Yesterday a couple of incidents got me thinking just how selfish some people are. My first job appointment was at 9 o’clock but I fought with the woman over the time when she first called upon my services. She seemed insistent that I should arrive at 11 o’clock and wouldn’t accept an earlier time. I explained that starting work at 11 would mean that I couldn’t take on any work beforehand to fill in the two hours and when I’d completed her job it would leave me unable to take on work that might last a few hours. In the event I convinced her to accept a 9 o’clock appointment. It transpires that her husband wanted to play a round of golf before my visit so that he could ‘supervise’ proceedings! Cheeky! I was able to complete the job by 10.30 and I went off to my next appointment, the one I couldn’t have done had I started the first one at 11.
Getting to the next job required that I parked my vehicle off-road when I got there. The house is situated on a busy main road with only a small parking area in front. I had to pull alongside the kerb and reverse onto the drive. To complete the manoeuvre entailed the front of my vehicle swinging out into the carriageway to be able to reverse into the space. As I was about to do that a convoy of vehicles came past so I had to either wait for them to pass or for one of the drivers to give-way and let me finish parking. No-one did. The next convoy arrived before I had a chance to finish parking and yet another convoy after that one. Nobody but nobody had the courtesy to stop and let me park. Eventually I managed to park and get on with my work.
The third incident involved parking too. I had arrived in my village and found somewhere to park my vehicle so that I could get to the bank. In the village parking spaces are at a premium most of the time so it was some good fortune that I eventually found a spot. Unfortunately it was on the opposite side of the road to the way I was driving but I stopped, with my indicator showing my intention to cross to the parking space. A couple of cars were approaching from the opposite direction and it was obvious to them that I was holding back following traffic so that I could park and that I had to wait for them to pass by. The first driver did so but the second guy, an old guy presumably with his wife decided to slip into the bay I was waiting to park in. I couldn’t believe his selfishness. I drove a little further and found another space. I had to return back on foot to get to the bank and doing so had to pass the old guy’s car. His wife had just got out of the car but he sat still. I said to her, ‘Would you be as quick to get into my grave? Didn’t you see me waiting to park here? Such a selfish thing to do’, I said and continued by. I heard her say to her husband, ‘Did you hear that’? Evidently she wasn’t impressed with his attitude either.
It only takes a little time to be courteous and to give way to others. I try to do it all of the time. It makes for a much more pleasant life.

Shirley Anne