Wednesday, May 21, 2008

screw the peanuts and crackerjacks

Little league season is underway. I hate little league season. Wait. That sentence doesn't even begin to express how much I dislike this time of year. It should have been written in all caps. I HATE LITTLE LEAGUE SEASON. Ahh...that's better. Now before you beat me with your Louisville Sluggers, let me explain. It's not the little leaguers or the sport itself. It's the parents. And the utter disrespect they have for the people who live near the park where the games are played.

By "the people", I mean me. Every April I get edgy when 5 o'clock rolls around. Not just once or twice a week. Almost every day. Four days at the very least—and it doesn't let up until June. It takes almost every fiber of my being to not get irritated with these people.

They don't make it easy.

We live very close to the park which relies on street parking to do the job of "parking lot". Our driveway is along one of those streets. All the parents park up and down that street. Which is fine. Except for one thing. DON'T BLOCK MY DRIVEWAY! Desperate for a good parking spot, we constantly have noses and tails of vehicles blocking our driveway. We've already had to tell more than one person to move this season. And it's only May. It gets old quick. Plus, it's disrespectful.

However my dear internet friends, what I encountered yesterday has, by far, exceeded any level of disrespect I had yet experienced during a little league season. Let me set the scene. JQ came home from work and in his truck bed were some rocks for our landscape. We had dinner, gave G-man his bath, played and then put him to bed. There was a game in progress when we went outside around 7:30 to put the rocks in the yard. When I passed through the door out to the driveway I was baffled.

Why?

There was van parked in my driveway. That didn't belong to us. What the fuck? I'm shaking my head as I sit here and type this. I just can't believe it even happened. To have the audacity to park in a stranger's driveway and think it would just be okay. I was beside myself. In an effort not to start screaming at the top of my lungs for someone to move the van instantly before I called the cops, I grabbed a load of rocks and took them into the backyard. I came back out and just as I was getting ready to rationally walk across the street to talk to the coaches this guy comes running.

"I know, I'm sorry. I'm moving it. I was keeping an eye out to see if you guys came out."

What? No. Sorry isn't really doing it for me. I couldn't just smile and let it go. But I didn't yell. As he was getting into his van I looked at him and said, "You can't do that."

"I know. I'm sorry." he said again.

"It's private property. You can't just park here."

That was it. He gave me this baffled look like I was an ass for not saying "It's okay." when he apologized. Because, it's not okay. It's my property. He's lucky I didn't freak out on him. Which is what I really wanted to do. Seriously.

20 comments:

JQ said...

I think we each showed a sensible and mature approach to the "Debacle in the Drive-way".

Kinda catchy huh?

Cupcake Blonde said...

I would have slashed his tires and had him towed. You had every right. Man, I have enough of a problem with the people who turn around in dirveways, let alone park in them. What made him think that was even REMOTELY okay?

Holly {ArtistMotherTeacher} said...

jq—I agree. Go us.

vp—I know! That's what baffles me the most. How do you form that thought in your head that it wouldn't be a big deal?

Anonymous said...

Oh. my. God.
I hate crap like that more than anything. You missed the years of living in an apartment building where everyone parked behind me all of the time.

I would set my car alarm off on purpose, and just let it blare until someone came out, then I'd demand they move their car. I also threatened everyone that I'd have their vehicles towed (you should, too) and left notes stating same, etc...

Good thing I wasn't there. I'd have just pushed the damn van out into the street for you.

Can't you post a sign or something?

Lisa Armsweat said...

That's incredible. That's not even close to being OK... he's lucky you didn't deface his car! Because you could have. Instead you handled it gracefully, which I admire. Maybe you guys can buy a couple of traffic cones to put at the end of your driveway so no one blocks it, or PARKS in it again. I see people that do that down near the ballpark where the Diamonbacks play. It's really a shame people are too stupid to know better, though!

Holly {ArtistMotherTeacher} said...

shades—I did think about the note idea. Just make a bunch to put on windshields that say "Have some respect. Don't block our driveway."

cruel shoes—It was really hard to be calm about it. Come on people. It's common courtesy.

Blogarita said...

We hate football season here. In addition to not being into the sport at all, we live across the street from the high school football field, and we get all the same problems as you. Well, not quite, because we haven't yet had a stranger park IN our driveway.

We've taken to blocking our own driveway with one of our vehicles just so we're never blocked out of our own driveway.

Bob said...

I'm at a loss for words.

The Ferryman said...

I would have LOVED to go off on a fucktard like that.

People SUCK!

Holly {ArtistMotherTeacher} said...

blogarita—We shouldn't have to be inconvenienced by parking our own cars across our driveway.

nobody—Yep. That's how I felt when I first caught sight of the van.

fab—I would have too. But for the sake of the kids, I controlled my anger. It wasn't easy.

Unknown said...

I hate little league for a totally different reason. Maybe mine should have been in caps also. I tried out for little league one year. My dad said good luck I turned around while running for tryouts to say "thanks dad", turned back around and whacked my face off of a crossbar type thing to hang on (tryouts was in a playground). Anyway, so after breaking my nose and deviated my septum (picture me blood running out of my nose and mouth), I still tryout. I couldn't feel half of my face but still tried out.

In the end, I didn't make a team that year. I'd like to have seen any boy there do what I did and still try out. Still would. Needless to say after that I played softball. I do watch the little league world series though since williamsport isn't far away but I never travel to see any games because I'm sure the parents are even more annoying than in the normal season.

Holly {ArtistMotherTeacher} said...

k.—Wow. Bleeding like crazy and still didn't make the team? That's rough.

Lynda said...

We have a similar problem. We have a sports center next to our house.

One year, someone parked in our backyard. I don't mean on the street that runs behind our backyard. I mean, they drove into our backyard and parked their car. I left them a note saying that if they did it again, I would have them towed.

One year, since we don't have a fence, there was a big event. People kept cutting through our yard. Dan and I went out to plan a rose bush, and this woman and her son came running around the corner. Surprised to see us, she said, "Sorry." I couldn't say anything. I just gave her a look that could kill.

I could tell you more, but I'll just say I feel your pain! The nerve of some people!

Brandy said...

Oh, you have WAY more control than I would have. I can't stand when people park in front of my house, much less in front of my driveway. Our neighbors have parties were people park up both sides of the street and make it very hard to drive. If they had the nerve to block my driveway it would drive me INSANE. I would definitely put up a sign that says something like "DO NOT BLOCK DRIVEWAY" and "VIOLATORS WILL BE TOWED". I am not very tolerant of stupid, inconsiderate people who wouldn't want someone doing that to them in the first place. Ugh. Sorry for the long response. :-)

Lisa said...

Pixie:

I understand how you feel. Until last year, we lived near a local summer toursit spot. People had to put chains and stuff across their driveways so people wouldn't block them. I think you hit the nail on the head when you said it's "common courtesy." There's not enough common courtesy anymore. This is why there's road rage, people parking in your driveway, and talking in movie theaters. There's just no such thing as common courtesy anymore.

Kym said...

Wow, you have way more patience than most people - I would have screamed my head off in front of all the kids and parents!

Holly {ArtistMotherTeacher} said...

lynda—In your backyard? Wow, that is ballsy.

brandy—One of the coaches told me I was a saint a few weeks ago for putting up with the "invasion of your neighborhood" as he called it.

leezer—Who raised these people?

kym—That was their one pass. Next time I may not be able to control myself.

R2 said...

Those rocks were totally wasted...You could've done things with them that would've been MUCH more satisfying. However, I understand your need to stay out of jail. Stupid jail.

Naynayfazz said...

I don't get the thought process of a person like that. If that guy knew that it was wrong and he was waiting for you to come out so he can move it, why in all that is holy and Italian would he do it in the first place???? That is what gets me the most.

Holly {ArtistMotherTeacher} said...

rr—Yeah, I imagine jail would suck.

naynay—Me too.