Parking lot manners

We have a busy time finding parking prior to the girls swimming lessons. It is a small indoor swim club with lots of students and not enough parking for all the kids coming in and the kids already in the pool. So it is always a struggle to find parking if you come just in time or a few minutes late for the lesson.

One has to wait for 5 minutes so the previous lessons folks pull out and we can park. Knowing all this we usually go 5-10 minutes before lesson starts to find parking.

The kids run out of the pool and into the car or van so they can shower at home.

Last week we came out with the kids. We were 10 feet away from the van when we saw this desi dude park his car and walk away with his kid. He pretty much made sure that 3 cars could not get out! All three cars had wet or semi dry kids waiting to get home.

In spite of our calling our to dude he kept clicking his car keys and walked on with his daughter.

So I tried to pull out, no luck. Then tried to guide another parent out of her spot hoping she would clear the blocking car and in the process give me room to get out. That did not work either. Just then the dude walks back and sees us try to get by.

I told him "aree yaar. why do you do this? we have kids waiting to get home" (he was desi for sure, but did not know what language he spoke.. so the aree yaar was my attempt at being polite)

His response "do you want to stay here longer?"

Me : I don't get it. You parked illegally along the red line. We have been trying to get our cars out and were thinking of calling a towing company. The only correct thing for you to say here is "sorry".. instead you ask me "do you want to stay here longer?"

Dude : I would have said sorry, but the expression on your face made me angry.

Again, no sorry. Apparently my facial expression at being frustrated is more offensive than what he did.

We finally got out of that parking lot a good 15 minutes later.

This whole being wrong and showing attitude thing by some desi dude in the US is new to me. Have seen this in Chennai/ Mumbai , even on my recent trip. Never seen it here. Usually Desi's behave responsibly at least in the areas we have lived in.

This was a new thing for us to experience this.

Hope this doesn't start a trend!That would pretty much even out the difference between living in India and living here.



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