A small ray of hope for this generation...

So I generally think of myself as a pretty considerate person. If you feel otherwise, go ahead and leave a comment to the contrary. However, I'm not sure I'm as considerate as the person I encountered earlier this week.....

A few days ago, I arrived on campus to head to my Internship. I have a few options for parking when going to the Stadium for work; the Stadium general parking lot, the circus lot (next to the FSU Flying High Circus), or the Leach lot (across the street from the Leach, our gym).

The circus lot is my preferred choice, as it leaves the least legwork for my fat self. However, it is the smallest of the 3 lots, and sometimes takes a minute or seven to find a spot. Parking on campus is terrible, at least it is terrible if you want to be anywhere near your final destination. There are a couple places always available... but they aren't near anyplace that I've ever had to go, so they don't count.

To make a long story longer... general protocol in parking lots at FSU is that whoever arrives a spot where another car is backing-out first has dibs on that spot. Dibs is usually called by turning on your turn signal. So, for example, if I see someone backing out, if I get near it with my blinker on first, it is my spot.

Now to the actual story. I pulled into the circus lot, circled a few times, found nothing. After about 2 minutes of waiting, I spied someone walking to their car, and slowly followed them (a very common occurrence). However, as I followed them down one aisle, they suddenly realized their car was in the next row over, and headed through the parked cars to their vehicle. Much to my chagrin, I saw someone in that row, looking for a spot. Hoping against hope, I looped around to the aisle and saw my targeted driver entering their car, with another car already waiting with a blinker on. I gave up and decided to continue my search. However, as soon as the leaving car pulled away, the driver of the other car (blinkers on) flashed his lights at me, and beckoned for me to take the empty spot. He recognized that I had been following that person and just got hit with some bad luck. I graciously accepted, mouthed thank you, and parked. As I walked to work, I thought about how great this was, the first true act of kindness I've witnessed in an FSU parking lot in 6 years. Maybe there is some sliver of hope for my generation, the Me-Generation... and that hope resides in the driver of that Mini Cooper.

Thanks Mini-Cooper Driver Guy!