Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Common Courtesy Crusader!

I'm hearing a lot about niche blogging. Pick a topic. Stick with it. Increase your readership. Blah blah blah.
But I gave it some thought and I wondered, what subject could I consistently blog about?
The animals, duh, but that only goes so far.
Writing, of course, but who I am to consider myself enough of an expert to offer others advice? I'm arrogant, but come on. At least publish something before you tout advice. (And by publish something, I mean have something published by a respectable publisher. Not your blog. Not your self-published POS novel. Not some short story published on an online journal with a readership of five. Don't even get me started on some of the idiots who consider themselves published authors. "I got another story accepted by an online publication no one has ever heard of!" It's like expecting people to be awed that you got into community college. Dude - they let everyone in.)
Relationships, because mine is perfect and I think everyone could learn a few lessons from Tim and I? Again with the arrogance.
Fashion? Those who are familiar with how I dress and what my hair looks like are laughing themselves out of their chairs right now.
Money? Ditto the above statement regarding my finances.
So what could I niche blog about?
Then it hit me.
I have an extraordinary amount of pet peeves:
Here's the niche part. I would say about 90% of my pet peeves deal with a lack of common human courtesy.
Please. Thank you. You're welcome. Let me get the door for you. Is it so effing hard??
So, while I am not overturning the entire theme of this blog (which is whatever the hell I want it to be on any given day) I am instating a regular edition to the blog entitled The Common Courtesy Crusader! It's my way of attempting to make the world a better place.
Today I performed my first official act as The Common Courtesy Crusader. Allow me to tell you about it:
Prime space in my office parking garage is limited. If you do not arrive in the parking garage before 9AM, you are pretty much screwed and forced to park on the roof where your car bakes in the sun all day.
Also in my office parking garage there are several parking spaces next to concrete walls and dividers. (No, I have never scraped one trying to fit into a tight space. Never. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.)
I completely understand the desire to err on the side of safety so that you do not scrape these concrete structures, as I have never done.
However, erring so far on the side of safety that you take up two parking spots? Every day? Selfish! Rude! Discourteous!
Most mornings I just stew about it, and contemplate keying the offending car, but today I decided to take polite action. I left a note. A nice, polite, courteous note.

Dear Mitsubishi Owner:

Perhaps you are unaware that you take up two parking spaces on a rather regular basis, and that by doing so you lessen the already limited available space in the parking garage? I'm sure you would not do something so inconsiderate purposely. Therefore I am bringing this issue to your attention in the hopes that in the future, you will manage to park in one space, and one space only.
No I didn't sign it, do you think I have a death wish?

2 comments:

  1. i take the bus. but i do have my own little peeve. if there's an open seat, sit in it. don't stand in front of it with your arm up holding onto the bar up top so your armpit is directly over me so i get the luxurious odors of your body after a long day. don't put your crap in the empty seat next to you then pretend you don't see the person standing because you can't bear to put your stuff on your lap. there, there's my piece!

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  2. Enjoyed this a lot nanci. I think you handled it just perfectly. lol

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