I went to Publix today with Brad to pick up a few ingredients to make stuffed bell peppers for his mom, myself, and him to eat for dinner tonight. When Brad and I were walking through the parking lot, we happened to cross paths with this nice, cheerful woman, driving a motorized grocery cart, who appeared to be in her late to early seventies. She was obviously in poor health and had limited mobility. She gave us a yell and half-laughing, half-jokingly asked us if we would drive it back to the grocery entrance for her. Well, I thought she was joshing us, so I told her, "No, but can you give me a lift in your basket?" Then it dawned on me that she really did want us to drive it back. Upon noticing her sincerity, I told her, "Absolutely!" I ran over to her, and she sort of hauled herself out of it to make the 3 feet trip back to her car. For some reason, she thought I was embarassed to drive it back, but I wasn't embarassed at all. She protested that Brad should drive it, so I wouldn't have to be embarassed. I nicely protested back that I wasn't embarassed, and it clicked right then that she was embarassed she had to use a motorized cart. She said with a sad face that she never thought she'd have to use one of those, and she continued to say that now she has no choice. It tugged at my heart a little and tugged at my heart even more when I drove the cart to the entrance and got stares and some dirty looks from walkers.
Yes, yes, yes, I know that I don't have any physical maladies. People were probably looking at me disgusted that I was in the motorized cart with the full capacity to walk on my own two legs, and I wanted to yell at them, "Be nice to me, I was just being a good Girl Scout. What have you done today?" With that said, I do still think that people stare a little longer when you are not as lucky as me and have no choice but to drive one of those carts. Being stared at too long makes anyone uncomfortable especially if the reason they are staring is because of some physical ailment or limitation. This elderly woman's situation was one in which she honestly needed the motorized grocery cart to shop, because of her poor physical health. And, whew! Another reason I feel sorry for her and others who have to drive those things is that they move so damn slow. It's like a turtle taking a shit.
Then, there are times when I catch imposters who don't need those carts. I just get pissed over that. It's the same offense as using the handicapped bathroom stall and coming out to find that a person with a handicap is waiting on you to get out. Imposters are taking from those who really need special accommodations.
Around Christmas, Brad and I were in the same Pubix, and we happened upon an imposter. The imposter had to be in her late eighties, she was in great health, so great it was obvious. The grocery was terribly crowded, since it was Christmastime, and being in one of those carts was like being able to throw elbows at a crowded bar or a crowded concert. All of us hustling shoppers had to get out of her way and make room for her. Brad and I first noticed her criminal behavior on the produce aisle. She left her chair, walked briskly over to the fruits, made her selection, and walked briskly back to her cart with excellent posture. I'm talking 'bout she drank her milk, no osteoperosis for her posture. Then we noticed her at the butcher getting cuts of meat, leaving her cart while her cuts were prepared, standing up reaching for items off of high shelves, and moving from the milk selections to the cheese selections all without her cart with the greatest of ease. When she got in her cart, she bulldozed, parting the Red Sea of pissed off Christmas shoppers.
We were speechless, but speechless for only a little while. For the better part of the trip, we did reconnaisance on her following her from aisle to aisle and argued whether to steal something from her cart or let her know we were on to her faking it. We didn't do anything but conspire and laugh.
The thing is though that I've always felt sad for people who have to use those things, but now I feel even sadder knowing that those things go so damn slow that it takes them hours to pick up a couple of things when it takes me minutes.
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