So here’s the deal: It seems whenever I go shopping, or park in a big lot, I’m always next to someone either leaving at the same time, arriving at the same time or heading in when I’m headed out. That sort of thing. And I mean always.
Seriously, it’s getting a bit creepy.
I first noticed this couple of months ago. In the huge Walmart parking lot, I walked over to my car, only to be blocked from getting in because the older, obese gentlemen getting into the driver’s seat of his backwards-parked car was blocking my way in. Annoying, but no big deal.
Then, I moved to the Harris Teeter parking lot. I pulled into an empty space that was right next to another empty space. In the time it took me to turn off the car and unbuckle the seat belt, another car had pulled into the space next to me. Again, blocking me from easy access to and, this time, from my car because the passenger next to me apparently had forgotten how to stand.
Once that locked into my brain, I found it happened all the time. I’m not kidding.
I’m getting a little freaked out by the whole thing.
There’s a huge parking lot, maybe a hundred cars and, yet, the only person in the lot at the same time as me is the person walking to the car right next to mine.
Is this some part of an Odyssey effect? (So named because I’d never noticed any Odysseys on the road until I purchased one of the mini vans, then I saw them everywhere) (Remember: Mini vans are cool! Tell people.) That is, now that I’ve noticed it, I’m seeking out instances of that and remembering it, conveniently forgetting those instances when it’s not the case?
Or is it, and this is my preferred explanation, because I’m special?
Or maybe it can be explained by simple mathematics (Hah! As if there is such a thing. [There’s not.]). Something along the lines of people arriving at the same time, possibly having the same average duration inside the stores and, therefore, leaving at around the same time? I don’t know, but that’s an appalling level of coincidence at work for that explanation. Not sure if I buy that.
Has this happened to any of you dudes? Am I the only one who finds himself accompanied by the only other person in the parking lot when I’m at my car? Tell me I’m not alone.
I’ll be waiting in comments for you.
