The shopping cart debacle: Holiday Edition

And so, at last, the holidays are once again upon us and that can only mean one thing... that the shopping cart crazies are out in full force. Since becoming a mother, I have realized how totally difficult it can be to wheel around a giant stroller. Making sharp turns, avoiding displays... it's a real obstacle course. But nothing is as annoying as dodging those ever-present holiday shoppers.

First off in the holiday shopping world is "the old man". Seemingly harmless, his goal was to get out of the house today. Taking his time (and most of the aisle space) he stops to look at so many wonderous potential gifts. Taking time, to carefully inspect things like, if there is a chip on that glass Santa and where was it made: Korea or China? Then, ofcourse, when your patience is almost completely warn out, he looks up at you with those doe-eyes and gives  you a giant smile. How can you be mad at him? So you carefully say, "excuse me" and whiz on by him.

Next up is the "scooter lady". Feeling somewhat entitled because, afterall, she is the one with the motor device, decides that instead of going around you, she is going to ride your bumper through the entire aisle. Making impatient "hurumpfs" at everything you pick up, as if that was EXACTLY what she was going to pick up if you would have just moved over. She feels more like a second impatient child strapped to your stroller. Then, out of exasperation for some sort of scooter race she must be late for, she races past you running over your toes in the process.

Then, ofcourse, there is the ever-attractive-sales-lady who is busy trying to stock the aisle. Now this, would not really be much of an issue if it was 9:30pm. But since it is 2pm in the middle of a major shopping holiday, her giant barrel of merchandise is TOTALLY blocking all major exits. And just when you try to roll on by her, she gives you what can only be described as a "death look" because you dared to go past her. It feels more like a great obstacle in an Indiana Jones movie than a shopping trip.

Now this is one that you wouldn't know unless you were a stroller-toter. It's the "angry stroller lady." She sees your big stroller and instantly feels the need to bowl you over because, afterall, her child is like a whole 2 months older than yours... so you must not know proper stroller etiquette. She is maybe the rudest of all shopping cart crazies in that she will flat out knock you over and not even care. Then, when you give a loud, and completely over-the-top "OW!" She just looks at you and says, "Oh my gosh.. I didn't even see you there. This stroller must have been blocking my view."

There are only 29 more shopping days left until Christmas and frankly, I can't wait for it to be over. Watch out people... it's a dangerous world out there!