Yesterday, “06880” burbled about the owner of Coffee An,’ who raced into the parking lot to give $2 back to a customer he’d inadvertently overcharged.
Today we present the flip side: Westporters behaving badly.
An “06880” reader was driving down the narrow exit lane that runs in front of Pompanoosuc Mills and Angelina’s, on her way out of the Barnes & Noble parking lot.
She was leaving, that is, until she reached the cleaner’s. There, a large van was parked in the middle of the lane. Its emergency lights were flashing. Its driver was nowhere to be seen.
The woman tapped her horn. A man strolled to the door of the cleaner’s, then turned back to his conversation with the person behind the counter.
She tooted again. Again, he made no move to leave.
She honked a 3rd time. The man slowly walked out of the store, telling the woman: “Relax! Relax!”
She told him she was late for an appointment.
He replied, “You have no choice. If I don’t move, you can’t get out.”
Then he swaggered into the driver’s seat, and drove away.
Chances are, the man in the van is not an “06880” reader. Yet he — like all of us — must look in the mirror every day.
Does he like the face that looks back? I have no idea.
But I know the owner of Coffee An’ does.
The ultimate answer is always “I am in a hurry.” Do do what? Has it become
cool be in a hurry?? If you NOT in a hurry means your life is NOT as full as others who live in the fast lane?? Hurry to an early grave in my mind. Too much sugar in their diets too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I imagine Mr. Van Driver has an entirely different point of view of the interaction…
they’re probably both right
It’s not germain to the issue prehaps but, there are two other exits, one to Chruch Lane and a traffic signal allowing either a (legal) left or right turn at the Post Road, or a right turn only (sometimes observed) exit from the plaza.
In other words, why travel around the building, except to reach Angelina’s where the food very acceptable. We generally share one of the specials w/ two salads, with gorganzola cheese dressing. Yum!
Angelina’s is Awesome! When my brother was visiting from Ridgefield, Washington, I took him there for dinner. He fell in love with their chicken parm on the freshly baked wedge. Now and then (and for special occassions too) I order and ship them overnight (safely wrapped and packaged, of course) to him. Wrapped in foil in the oven at 350 for 10mins = YUM!
People like the truck driver, who are are unaware how their behavior affects others, will often think that the other person’s reaction is irrelevant or wrong. What I try to do (which occasionally works) is to take a deep breath and hold it and then slowly let it out before saying or doing anything. If I were in the woman’s situation, I’d also be very annoyed by his attitude. She might have had better luck with a smile and sweet words requesting him to move instead of beeping the horn. (I’m talking to myself here; In reality, I probably would have leaned on the horn.)
The van driver’s next stop was in all likelihood a hancapped parking space.
A rant of mine goes like this. When, as a nation, did we give permission for Fedex, and UPS to stop where ever, when ever they like, no matter how disruptive to the rest of us. Their business model seems to include inconveniencing the rest of the world with impunity. “Delivery” is both their defense and excuse.
Yeah my pet peeve is contractors who seem to think they can play their music while they work, especially outdoors e.g painting. Hell if I did that at my desk, adios.
Angelina’s is disgusting, not only the attitudes of the punks who work there, but the moronic drivers who speed thru Westport delivering garbage while almost clipping runners / mothers with strollers / kids on bikes … when is the recession going to plug up that shit hole!?!
Wow….have a nice rest of the day, Snarky!!!
Angelina’s has probably been here a lot longer than the “nameless” writer above. and hopefully after they’ve gone. ‘nough said!
You’re so right, Mary. An anonymous bad review means that he/she is hiding something.
I was outside Angelina’s yesterday. The Escalade driver left his vehicle idling (exhaust fumes anyone?) while he went in to fetch his dry cleaning: the rest of the world can wait for him because he’s SO IMPORTANT. (I rounded the corner listening to the sound of the stuck driver beeping their horn – with my sympathy and empathy).
And, please, anon, don’t slate Angelina’s. Good people (not punks) work there and I’ve never had moron deliver a cheese pizza to my house yet.
@DreadfulDrivers
There are many parking spaces along that road in front of the cleaners and Angelina’s, Chase and other stores. IF there isn’t a space, most people just drive around the block or park in the lots at the ends, they DON’T park in the middle and block traffic! There isn’t a reason in the world for this Escalade driver to have been so rude. He was just lazy.
I have been in Westport for 26 years, since the lovely age of 6, ate there after Soccer games, with my family, friends, etc… I have had to jump over the hood of one delivery man’s car flying through the stop at the corner of Morningside and Long Lots, I watched one come 6 inches to a 14 year old boy riding his bike on North Avenue, I arrived just in time to see a Mother pushing her stroller screaming at the top of her lungs as another sped away…I wish I was making this up…and Ruggs if you get off your butt and open those eyes you may see what I see! ‘Nough said!
Dean Anon – I wish I could get on my butt once in a while. If you’ve noticed these things -with your lovely eyes, why didn’t you speak to the owner about his drivers. I have noticed, with my lovely eyes, the same behavior from Planet Pizza drivers – and I called the place!!!! from the side of the road!!!!
And no one has ever called me Ruggs – other names at times, but not that one.
It’s funny how the subject of someone blocking a pass thru at a shopping center turns to bashing Angelina’s. It’s the arrogance of thsoe in this town who feel “entitled” to do what they please (park illegally, blow through stop signs and red lights, talk on the their cell phones while driving, etc.) I was almost hit by someone who ran the lighat by McDonalds the other day, it was a guy in Mercedes on his cell phone, 99% it’s not the pizza delivery guy. Perhaps Annoymous you are one of them.
Delivery drivers are bleeding us dry. They zip around town in their crappy little cars, with the plastic signs stuck on the roof, bringing us lukewarm food we’re too lazy to cook ourselves, and they think they are better than us. Between them and the middle aged school teachers driving Bentleys around town, we’re screwed.
…..then there was the strawberry incident
Oh Don, if it’s not too late, do tell! I love anything that combines strawberries and incident!
Virginia, I really don’t want to raise Cain during Holy Week.
The Dude’s comment prompts mine. It’s kind of funny, nearly a year after returning to the U.S. from a smallish pueblo outside Guadalajara where we lived for 6+ yrs., my husband and I are still re-acclimating. We are not in Westport, but in a car-o-centric corner of Florida.While we were living in Ajijic, we became used to cars and trucks routinely blocking the mostly one-car-width roads while their drivers did heaven knows what. Sometimes deliveries—actually, often deliveries, there was nowhere else for them to go–but equally often just passing the time of day with someone.Only the rudest most newly arrived Gringos honked. Usually a glance was made at you by the driver who then–eventually– politely wrapped up whatever he was doing, then with a friendly wave he’d be off. Easy to say most of us had nowhere pressing to go, but not always true. Point was, whoever was expecting us would wait, too. Easier on the heart without all that self-important adrenalin and aggression.