Parking Etiquette

Which person was wrong? (answer: not me!)

It was late at night. The parking lot was PACKED and I was LATE for my creative writing class when I spotted someone leave a space. I put my left blinker on and waited. Right after the person pulled out, another car zoomed around the corner, headed towards me, and took a right into the space. MY Space. I stepped on the gas, and both of us ended up locked up at an angle trying to get into the space. I was pissed.

I had just started doing stand-up comedy at open mics, so this class

was important, but I was stuck. We sat there, neither of us wanting to give up the space for about 10 minutes. The cars backed up behind us started honking. Finally, I threw in the towel and realized that this woman wasn’t budging, so I backed up, and let her have the space.

I got a space a few minutes later and got to my class about 5 minutes late.

The teacher was just starting to have everyone go around the room and say their name and something about themselves.

The third person in, said her name and then said that she was late because2 idiots were fighting over a parking spot. Oops . . . I was embarrassed and just hoped she didn’t recognize me.

Then a few more introductions until it got to another woman who

said “well, I'm embarrassed but I'm one of the people who fought over the space. I was running late, so I just HAD to steal it from that lady.” What? I was up next; I paused for a minute, and then said "well, I'm THAT lady!” The room cracked up.

The parking space thief tried to back track and say that it was actually “hers” since it was on “her” side of the row - she was taking a right into it, and I was trying to take a left.

I countered with “no, it's the person who got there first and

had their blinker on, who gets it.” After some discussion in which I took a poll, and the class agreed with me, we moved on and the rest of the class went fine. We left with an assignment to write up a funny story for next week’s class.

The next week rolled around, and I read my story to the class titled "Parking Etiquette." It was a funny story about people stealing parking spaces. The class LOVED it, except for the parking thief.

I can't remember what her story was about. But I do remember that

that was the last class she attended. I think her terrible parking etiquette did her in.

When people are being jerks, MOVE ON. Had I “won” the parking space, that’s all I'd have gotten . . . a parking space. Instead I got a parking space (it took me a couple more minutes), plus a great story, some humor writing practice (which is what I needed), and a lesson for someone else that may make them kinder, and a lesson to me to let things go.

Remember that your actions do come back to you, maybe not as immediate as this, but they will come full-circle. So treat others, even people you don't know, with kindness. We really are in this thing together. And don't steal parking spaces!!!

---

Jan McInnis is a Keynote Speaker, Comedian, Comedy Writer, and Master of Ceremonies. She has written for Jay Leno’s Tonight Show monologue as well as many other people, places, and groups – radio, TV, syndicated cartoon strips, and even guests on the Jerry Springer show (her parents are proud). For 20+ years she’s traveled country as a keynote speaker and comedian sharing her unique and practical tips on what business leaders can learn from comedians (no, it’s not all about telling jokes). She can be reached at www.TheWorkLady.com, or Jan@TheWorkLady.com She’s also a GREAT Master of Ceremonies. Click here for her emcee site

Some of the stories in this newsletter are taken from Jan’s popular book:

Convention Comedian: Stories and Wisdom From Two Decades of Chicken Dinners and Comedy Clubs.