Isn't it amazing how dependant we've become on cars in our modern society? It's not something that you think about until you are deprived of a working vehicle as I was today. Not only are we dependant upon our autos, but the lack of one can actually lower your social standing. It can even lead you to step upon unhallowed ground.. or worse.. Wal-Mart.
The battery in my car, a 1999 Mercury Cougar, went bad sometime last night, a fact that I discovered only after attempting to go to work today. My girlfriend Abby had already left for her job in Moorpark (which, for the geographically inclined, is 45 miles away). After determining that the battery in my car was dead, and would not hold a charge, I decided that I would walk to the local Wal-Mart and purchase a new one.
The shortest path to Wal-Mart, from my residence, took me past the California Institute of the Arts, known locally as a haven for strangely attired and bizarrely behaved "art" students. I blend in well at Cal Arts. But once I was past the school and into the trendy neighborhood known as Stevenson Ranch, blending was not an option. Two separate mothers, walking along the sidewalk, actually shielded their children from me. I know I'm a bit odd, but come on!
In any case, I made my way to the shopping center where Wal-Mart is located. The shopping area itself is quite large, laid out against a hill, consisting of two stepped levels. The upper level contains restaurants, small shops and a bank, whereas the lower part is home to the larger chain stores like Toys R Us, Circuit City, and Wal-Mart. My path brought me to the upper level first.
Now there's an interesting fact about the arrangement of this particular shopping center. There is no walkway between the two levels. You can drive between them, bu
t there is no sidewalk, stairway or path for the meager pedestrian. The only way down, is to brave the steep, narrow roadway that connects the parking lots. Despite the double set of speed bumps, downhill vehicular velocities on this stretch can be intimidating to a pedestrian who has no shoulder or sidewalk as shelter.
It is obvious to me, that the designers of this shopping center never considered the plight of the non-mechanized customer.
After a brief stop at the art-supply store, I made my way into Wal-Mart where I purchased a new battery for my car. I contemplated walking back, carrying the heavy car battery, pulled out my cell phone, and did what I should have done in the first place: called the office. In twenty minutes, I was back home, installing my shiny new battery, thanks to a quick extraction by future Czech assassin and fellow WayForward employee, Palo. I then took a nap.
In closing, what is it about Wal-Mart that makes me feels as if I've stepped into the shallow-end of the gene pool? Is it the way the trailer-trash congregates around the entrance or the monosyllabic answers given by the employees? Oh well.
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