I'm sure you're all familiar with this type of situation. I was at the supermarket, and it was pretty occupied. I cruised slowly around looking for a spot and there weren't any. Finally I loitered near one of the exits and, driving slowly, following a woman to her car.
Now the woman had a pram and a pile of bags and things, and it was going to take a while for her to unload and get her stuff together, but that was OK. I didn't mind waiting. I just sat there, blinker going to indicate that I was taking that spot, while she slowly got her stuff stowed.
Finally she starts coming out. She turned towards me and blocked my access for at least two seconds, which was when this little sports car came screaming down the roadway and spun into my spot. It wasn't an accident. The woman had seen that I'd be blocked for a few moments while the other car departed and came rushing down to cut in.
Not only that but, when the woman got out of her little car, she turned, looked at me with a smirk, and gave me the finger. Pinching my parking spot was bad enough, but to be deliberately and gratuitously rude about it afterwards? An apologetic shrug and I would have marked the entire incident to desperation on her part, but the rudeness made it a deliberate insult.
And what could I do about it? I mean, what could I do about it, legally? Nothing, really. All I could do was sit and fume. Which I did for a few moments before slapping the car into gear to start my search again.
Fortune at times favours the put-upon. While I was sitting having my little sulk a man came charging through the rows of cars and hopped in one just a few cars up from where I'd originally intended to park and there was me - all positioned to take it. He pulled out and I pulled in.
Strolling towards the supermarket I cast a nasty glance at the car that had the brass effrontery to be sitting in the spot I'd waited for. There was something on the ground next to it. I strolled over for a closer look.
A very nice smart-phone in a leather case. In the side of the case there were several bank cards, credit and debit, I assumed. Also a driver's license, and I recognised the picture with no problems. I'd seen the owner only a few moments ago.
I considered the situation. Did I feel helpful? Not really. Did I have any plans that couldn't be put off? Again, not really. Did I feel like being an unmitigated bastard where a rude, insolent, thief of parking spots was concerned? I do believe I did.
I did my shopping. It didn't take me long. Then I went back to my car. The parking thief was still there. I wondered how long it would take her to find out what was missing. I hopped in my car and went around to the address on the driver's licence and waited.
(I was assuming that the address was correct. If it turned out it wasn't I'd just turn the phone and contents over to the cops and let them chase her down.)
It was correct. Her little car came racing down the street a short time later and swung into her drive. The woman bounced out of the car and practically bolted inside, probably praying that her phone and cards were safely at home.
I gave her time to find out they weren't and then strolled up to her door and rang the bell. She answered the door, not looking at all happy. Her name by the way is Sylvia. At least, that's the name on the cards.
"What do you want?" she snapped. "I'm not buying anything. Go away."
I gently waved my prize and there was quite a change in her demeanour. She almost broke the door off its hinges she opened it so fast.
"My phone," she gasped, snatching it out of my hand. Just naturally rude, I guess.
"My phone?" she shrieked, opening the case to find no phone, no cards, no license.
"Safe," I said. "I'll return the rest of your things in a minute. First there's a small matter I'd like to discuss with you."
I was trusting that she was home alone, and when she didn't call for assistance I took that as a positive sign.
"What are you talking about?" she demanded. "I don't even know you."
"True, but I have come to the conclusion that you're a bit of a bitch and need a salutary lesson. I've decided to give you one. I'm the driver who's parking spot you pinched, after I'd been waiting for that woman to move for several minutes. Now I'd have let that go with a few muttered words about selfish idiots, but you had to compound the insult by laughing at me and giving me the finger."
She blushed, but didn't look particularly sorry.
"I saw a spot and took it," she said. "I didn't know you'd been waiting."
Lying bitch. She'd known all right.
"And that explains the finger?"
"Um, yeah, sorry," she muttered. "Now give me my stuff."
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves. I may not look it, but right now I'm a very cross man and I feel that you've been a very naughty girl. I was seriously considering that you should have sex with me as a way of showing your remorse, but I decided that would be going a bit far."
"There's no way," Sylvia said.
"Yes, I thought that would be going a bit too far. I decided a simple spanking would suffice."
"You have got to be kidding," she said, looking shocked.
"No, I'm not. You are going to permit me to put you across your knee and paddle your backside, or I will take your phone and license and leave then at the police station. In regard to your credit cards I will of course take the bank's advice and cut them in half. It shouldn't take you long to get new ones."
"You can't do that," she said with a gasp.
"Oh, legally, I'm supposed to do that. Strictly speaking I shouldn't have gone to the trouble of bringing your things here. If you prefer," I said, jerking my thumb over my shoulder in the general direction of the city centre, "I'll just go and take these things to the cop shop now. You can even follow me down."
"My cards?"
"Unfortunate casualties to your rudeness."
She looked as though she was going to blow a fuse.
"But it'll take me days to get new ones. What do I do until they come?"
"Good question. I'm sure you'll manage. Well, I guess I'd better be moving on."
"Wait," she shrieked, when I turned to go.