Are you routine oriented?

[Amethyst]

John, that's not them stealing, that's just you, being a trendsetter

I like to park far away from the cars in a parking lot, to avoid the all-too-common door dent, and the rolling shopping carts. But lately I see some other folks have also started parking in "my spots".

 

[Animorph]

I'm routine oriented, though I consider most of it just being efficient! I definitely have a set way of loading the dishwasher, for example, and will fix any "errors" anyone else makes when they load it. There's an obvious pattern to the load. How hard can it be to recognize that and follow it? The way I do it minimizes the loading and unloading time, though that part is not necessarily self evident. Just subtle knowledge gained from experience and incorporated into the routine. I just let DW go on thinking I'm OCD.

Yeah, it bugs me when someone breaks my routines. But I'm not someone who gets upset about much. I can use a different parking space no problem. Though it might make it harder to find my car later. But it makes me wonder what a willy-nilly parker is thinking. Is it more efficient for them to park in a different spot each day? Why would someone do that? Can someone really make it through the day with that little thought about what they are doing? Reminds me of all the people who are not FIRE'ing.

 

[Amethyst]

While grocery shopping at the big-box store, I was approached by a small, rodentlike man, wearing an Andy Capp-style slouch hat, who asserted that "your husband likes to race me to the deli counter." Andy Ratt said he and his wife had noticed that we, like them, always went to the fancy grocery store across the highway first, then drove to the box store in time to go in when the doors opened.

Ratt's unvarying Saturday routine, it turned out, was to place a large, complicated deli order. Then, while his wife held their place in line, he'd tear around the store filling their cart while the order was filled. Mr. A. only goes to the deli every few weeks to get a particular cheese we like, but being long-legged and a fast walker, he'd unknowingly spoiled Ratt's routine. And Ratt was the type to speak up about such an outrage - no passive-aggressive windshield notes for him!

On an ensuing Saturday morning, Ratt left his slower-moving wife with the cart so he could run to the deli counter and slap the number machine, seconds ahead of Mr. A. He called out to me from the line that they had seen us at the fancy store, knew where we were going next, and "the race was on." (His wife just looked at me and shook her head).

Their order took about 20 minutes to fill, by which time Mr. A., still in line, was fuming. Although the situation has its funny side, both of us were creeped-out by the thought of being "watched" and having our movements calculated. Well, Ratt got what he wanted, as such people often do...we switched our shopping day to Thursday so we wouldn't have to hear from him again.

Amethyst

 

[robnplunder]

Though it might make it harder to find my car later. But it makes me wonder what a willy-nilly parker is thinking. Is it more efficient for them to park in a different spot each day? Why would someone do that? Can someone really make it through the day with that little thought about what they are doing? Reminds me of all the people who are not FIRE'ing.

Probably, they are parking in the first available slot closer to door? Other reasons include being absent minded, don't care much about where to park, has no favorite spot to call his/her own, ..., i.e, don't really care. Parking slots belong to everyone unless there is a designated name tag for one.

 

[MichaelB]

Well, Ratt got what he wanted, as such people often do...we switched our shopping day to Thursday so we wouldn't have to hear from him again.

Amethyst

Wow. That is a bit creepy. OTOH, you've made them, or at least him, so happy in his petty victory, and it cost you both so little.

 

[Amethyst]

I would totally laugh at myself if someone parked in "my favorite spot" and I caught myself getting annoyed about it. That's what comfy shoes are for...so you can cross large swaths of parking lot on foot, really fast. Comfy shoes. The secret to parking lot independence (PLI). Wear 'em!

Probably, they are parking in the first available slot closer to door? Other reasons include being absent minded, don't care much about where to park, has no favorite spot to call his/her own, ..., i.e, don't really care. Parking slots belong to everyone unless there is a designated name tag for one.

 

[Calico]

In just the last couple of weeks there have been a few reports on TV about this very thing and the owners have been fined for cruelty to animals. In some cases the dog was taken from the owner. Leaving an animal in a car regardless of cracking windows, putting on a fan, and leaving water doesn't necessarily address the danger to the animal. Dogs pant to cool themselves off and when the temperature rises their bodies are trying to cool off with hot air. They cook from the inside. This is irresponsible behavior for an animal owner. Of course most who do this will try to rationalize or make excuses.

There I feel better.

Cheers!

+5000

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

I'm routine oriented, though I consider most of it just being efficient! I definitely have a set way of loading the dishwasher, for example, and will fix any "errors" anyone else makes when they load it. There's an obvious pattern to the load. How hard can it be to recognize that and follow it? The way I do it minimizes the loading and unloading time, though that part is not necessarily self evident. Just subtle knowledge gained from experience and incorporated into the routine. I just let DW go on thinking I'm OCD.

Yeah, it bugs me when someone breaks my routines. But I'm not someone who gets upset about much. I can use a different parking space no problem. Though it might make it harder to find my car later. But it makes me wonder what a willy-nilly parker is thinking. Is it more efficient for them to park in a different spot each day? Why would someone do that? Can someone really make it through the day with that little thought about what they are doing? Reminds me of all the people who are not FIRE'ing.

Sounds mighty OCD to me..and I speak from experience. I'm all about neatness and order whereas my wife is all willy nilly about it. Everything in the house has its place but my DW never got that memo. I came home today and pointed out that she had her stuff spread out over every kitchen counter, all over the dining room table and floor and in the office. I can take it to a point but after a while, I just can't take anymore.

I think I get it from my mother...she had a fear of dying and someone coming in a home that was thrashed. I too have that fear!

Sent from my mobile device so please excuse grammatical errors.

 

[robnplunder]

I'm all about neatness and order whereas my wife is all willy nilly about it. Everything in the house has its place but my DW never got that memo. I came home today and pointed out that she had her stuff spread out over every kitchen counter, all over the dining room table and floor and in the office. I can take it to a point but after a while, I just can't take anymore.

It's the opposite for me and DW and it drives me crazy. I call it nagging and she calls it by many names (I don't care, I am absent minded, I am sloppy, ....). Other than that, DW is perfect.

 

[Walt34]

I always have to wonder at the rationale of those who just HAVE to have the closest spot to the door. Of the gym. What are they there for and what will happen if they don't get it? I park in the back furthest row to keep door dings to a minimum.

 

[aja8888]

Walt, glad to hear the stent install went well. Be careful for a while.

Even parking my car away from others in parking lots, somehow I have ended up with dings. Guess my car is a "ding magnet".

 

[Moscyn]

I live in a densely occupied city and don't have the luxury of routine things like regular seats, parking spots, usage of same gym equipment at particular times etc. sometimes I go into the gym and find all equipments occupied or yoga classes full.

 

[CaliforniaMan]

I like to park in a different spot each time I go to a big box store. Then when I come out I get a lot of mental (sometimes physical) exercise trying to remember where I parked this time, without going first to the place I parked last time. Hmmmm, maybe there is some logic in parking in the same place.

 

[Ronstar]

I'm routine oriented, but the routine consists of different things from day to day. Every day consists of a combination of hiking, biking, woodworking, boating, yard work and shopping activities.

I generally hike the same route - just not everyday or any specific days of the week. Same with biking, kayaking and boating. Although I have many types of woodworking projects, the process is the same. And I have a routine for cutting grass where I always start in the front and finish on the garage side.

And I park way out at all stores (helps get my fitbit numbers up)

 

[Animorph]

Probably, they are parking in the first available slot closer to door? Other reasons include being absent minded, don't care much about where to park, has no favorite spot to call his/her own, ..., i.e, don't really care. Parking slots belong to everyone unless there is a designated name tag for one.

First available slot closer to the door is a perfectly rational and deterministic algorithm. But it should result in parking in the same spot if the configuration of cars in the lot is the same day to day. A willy nilly (random) parker might also sometimes take the 10th closest available slot. A different one each time, even though the other cars are in their usual spots. I would have to work at doing that.

 

[hakuna matata]

I had my routine interrupted this morning at the gym. I go and get on the same elliptical everyday. I tend to use the same one as they all differ slightly in their readout, and I like to track how I am doing day to day. I go upstairs at the gym and lo and behold some girl is on MY MACHINE!!! Of course I berated her...wait, no I just went and ran first, and by the time I had finished my run she was off the elliptical and I could do my 30 minutes. So in the end it all worked out.

I do think there is a difference between innocent things like what happened this morning, I have no right to that machine and she just got on it. However I do think there are a few jerks who try to get your goat, like Ratt man Amethyst experienced. At my gym there are two very serious runners that get on the same machines everyday, and everyone in the morning knows this. They run for a good hour. But last year there was this guy who saw them on the machines for a couple of months and then one day started getting on those machines before they did, and he only lasted like 10 minutes and didn't do squat, but they would have to go to other machines and then he would get off the machine. Seemed passive-aggressive to me! But of course he only lasted a month or two longer and then ended up never coming back. So they are happily back running on their machines again. That type of behavior I don't understand.

 

[CaliforniaMan]

Funny (I think) stories about parking. In the early 90s I had a white Ford Explorer, a very popular vehicle in the most popular color. One day there was a space on the left of two white Ford Explorers in the parking lot so I parked there. I thought it was funny, three identical cars in a row. I was the leftmost of the three identical cars.

When I went to get my car there were still three white Ford Explorers there, so I went to the leftmost one. It was not my car! Mine was the one in the middle. In the time I was away the white Explorer on the right had left, and another had parked beside me!

Another time at one of my kids soccer games, I went to my car to get some chairs. A little girl asked me "Why are you trying to get into our car?" Ooops, my car was a couple of spaces over.

I saw this happen to others with white Explorers too. Just laughed when I saw it.

Moral of the story, always park in a numbered space, or paint your car purple.

 

[robnplunder]

Funny (I think) stories about parking. In the early 90s I had a white Ford Explorer, a very popular vehicle in the most popular color. One day there was a space on the left of two white Ford Explorers in the parking lot so I parked there. I thought it was funny, three identical cars in a row. I was the leftmost of the three identical cars.

When I went to get my car there were still three white Ford Explorers there, so I went to the leftmost one. It was not my car! Mine was the one in the middle. In the time I was away the white Explorer on the right had left, and another had parked beside me!

Another time at one of my kids soccer games, I went to my car to get some chairs. A little girl asked me "Why are you trying to get into our car?" Ooops, my car was a couple of spaces over.

I saw this happen to others with white Explorers too. Just laughed when I saw it.

Moral of the story, always park in a numbered space, or paint your car purple.

This happened to me too. Perhaps, you and I share the same particular "I am confused and can't find my car" gene. In my case, I opened the door and there was this woman on passenger side looking at me like I was trying to carjack her car. I immediately apologized. DW was right next to me vouching my story so the passenger didn't call 911 or anything. Many more times, I've inserted my key to another's car thinking it was mine.

 

[Amethyst]

Clearly, this kind of thinking comes naturally to you and does you good. My brain's wired differently. It would take too much time and mental energy to "think through" such situations as you describe. If I concentrated on the dishwasher, I would have to fix the way other family members load the dishwasher, but then I would be tired, while the others would think I was being too critical. Likewise, working out which parking space is the "next best one" would wear me out. I just want to dump the darn car in a safe spot and get going! Then again, perhaps some other things might come easier to me than to you, and that's why we're all different and yet still interested in FIRE...la la....

I definitely have a set way of loading the dishwasher, for example, and will fix any "errors" anyone else makes when they load it. There's an obvious pattern to the load. How hard can it be to recognize that and follow it? ......

But it makes me wonder what a willy-nilly parker is thinking. Is it more efficient for them to park in a different spot each day? Why would someone do that? Can someone really make it through the day with that little thought about what they are doing? ....

 

[mpeirce]

Another time at one of my kids soccer games, I went to my car to get some chairs. A little girl asked me "Why are you trying to get into our car?" Ooops, my car was a couple of spaces over.

Way long ago when I was college, I actually got into another Datsun and started it up with my key.

THEN it dawned on me that something was wrong. It wasn't my car. Still my key worked just fine.

 

[Amethyst]

Funny, I read this incident totally differently. I would consider two people, taking up two desirable machines for a whole hour, somewhat arrogant. If they need more than 30 minutes, why can't they run outside? Why does the fact they've made a habit of an hour, entitle them to anything?

Meanwhile, because of my scoliosis, I can't run outside at all - and am very limited even on a treadmill. So, I would not wish to wait around for a whole hour for the 2 "Serious"runners. I'd expect them to understand (without my having to confess my impairment- there's passive-aggressive, and then there's TMI) that I will only run for a frivolous 10 minutes, and then the 2 Mr. Atlases can have their whole hour and be...blessed to them.

Amethyst

At my gym there are two very serious runners that get on the same machines everyday, ...run for a good hour. But last year there was this guy who...started getting on those machines before they did, and he only lasted like 10 minutes and didn't do squat, but they would have to go to other machines and then he would get off the machine. Seemed passive-aggressive to me! But of course he only lasted a month or two longer and then ended up never coming back. So they are happily back running on their machines again. That type of behavior I don't understand.

 

[hakuna matata]

Funny, I read this incident totally differently. I would consider two people, taking up two desirable machines for a whole hour, somewhat arrogant. If they need more than 30 minutes, why can't they run outside? Why does the fact they've made a habit of an hour, entitle them to anything?

Meanwhile, because of my scoliosis, I can't run outside at all - and am very limited even on a treadmill. So, I would not wish to wait around for a whole hour for the 2 "Serious"runners. I'd expect them to understand (without my having to confess my impairment- there's passive-aggressive, and then there's TMI) that I will only run for a frivolous 10 minutes, and then the 2 Mr. Atlases can have their whole hour and be...blessed to them.

Amethyst

Well at that time in the morning (5 am!) there are easily half a dozen empty treadmills, so no one begrudges them taking a machine for an hour. My assumption is that they, like me, want to use the same machine every day so you can get a better read on any improvements. Each machine is calibrated a bit different, so I know I prefer the same machine so I can see that one day I went x distance and the next x+1, etc. Also do keep in mind, they said nothing at all, they just moved to other machines. But to ME it seemed that 'he' was going to that machine because he didn't want them on it. They never indicated it bothered them at all.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

All these gym stories make me very happy that I can get all my exercise in our fairly well appointed home gym and neighborhood. Sometimes the wife wants to 'use the gym' the same time I do, but that is OK...I just grab a bowl of ice cream and wait patiently.

Sent from my mobile device so please excuse grammatical errors.

 

[chris66]

DH is routine oriented, and would notice if folks take "his" spot. Even I still give him his space in the mornings, since his morning routine is important to him (luckily, I'm not a morning person, anyway). I can be as compulsive as he, but I'm goal oriented rather than routine oriented. I adapt to change more easily. Honestly, I look forward to falling in to rhythms of routines as part of retirement. I think that can be very calming and comforting. I've started a bit of a morning routine myself. I need an evening shut-down routine, too...

 

[EastWest Gal]

I always have to wonder at the rationale of those who just HAVE to have the closest spot to the door. Of the gym. What are they there for and what will happen if they don't get it? I park in the back furthest row to keep door dings to a minimum.

And you get a tiny bit more exercise to boot. You gotta laugh at humans who drive a mile to the GYM and have to take the closest spot so they can run an hour on the treadmill...


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