parking lot peeves.

since starting my 'new life' - well, 'newer new life' - two (eeeekkkkk!) months ago, i've had to adjust to some different habits. like driving almost everywhere. which isn't the worst thing on earth - i've always been a fan of driving, whether i'm the driver or a passenger. and cars certainly get you places faster. - however, i just cannot get comfortable with driving to the gym. i got so used to having a nice little warm-up during my 10-block walk to my old gym - a very efficient method of getting in that little extra bit to my workout, i always thought - that now i feel like a useless sloth driving to it. but less of a useless sloth than some of my fellow gym-goers.

the gym is in a small shopping center, with a main parking lot for a number of stores. i typically park a few aisles over from the gym, where it is less crowded and so i can get an extra 20 seconds of leg movement before getting on the treadmill. so i've noticed during my little jaunts through the lot that there is often a lot of competition for the five or so parking spots that are directly in front of the building. prime real estate - i'm waiting for a fight to break out over them. yesterday, a woman waited for at least 3 minutes in her car for a man to get his (slow-moving) self into his vehicle and relinquish the spot to her. i marveled at how lazy people can be, that they are going to workout, but yet they can't walk more than a foot to get into the place where they are going to workout.

so imagine my disgust level when i left the gym and, looking down while crossing through one of the empty prime spots, noticed NO PARKING - FIRE LANE painted all along the curb! i hope an exercise bike never spontaneously bursts into flames while i'm working out alongside those lazy lawbreakers. our sweat will have to put the fire out since the firetruck won't be able to get close enough.