Sumner Shortcuts

This is the first installment in a new series of articles, People Who Drive Me Crazy.  (I wanted to call it, “You Know Who I Hate?”, but was told that might be too harsh for some of my readers.  So I softened it a bit.)

This series of articles is a way for me to vent about various types of people in Sumner County without calling out any one individual.  Hopefully my wonderful readers will sometimes share my frustrations, and maybe even suggest their own for future columns.

Today, we’re hating on Kroger Gas Station Racers.  Kroger is a very busy gas station.  Understandably so, since using one’s Kroger Plus Card gets you $0.10 off the regular price–this usually makes it the cheapest gas in town once the discount is applied.

I’ve got a full time job and a website to run, so I’m not hanging out at the Glenbrook Kroger Gas Station every minute of every day, but it’s pretty safe to say that there’s almost always a line.  On weekends, the lines can be as long as a couple cars deep at each pump.

Now, normal citizens–you and me–we pick a pump and wait until it’s our turn.

But to the darker, more sinister Sumner citizen, these lines at the pump present another opportunity to show off how selfish they can be.  You’ve all seen them.  You all know who I’m talking about.  These are the folks who are obviously far too important to pick any one line and take their chances.  No… not them.  Instead, they circle the entire lot repeatedly, endlessly seeking out only the fastest line.

Logic completely escapes these people, and they’re fixed in a mental quicksand… thinking they’ll find a shorter line by speeding in circles.  They are also, obviously, too busy to stand in line.  They’re time is more valuable than mine or yours, you see.  You’ll see them go round and round all the pumps and lines five or six times before finally settling on one–or worse, cutting someone else off to feed their insatiable gas hunger.

Maybe you’ve seen these people in other places.  They like to park in front of building entrances or in fire lanes.  They like to zip through red lights, rationalizing that the light was yellow recently enough.  They like to take up two parking spots for their one vehicle, just because it cost a lot of money.

Let me tell you another way to refer to these people:  dangerous jerks.  This afternoon I was nearly backed into by one of these NASCAR fans as she raced around and tried to back rapidly up to a pump I had patiently waited in line for. She assumed that I hadn’t noticed her circling, and even tried to suggest she had been waiting patiently on the front side of the pump (when she clearly had not been).

Thankfully, my car was close enough to the pump for me to start filling up before she had a chance to protest.  I may have won the battle, but these jerks are winning the war, aren’t they?

People, waiting in line is part of the American lifestyle.  Whether you’re at the drive-through at the bank, the gas station, or the DMV… get used to lines.  No one citizen is more important than another.  So follow the rules or face my wrath… the wrath of my written word (some threat, right?).

Anyway, I can’t be the only person hacked off at this particular brand of selfish behavior… anyone else experience this?