A grocery run in America or a trip to the restaurant have one thing in common. Lots of free parking. Because in America you drive everywhere. Most of the times. Unless you happen to be a hippie that lives in town as in downtown and can in fact walk to places that are part of your everyday spend.
Majority of America in fact lives in suburbia or in some cases the exurbs which are an even further outpost from what is considered the commercial hub of a city.
Well to get from point A to point B requires transportation and given the cultural shift that began many decades ago most prefer their independence and thusly their own set of wheels to get betwixt said points.
Enter the automobile part of a larger industrial revolution that began 100 years ago. As Jerry Seinfeld put it bluntly decades ago - they have been making millions of cars but no one is making parking spaces. So there now appears to be a constant struggle to get closest to your ultimate destination in the form of a parking spot near the door to your favorite burger joint or druggist. America has constantly fought prejudice and segregation but now for parking they need to launch another revolution.
What? Yes indeed -there is a classification system to park that would put the farce of premium and platinum and handicaps pre board before you board the cattle in economy class in an airline to shame.
First is the creation of one of the Bush presidencies if I remember. The passage of 'Americans with Disabilities Act' or ADA. This instructed all retail or store front facilities to make provisions for assigned parking spots for those that fit the 'disabled' class. Physical or mental or both. See those blue signs everywhere when you thought it was a cool spot to park? Not for you.
Now I feel for fellow man and all but if you were really that disabled why are you driving? There is much abuse of that wheelchair placard if you ask me.
That took away valuable real estate when you really wanted to pop in and out with a piece of gum. You parked a mile away for that? Nah I can skip my bananas for a day and come back at midnight when the lot is less full - what with grocers staying open 24 hours in suburbia. You never know when I might need a hammer or milk. Some offer 50,000 SKU which do include basic tools. Right next to the pain killers.
Then we got the veterans. Depending on which state you drive - more in the south - you see a fascination or affinity to afford some privilege to those that fought some wars for us. Eh? To make that leap to allow them parking their horse closer to the cigarettes is somewhat sketchy but hey this is America.
Now we lost four more spots right by the door. Next we uphold the right for pregnant women to make it to the Motrin counter before their water breaks. Thus we lose another five spots. Did someone do the math on how many about to burst women have been entering the store to pick up melons?
Enter Covid. Curb side pickup spots to drum up sales with additional taxation for the privilege of curb side delivery along with myriad other colored spots for all kind of made up applause like employee of the month or Sherriff or color coded ribbon look alike mumbo jumbo and you have got 18 cars circling for 2 available spots any given time.
Now I am really sweating walking from the brink of the mall to my local bread aisle. Hey at least I did not sign up for a gym membership.
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