For the first time in a LONG time I took a long drive alone. I have not really felt up to driving much around Myrtle Beach, let alone taking a trip alone. I went to pick up my Mom and bring her home for a visit with us. We've been wanting to do this for awhile but I just haven't been able to feel good enough to have company...even if it is my Mom.
So, I set off. Forgot my credit card at home and thankfully remembered while talking to Mom less than 10 miles from home. So, I go get it and start out again. Hubby was home from work that day but stayed home so he could pick up Bastian from the bus. It was kinda nice to feel decent enough to have a day alone to go for a drive. It's about 150 miles one way to my Mom's. I chose to take the interstate route since I could drive faster. To get there, it's about an hour drive on a 4 lane road with a speed limit of 60. Then once you hit the interstate, it's 70 the rest of the way. And no one drives that speed...even the police who passed me as my speedometer said I was doing 85.
Before I get to the interstate, there is a Pilot convenience store I stop at to get a snack and drinks...stretch, use the restroom. Well, I was kinda stiff. So, I decided I'd use my right to park in a handicapped spot if there was an open one. I pulled in and there was a John Deere Gator or golf cart looking thing in the handicapped spot. An older man was standing next to it speaking to an older woman. So I figured it might be his if he lived close by. Drove around the parking lot for about 5 minutes until a spot near the building opened up. Happened to be right next to the occupied handicapped spot. Turns out it was NOT the older gentleman's. He'd walked off and gotten into a car parked at a pump or in another spot. It wasn't the woman's, she got in the car that was in the spot I parked in. It was a store employee.
Being the big mouth I am, I asked him if he was handicapped. He said no. So I asked why he was parked there when it was a violation of the law to park there if he is not handicapped. His lovely answer was "to empty the trash". Another employee came up and I asked if he was the manager and proceeded to launch into my typical "what gives you (or your employee in this case) the right to illegally park in a handicapped spot?" rant. The manager tried saying he was only there for a moment and I called him on that one. He also said if he didn't park there the trash wouldn't get emptied and I'd gripe about overflowing trash cans. Who is he to dare tell me what I'd complain about? I offered to call the police and he said it was private property so it would do no good. He also told me they did it because they were trained that way. And that the employee had a disabled father. Uhh, if that's true he has even more reason to know better than to park in a handicapped spot if he isn't handicapped.
I said I wanted to speak to his boss and he tried telling me he didn't have a boss. Now, unless you're the owner of a company, you have a boss. So I called him on that line of BS. He finally got me a name and number to contact. As I left the building, since the manager made me follow him all through the store to get to his office....the maintenance guy told me to have a nice day. Except he was snotty about it. So, I told him where he could stick his sentiment. Bad of me since you do get more flies with honey than vinegar but by this time, I was hurting, I was tired of walking through the store (forgot my cane in my vehicle in my anger) and I just wanted to get to a phone and make a call.
I called the name on the card and immediately got voice mail. So, I called BC to get contact information online. And then called the name on the card again and he immediately answered. My guess is the manager warned him about me! He agreed it was wrong of the employee to park there no matter the reason. Said he'd take care of the matter that day. Retrain them. He also said that he could blow me some smoke but he wouldn't do that and say he could guarantee they'd never park there again. I know no matter how people are trained, they don't always listen. At least he tried to placate me. And he apologized. But the point wasn't his apology. The employee who parked there was the one in the wrong and should have needed to apologize. I know that's never going to happen as employers don't think it is right to make employees apologize to customers. Something about their self-esteem or something. I know my past bosses had a much different outlook. If I did anything even slightly wrong, I was to apologize.
I'm still going to call the company's hot line, or write to them. I truly do think they need to be made aware of the issue. No store manager should act that way with a customer. Having a hubby in the convenience store business, I know how managers are to treat customers.
After that, the rest of the trip went fine. I picked Mom up, we did our grocery shopping for the week or so and then came home. I actually did ok on the trip. Paid for it the next few days which I knew would happen but, sometimes it's worth it to pay for things and this was one of those times. I did not, however feel like making the trip back up there when it was time to take Mom home so BC did it while I waited for the bus.
So, I set off. Forgot my credit card at home and thankfully remembered while talking to Mom less than 10 miles from home. So, I go get it and start out again. Hubby was home from work that day but stayed home so he could pick up Bastian from the bus. It was kinda nice to feel decent enough to have a day alone to go for a drive. It's about 150 miles one way to my Mom's. I chose to take the interstate route since I could drive faster. To get there, it's about an hour drive on a 4 lane road with a speed limit of 60. Then once you hit the interstate, it's 70 the rest of the way. And no one drives that speed...even the police who passed me as my speedometer said I was doing 85.
Before I get to the interstate, there is a Pilot convenience store I stop at to get a snack and drinks...stretch, use the restroom. Well, I was kinda stiff. So, I decided I'd use my right to park in a handicapped spot if there was an open one. I pulled in and there was a John Deere Gator or golf cart looking thing in the handicapped spot. An older man was standing next to it speaking to an older woman. So I figured it might be his if he lived close by. Drove around the parking lot for about 5 minutes until a spot near the building opened up. Happened to be right next to the occupied handicapped spot. Turns out it was NOT the older gentleman's. He'd walked off and gotten into a car parked at a pump or in another spot. It wasn't the woman's, she got in the car that was in the spot I parked in. It was a store employee.
Being the big mouth I am, I asked him if he was handicapped. He said no. So I asked why he was parked there when it was a violation of the law to park there if he is not handicapped. His lovely answer was "to empty the trash". Another employee came up and I asked if he was the manager and proceeded to launch into my typical "what gives you (or your employee in this case) the right to illegally park in a handicapped spot?" rant. The manager tried saying he was only there for a moment and I called him on that one. He also said if he didn't park there the trash wouldn't get emptied and I'd gripe about overflowing trash cans. Who is he to dare tell me what I'd complain about? I offered to call the police and he said it was private property so it would do no good. He also told me they did it because they were trained that way. And that the employee had a disabled father. Uhh, if that's true he has even more reason to know better than to park in a handicapped spot if he isn't handicapped.
I said I wanted to speak to his boss and he tried telling me he didn't have a boss. Now, unless you're the owner of a company, you have a boss. So I called him on that line of BS. He finally got me a name and number to contact. As I left the building, since the manager made me follow him all through the store to get to his office....the maintenance guy told me to have a nice day. Except he was snotty about it. So, I told him where he could stick his sentiment. Bad of me since you do get more flies with honey than vinegar but by this time, I was hurting, I was tired of walking through the store (forgot my cane in my vehicle in my anger) and I just wanted to get to a phone and make a call.
I called the name on the card and immediately got voice mail. So, I called BC to get contact information online. And then called the name on the card again and he immediately answered. My guess is the manager warned him about me! He agreed it was wrong of the employee to park there no matter the reason. Said he'd take care of the matter that day. Retrain them. He also said that he could blow me some smoke but he wouldn't do that and say he could guarantee they'd never park there again. I know no matter how people are trained, they don't always listen. At least he tried to placate me. And he apologized. But the point wasn't his apology. The employee who parked there was the one in the wrong and should have needed to apologize. I know that's never going to happen as employers don't think it is right to make employees apologize to customers. Something about their self-esteem or something. I know my past bosses had a much different outlook. If I did anything even slightly wrong, I was to apologize.
I'm still going to call the company's hot line, or write to them. I truly do think they need to be made aware of the issue. No store manager should act that way with a customer. Having a hubby in the convenience store business, I know how managers are to treat customers.
After that, the rest of the trip went fine. I picked Mom up, we did our grocery shopping for the week or so and then came home. I actually did ok on the trip. Paid for it the next few days which I knew would happen but, sometimes it's worth it to pay for things and this was one of those times. I did not, however feel like making the trip back up there when it was time to take Mom home so BC did it while I waited for the bus.
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