This is a true story. A friend of mine owns a business in a nearby town. His business has a fairly good-sized parking lot, with more spaces than are really necessary to service his customers on all but the busiest days. His business is also surrounded by apartment buildings, most of which have woefully inadequate parking facilities for their residents. So my friend graciously agreed to allow the residents of these apartments to utilize his parking lot during his non-business hours, on the condition that they move their vehicles while his business is open, or in the event of an impending snowstorm (to make way for the plows). Of course, as so often happens when one tries to be nice, the beneficiaries of this kindenss have begun to abuse their parking lot privilege, essentially taking advantage of my friend. Some cars go days (or even weeks) without moving from their spot. This has proven to be quite irksome to my friend.
Recently, as my friend was leaving his business, a pair of young men (he described them as being in their early twenties), came roaring into the lot in a musclecar with little regard for the pedestrians or other vehicles in the lot. They raced into a space on the far side of the lot from the entrance, and one of them jumped out of the car to run into one of the nearby apartment buildings. My friend, somewhat disgusted by the way they entered the lot, and annoyed that they went across into the apartments rather than entering his business, confronted the young man who had stayed with the car. The young man (hereafter referred to as Punk #1)immediately took a defiant, condescending tone, and they began to argue. At this point, the other young man (let's call him Punk #2) returns to the car and enthusiastically joins the altercation. My friend states that if this is how they are going to drive through his lot, and if they have no respect for the rules about not being in the lot while the business is open, then he will have their car towed. At this point, the two punks advance on my friend, and Punk #2 actually starts gesturing wildly and agressively. He tells my friend that he's going to punch him in the face and smash his car's windshield. My friend was only spared from physical violence by two of his employees rushing to his aid. The two punks returned to their car and peeled out of the parking lot. My friend contemplated calling the police, but had to get his wife to a physical therapy appointment, and figured that any police complaint he made was going to take time, so he decided to forego the police report.
Several hours later, Punk#1 returned to my friends place of business and actually came inside to apologize. Clearly, either his conscience got the better of him, or it dawned on him that he had jeopardized his free parking situation, and he wanted to make amends. Either way, he attempted to show some contrition. Figuring the matter was settled, my friend accepted the apology, and they parted amicably. However, several more hours passed, and in walks Punk #1's mom. And she was angry. She was out for blood. Apparently, she had heard the story about her angelic son and his saintly friend being oppressed by my devilishly evil friend, and felt it was her duty to come slay the dragon that threatened her brood. She was furious that this man, my friend, would have the nerve to tell her son where and when he could park. Never mind that it is by no means a public lot... that it is in fact on private property. Besides, she knew my friend's real motivation in hassling her son. You see, she figured out that my friend is a foaming-at-the-mouth racist. Or so she said. And she told him that she had every plan to sue him for everything he has. She told him that he will be hearing from her attorney (I can't wait to hear that story).
My question is, where does this bitch come off (a word I don't use lightly)? Where does her deranged sense of entitlement come from? Where do people like her get this idea that they have some kind of right to ANYTHING that does not belong to them? Parking in my friend's lot was a privilege, lady. A privilege that your punk son abused by not observing the no parking during business hours rule and by driving recklessly through the lot. You & your son & your son's scumbag punk friend have no more RIGHT to park in that lot than I have to take your car out for a spin without permission or to reach into your purse and help myself to a $20 bill or whatever drugs you keep stashed in there. Whatever happened to earning what you have, not taking from anyone else, and respecting each other's belongings and for that matter, simply respecting each other? I think that my friends experience really illustrates the fact that when people begin to expect to be given things without earning them (material items, special priveleges, services, a parking space in a private lot, etc), they lose any appreciation for those very things they have been given. They begin to feel entitled to them. But I'm sorry lady, I've read the Bill of Rights. There is nothing in there that guarantees your son permission to park in my friend's business lot. Get a clue. Get a life.
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