Sam’s Club: Buy in Bulk, Invent Your Own Parking Spot

Today, October 1, around 10:45 a.m., I stopped at Sam’s Club in North Charleston before heading over to visit The Bridge assisted living. Along with the usual bulk bargains, I spotted something apparently available at no extra charge: creative parking.

Two drivers had apparently decided the marked spaces weren’t meeting their needs and set up their own accommodations in the blue-striped areas.

Apparently, those stripes looked like a welcome mat. “Reserved for people with exceptional confidence.”

Now, those areas serve a purpose. People using wheelchairs, walkers, or vehicle ramps need room to get in and out safely. That thought felt especially relevant as I headed to an assisted living community. A little convenience for one person can become a major obstacle for someone else.

But here’s the part that made me do a double take: a North Charleston police officer was at the Sam’s Club entrance, maybe 20 feet away.

Twenty feet. We’re talking sample-table distance.

I don’t know what the officer saw or whether anything happened afterward, but the scene certainly had the ingredients for an awkward parking lesson.

Sam’s Club sells plenty of things in bulk. Apparently, on this particular morning, confidence was one of them.

Please use an actual parking space and leave the striped access areas clear. Your jumbo pack of paper towels can handle a slightly longer ride in the cart.

Parking Between the Lines: A Radical Concept?

I headed to the Regal Palmetto Grande to catch a movie and, before I even made it to the theater, I got today's "parking performance review."

As I was looking for a spot, I came across this previous-generation Toyota RAV4. It wasn't just a little crooked. It was parked right across the access aisle next to a handicap space.

Now, because I'm a right above-knee amputee with a prosthetic leg and I rely on handicap parking when I need it, I pay attention to these things. Before I get out of my own vehicle, I almost always take a second look to make sure I'm centered between the lines. It takes maybe five extra seconds.

Those painted blue and striped areas aren't decoration. They're there so people using wheelchairs, walkers, prosthetics, or other mobility devices have the room they need to safely get in and out of their vehicles.

Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but I still think staying between the lines is a pretty good idea.

What's next? Maybe I'll start stopping at red lights too.

Sometimes the smallest acts of courtesy make the biggest difference for someone else.