Thursday, March 12, 2009

Observations from the Slow Lane

When you spend most of your life in the slow lane, you sometimes see things others miss. I have a few I'd like to share.

1. Driving past the post office yesterday afternoon, I saw two large FedEx trucks parked right by the front door. So why would FedEx be in the post office parking lot? It's simple really. The post office has allowed FedEx to put a collection box right there by the front door. Isn't that sort of like Shell letting BP install a couple of gasoline pumps at Shell stations?

2. Not only do I live in the slow lane, but I am also height challenged. So why is it that all the grocery stores want to stack things on the top shelf eight feet high? I can't pull that box of cereal off the bottom row, or the whole thing will come crashing down. And there're never any store personnel around when I need them. Sometimes another taller customer will offer to get something for me, but usually I resort to finding a toe hold on the bottom shelf so that I can get a little boost. But what happens if I fall? Could I sue the store for making it difficult for me to shop?

3. Here's one I've been thinking about for a while. My mother-in-law has a walker, and she has put tennis balls on the legs to make it easier to move the walker around without scratching up the floor. I don't know that I've ever seen a walker without tennis balls on the legs. So why don't they just come that way to start with?

4. What's the point of wearing a sweater if you're just going to tie it around your neck? I once heard Wimp Sanderson observe that it must be a really cold day in Birmingham because the Mountain Brook women were wearing two sweaters tied around their necks. If you're from Little Rock, you can probably substitute "Heights" for "Mountain Brook."

Does anyone else ever think about these things?

11 comments:

Marty@A Stroll Thru Life said...

Oh yes I do. I say I wonder why so often that my DH just looks at me and laughs. But I really do wonder why! Hugs, Marty

lvroftiques said...

Well I think if stores are going to have their shelves so dang high they ought to supply each isle with a step stool! I'm 5'6" and I have trouble with them! And I totally agree about the walkers. I see them with tennis balls all the time! Why not just outfit them beforehand???!! Not meaning to be political...but why would one give lots of money to someone who'd already proven they couldn't handle money? And how would giving them money "help" anything? Just something that makes no sense to me.....Vanna

Valerie said...

Love the tennis balls on walker observation...so very true!

Marjorie (Molly) Smith said...

A lttle added info on the Fed-Ex question, did you know that Fed-EX and UPS drop packages off at your local post office for the mailman to deliever them to your house? Hummmmm.... wonder if they have to pay part of their fees to the Post Office?

momma said...

very interesting observations!

Ribbonwood Cottage said...

Hahaha, great post. My mom is now as we speak pushing her walker with tennis balls around the house after her surgery! Great point.
Debbie

xinex said...

Oh yes, Kathy! In fact we have the same prolem with trying to reach items that are stacked up so high..Christine

Bargain Decorating with Laurie said...

These are defnitely things to think about! One time, when I was at the post office, the Fed Ex truck was out front and I asked the postal worker about it, she said that the U.S. Post Office often uses Fed Ex to send something from one P.O. to the other!! I was so amazed. She said that it costs less for them to send it Fed Ex than to mail it through the P.O.! laurie

Robin said...

My mother used to be the Postmaster at our tiny local Post Office. The UPS and FedEx drivers used to always come in and ask for directions when my mom was working because they knew she knew EVERYBODY and was more than willing to help them!

And the Wimp Sanderson comment....That is so hilarious and completely TRUE!

{{{{{HUGS}}}}}

Robin :o)

Sue said...

Hi Kathy....great observations...I heard Andy Rooney's voice when I was reading them...

Susan (Between Naps On The Porch.net) said...

Kathy...your questions totally made me laugh! :-) You should invent the walker that comes with tennis ball-like-thingys attached...you'd make a fortune!
:-) Ok, having been married to a lawyer for a very long time, my guess is "THE LAWYERS" said, NO WAY. Some body would slide down, break a hip and sue the manufacturer because they put round balls on the feet. But if you put them on there yourself...ya can't sue! :-) Fun post...you got me thinking! BTW, I'm height challenged, too. :-)