reflection of their parents especially very young children. You can tell which ones are on a short leash and which are tazmanian devils lol.
When i worked at a movie theater as a teen and parents would “lose” their child I just could not believe it.
And so I started a saying and I call them “mother of the year” or “father of the year”.
Its not meant to be a compliment but a backhanded insult.
So i use the same saying on my friends and brothers.
Last year one of my nephews – hes 2 yrs old now, well he some how broke his arm…so i saw him with a little cast on.
Im thinking “parents of the year”
A almost 2 yr old should not have a cast in his arm because he broke his arm..lol honestly seriously.
Its easy to have sex and have kids..its another thing to raise and financially support and to inspire, motivate and educate….its not just 18 yrs its a lifetime commitment!
- btw i do love Target when not many children are around or i online shop.
I take great pleasure in telling parents YOUR KID IS BEING AN ASS. It doens’t always get a positive responce, but what the hell. They already know- it is my duty to let them know I KNOW. I also love to tell kids, in a loud voice- YOU SHOULD’NT BE OPENING THAT…YOU SHOULD’NT BE CLIMBING ON THAT. Sometimes they look at you with relief- that someone actually paid attention to them.
Yes- Mother of the Year- Father of the Year- they are everywhere, breeding like fools.
As far as parking at East beach, on a SUNDAY- I bet you a million dollars the asshat in the BMW was from LA!! If you would have asked for advice (HINT HINT) I could have steered you to a more quality experience….next time ask!!
I DO NOT hesitate to tell kids to quit screwing around and quit their crying. I have very little patience for badly behaved kids. When I was little all my mom had to do was look at me in a certain way and I knew I better freeze and do what i was told if not i knew i had “CONSEQUENCES” waiting for me at home.
I can’t stand shopping on the weekends.. I usually go to Target on thrusday morning at 8am. No lines, No kids, No mess.
Love & Hate – Figuerora location … the one in Glendale usually isn’t too bad.
Christine – We decided we would like to like in Santa Barbara, but our bank account says otherwise.
Alexis – The last time I went to Target it was 9 am, early morning like you. Best. Time. Ever. (PS. Heading to Boston in a few weeks – hope to see your relative but can’t score tickets yet)