Sunday, May 4, 2008

Get Outta the Way of MY Weekend

Wow. People are really in a hurry. While leaving Wegman's on Sat. after getting some take-out (not MY idea) some jerky guy nearly pushed me and my little boy out of the way so he could get in front of us and get to where he was going. He must be a VIP. We were not even walking slow. His kid was pushing his way ahead as well. My hubby said to the guy "Hey you jerky, are you in a hurry?" I was bracing myself for an altercation, but the guy never even turned around. I guess we were getting in the way of HIS weekend. Then the cars would not stop to let us cross in the crosswalk. Now I know why I don't shop at Wegman's. It's the pushy people, not just the over-priced prepared food which I think is not that great quality anyway. I do much better with the seniors on discount day at King's.

Earlier in the day, while driving on the highway, cars were darting in and out doing over 80mph. and cutting us off. We weren't exactly driving slow. I was getting really scared. And it really wrecked my enjoyment of listening to Bruce Springsteen's latest record "Magic."

It's Saturday, geez can't you slow down? I think people are just so over-worked that they go nutsy on the weekend trying to do as much as they can, and trying to get to as many destinations as possible. "Everybody's Workin' for the Weekend." I think people should slow down and think of others. You are not the center of the universe. Life is fragile and can end in an instant just because of someone's irresponsible behavior.

28 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am sorry you and your fam had to experience rude people and crazy drivers. I hope your weekend wasn't a total loss though.

Alfonso

michael molovinsky said...

be careful at kings on senior day. my motherinlaw(not really, but term of endearment) lives in retirement community in florida. as she walked and stopped at the crosswalk, the driver waved her to walk across. she is now recovering from him running her over, seems he "forgot" he waved. the only ones not in a hurry or the ones who can't remember where or why their going.

Angie Villa said...

Alfonso,

We had a nice Sunday, I just got so mad yesterday that I felt like ranting about it! ;D.

MM,

At least the seniors are friendly.
Sorry to hear about your mother in law, that's awful. I noticed that a lot of the seniors at King's take the bus, thank goodness.

Anonymous said...

Wegman's is a place to be avoided on the weekends between the hours of 10am-7pm,and 4-7pm on weekdays. It's just insanity there. You cannot stand in one spot for more than 10 seconds without being in someone's way. Partly because of that insanity and cost, I go to Weis or Kings. You can now shop for your groceries on line at http://www.weisishop.com/,then pick them up at the Kings on Hamilton and Cedar Crest. It's $4.95 for the service, first trial is free. It's a time and hassle saver for me. Of course, it would be worth it only for the week's groceries.

Katie Bee said...

I never noticed how crazy driving around the LV was until I came home for winter break. I hadn't as much as sat in a car for four months and suddenly I had to drive. All I could think was, "WHY are you all going so fast? That sign says 45! 45 is so fast!"

DC's public transport spoiled me big time : )

Angie Villa said...

Z,

I've heard about the online shopping service. That's great for a lot of people. Me, I enjoy grocery shopping, and I usually go on a weekday between 9-10 am. when it is very peaceful. King's is great because it is so roomy. My hubster loves the sushi at Wegman's and we go maybe 2 times a month for a special treat. It's crazy there!

Katie Bee, there is no good reason why people have to drive outrageously fast. They are really not saving much time, and they are using more gas, endangering lives, it makes no sense.

Bill Villa said...

"My hubby said to the guy "Hey you jerky, are you in a hurry?"

No one will ever accuse me of needing assertiveness training.

Blah Society said...

I can't stand people that don't drive the speed limits. It seems like in the Valley, one either drives 10 under or 10 over.

Geoff Brace said...

z just introduced me to perhaps the greatest service ever! I hate grocery shopping. That will be used! Thanks man.

I drove to Lansdowne/Haverford yesterday (Sunday). The term Sunday driver was clearly lost on the other motorists. I lock cruise control in around 68 mph on the turnpike. The others were traveling around 80-85. Good grief.

Angie Villa said...

geoff,

Z is a woman. ;D

Geoff Brace said...

HA! That was a bold presumption. My apologies.

Thank you anyway.

Bernie O'Hare said...

I like King's, too. Those old folks fall right over whn i give 'em a little shove.

Anonymous said...

I think the sushi at the Farmers Market is fresher than Weggers. Also the owner is charming - he's Chinese, not Japanese as you might expect!
Also, the Elias grocery & fish stores on the corner of Front & Tilghman, Allentown, are terrific, friendly and oodles less expensive than Weggers and the like. Check out Elias's whole fish & the salmon & haddock, around $5 a pound. You get a very eclectic, interesting group shopping at these type of places. Don't forget Sumaya's for Pitta bread & olives too.
I work full time & didn't think I had a spare second to shop in these little places but now I look forward to my Saturday afternoon shops & my husband even likes to come with me.
As for Weggers - they know who they're catering to, those grim, unhappy folk who've forgotten how to cook. At least they're all in one place & can be easily avoided.
Ooo, I'm hungry!
Thanks for the reality check blog.

Anonymous said...

I'm in love with Elias, too. I've been wanting to do a blof about it. They always have an abundance of all kinds of exotic produce. I think it's probably the most ethnically diverse place I've been in Allentown. It's great to see the Arab women with their kids, Indian ladies sifting through hot peppers, Polish people eyeing the cabbage, Asians, Latinos, chefs buying in bulk and even some yuppies sometimes. Everything is so affordable there. Even the spice collection, which way outdoes the supermarket. Check it out!

Bill Villa said...

Next Weekend: Elias.

Bill Villa said...

... remember the Elias family's "Sweet Spoon" restaurant at Front & Tilghman? I was a regular there in the mid-90s (before a fire destroyed it) that was a great place ...

Blah Society said...

I like King's, too. Those old folks fall right over whn i give 'em a little shove.

You gotta get em' in the parking lot BEFORE they enter the story.

...it just makes shopping easier.

Anonymous said...

I think this ties in with LOLV's latest blog about Allentown revitalization - if more people make an effort to shop at the little store once a week, or visit the ethnic restaurant, or get a service from a locally owned company - it's a way to keep $s in the community. I'm no saint & I know it can be hard to avoid the chains but it's trully so much nicer. We had a blast & a riot in La Mexicana the other week - the service may be slower than the ultra-efficient chains, but we planned for that & brought extra wine. We make silly little decisions like "we're not going to buy good cheese in a chain store again." and guess what - it tastes so much better from the Farmers Market; now I remember what really great Brie tastes like.
I'm even more hungry now... sigh.

Angie Villa said...

Okay, we are going to Elias on Saturday!

Anonymous said...

The Elias parking lot can get a little crazy on a Saturday afternoon but in a hilarious way, not in a nasty, snooty (or dangerous) way.
Try the Arab squash, it's lovely and nutty. The fresh basil and fresh mint is usually found at the back in boxes on the floor. (Did I get that in the right order?)I shouldn't tell you about the basil because it goes quickly. Sometimes you have to be picky about the fruit, like strawberries, blueberries, mangoes etc, because they need eating right away - but it's so much cheaper. They've just started selling meat, I've not tried that.

Angie Villa said...

I wish I knew more about choosing exotic produce, but I can make pesto out of fresh basil, pine nuts, olive oil, garlic, and cheese. A little pesto can go a long way unless you pile it on a cracker like my hubster likes to do! We sometimes go to Stravino's, the Italian store, but that's kinda pricey.

Thanks for all the shopping advice!

Anonymous said...

See, now you've forgotten how mad you were at Wegmans!
I hope everyone is nice, calm and considerate for you this weekend, especially on Mothers' Day.
If you're interested in trying some Middle Eastern recipes I'd recommend googling Claudia Rodin - her recipes are deliciously simple & don't involve buying hundreds of items you'll never use again.
G'night.

Anonymous said...

The rude behavior, including while driving (tailgating, aggressive driving, etc) is a characteristic of people in the Lehigh Valley - that is the mood of the place. Yes I've lived there and many other places so I do have a valid basis for comparison. People are generally pushy and discourteous.

Blah Society said...

Anon -

That's the way people drive everywhere, not just the Valley. It's not a characteristic.

Anonymous said...

Regarding "a characteristic" of our area:

although I haven't seen this slogan on bumper stickers or t-shirts in a while (it was hugely popular in the 70s, almost as huge as the people sporting it) lest we not ever forget was this still almost unbelievable slogan completely ott in the open ...

"if ya ain't Dutch, ya ain't much."

Mind you, this here slogan was not so much a "Pennsylvania Dutch Pride" thing as it was a sweeping condemnation of everybody not PA Dutch.

Hopefully most of these quaintly narrow-minded people have all died off. However, this "mentality" was (and to some degree, still is) a characteristic of our area.

Chust so youse know, once.

Anonymous said...

Yes.. i noticed the Frenzy in Wegmans, its a scary place at the wrong time

Bernie O'Hare said...

Dottie, I had to visit this essay a second time. I've been thinking about it all week - both because you are right and it is so well-written.

Angie Villa said...

BernO,

Thanks, I did not think I would get much of a response from this post.

Anon 7:56,

I'm very familiar with that slogan.
People need to slow down their buggies!