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As a DAD I know I am man operating in a predominately woman’s world. We are newish here and have to play by a certain set of rules to get along. I’m cool with that.
However, something happened at the grocery store yesterday that left my first balled up and stunned silent. I had no idea how to react, so now I reach out to you for advice and tips on what to do if it happens again.
For the next few weeks I am on the passenger side of the car as my step mom drives me and the kids around (old ladies driving, is a post to come soon).
We had just pulled into a spot at the neighborhood Dominick’s as I was getting out to let my son out of the back door, another car zoomed into the spot next to us. The driver came in so fast and close, I had to jump back into our car.
I looked over to give her the no worries smile and wave, but she was already in the process of jumping out of her car. I got out of my car to get my son out of the back, when I noticed the lady next to us had used her door to block us from moving from our spot. Weird.
I moved her door, said “excuse us” and we began to walk towards the store. As we approached the shopping carts that look like fire trucks and police cars, the woman re-appeared running full speed, pulling her son behind her.
Before I knew what was happening, a blur of yoga pants and spray tan, the woman boxed us out, threw her son into the police car shopping cart and started to run away. “Sorry my son has to be in the police car,” was what she said as they disappeared into the store.
It was the last “cool” shopping cart. My son erupted into tears, “Dad that lady stole our shopping cart!”
I stood there frozen, unable to move or speak.
If she were a guy, I would have given him the WTF, with my chest puffed out and a possible shove.
But she was a “she” I did nothing. In one move she had just swooped in and stole my shopping cart and dignity.
I thought about keying her car, peeing on her car, or waiting in the parking lot to give her a “what for.” Maybe follow her, wait for her husband to come home and punch him in the nose.
“Come on buddy, let’s get some ice cream.” Was all I could manage to say as he got into a “non-cool” cart and we went into the store.
As we shopped we saw the woman and her son several times in their cool cart, playing police man, she had bested me, a parking lot bully.
What’s the protocol. Next time we go to the store, do I pad up like an American Gladiator and throw down with anybody who gets with in ten feet of the cool carts?
I always had this crazy notion that the grocery store was a place to get food, maybe see a neighbor and get out. It’s a mean, dog eat dog jungle and I feel like a tiger cub. Is there an unwritten rule about the rudest person wins? Should I have said something? Or just walked away?
