After All, That Other Person's Time and Space Is More Important Than Yours.

I realized recently that I appreciatively note everything I see. Some things I probably shouldn't delight in, as often what amuses me most are the antics of the populace and I find myself laughing at someone else's expense. But they are vastly entertaining.

People fascinate me.

Every Body on earth naturally thinks of himself as the Exception.

I am prone to this also, but it occasionally baffles even me. While I don't find my imagination too often staggered at what they could possibly be thinking when they do some of the things they do, I am curious as to why on earth they would think it.

This past Friday morning a woman made her way by car to the local Starbucks to get whatever is her idea of a delicious beverage. The Starbucks of my story is located on the corner of a popular intersection that crosses a busy street lined with restaurants and bustling tourist gift shops. This road in particular is designed to be traveled by foot; no parking lot or garage is available for any one business, and street parking is never guaranteed. My story happened around nine in the morning (namely, Starbucks time), in which case available parking spots at the curb were virtually nonexistent. However, there was one open space when the lady drove by, and she pulled into it hastily, seemingly in fear that someone else would beat her to it. This haste was unnecessary because the spot was right in front of a fire hydrant.

She turned off her car and went into Starbucks.

About fifty-four seconds later, a police car pulled up behind hers. Out stepped a not-too-surprised policeman who checked the car's tags and license number, and then began writing a parking ticket for its absent owner.

The car, as I have stated, was parked in front of a fire hydrant.

The woman, still waiting in line (it was a long line), saw from the window and immediately elbowed her way back through the crowd and to the door, burst through it into the sunlight, and ran towards the cop waving her arms foolishly.

"Wait! Wait! Don't do that," she cried.

He blinked at her.

"Um...did you even see where you parked?" He indicated her small vehicle, and I have never seen a car look so embarrassed as hers did, sitting badly aligned with the curb and in a place it oughtn't be. I almost felt bad for it.

"But--but it was just for a minute! I thought it would be okay," she stammered, badly flustered.

At this the policeman looked at her. Then he laughed, bewildered. He laughed! Right at her. Laughed at her lapse of judgement. At her typical human narcissism. At her belief that she was above the rules. The exception. The Special Person Who Could Park In Front of Fire Hydrants.

"Look, I'm leaving right now, see?" And she quickly got into her car and drove away. He also left, still chuckling.

She never did get her coffee.