It's what you learned in kindergarten
Mary Henkel Judson

Judson is editor and co-publisher of the South Jetty. Contact her a southjetty@centurytel. net.

Not all handicaps are visible to the naked eye, so I don't want to be too quick to judge.

However, had I found the woman who parked in the handicapped space at the Family Center IGA last Saturday, I would have confronted her.

I know her, and I know of no handicap, mental or physical, that would qualify her for that parking space.

What in the name of flying pigs is she doing taking up a space that might be used by someone who really needs it?

It wasn't pouring down rain, and there's no space in that parking lot that is so far that you'll die of heat exhaustion getting from it to the front door. The only excuse you've got is laziness.

You know who you are, so please, feel the full shame of your narcissism.

And for those of you who parallel park in front of the news racks or next to the grocery carts: Who do you think you are? Those spaces aren't marked "reserved", and they don't have your name on them. You ought to be ashamed. Scram!

And while we're on grocery store etiquette, how about those of you who stand smack-dab in the middle of the aisle, making it impossible for anyone to pass you? That's just plain rude and inconsiderate. Do you ever think of anyone other than yourself?

Since I'm on the subject of pet peeves, let's talk cell phone etiquette - I think that's an oxymoron.

How many times have you been in a restaurant or a check-out line and were forced to listen to a one-sided conversation in which you had no interest? Too often, even a one-sided conversation provides too much information. What part of "keep it to yourself" don't these people understand?

For a time, I thought these people were showing off the fact that they had a cell phone. Everyone has a cell phone, so that's no longer an issue. Maybe they're under the illusion that we'll think they're important or popular. What I think is that they're rude and without class. Private conversations should remain outside the public domain, which means not in a restaurant and not in the check-out line.

Those who wear what looks like a giant roach on the their ear so they don't have to hold the cell phone, leaving their hands free to eat, shop or pay, take the cake. Gee, they really must be important and/or popular!

Makes you wonder what important and popular people did before cell phones.

Makes me wonder what their ears are going to look like in five years.

While I'm on a roll, we can talk about breaking your neck to be on a time for a medical appointment only to be left cooling your heels for an hour (after one such experience, when I asked at one hospital where the complaint department was, I was told it was at the competing hospital - it was the first time I'd had a good laugh that day). That only happens once with me, and unless I'm told up front there's an emergency and given an option to reschedule, I'm outta there - for good.

All of this boils down to one thing, and you probably learned it in kindergarten: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.