The Parking Lot Concert Guy

[Monterey Jack]

I'm putting this here, as it's not sucky so much as weird, but it seems like every time I have a carriage shift, there's this guy who parks in the same spot (or as close to it as possible, a space or three away from one of the carriage corrals), and just sits there with his car windows open, blaring music. He never seems to be waiting for anyone, he never goes into the store, he just...SITS there, listening to his music for an hour or so, then drives away. It's not unpleasant music (some light jazz, sometimes some decent pop), and it's certainly not the kind of thumping, bowel-shaking rap that a lot of asshole drivers favor, but I just don't know what this guy is doing. Who sits inside a car in the middle of a sweltering parking lot and makes everyone in earshot listen to his music? His wife kicking him out of the house, or what? Maybe he is waiting for someone, but, dude, ROLL THE WINDOWS UP, crank up the AC, and enjoy your music in private, or else invest in a decent pair of headphones. It's bad enough I've been force-fed the same three-dozen muzak songlist since 2004 in the store, but when I'm doing carts outside, not being forced to listen to it is a minor fringe benefit, and you're now forcing me to listen to YOUR music.

[CyberLurch]

About an hour, you say? Maybe someone on his lunch break? Maybe someone whose A/C is busted? I dunno, just pointing out a few possibilities.

I know I used to like to sit in my car and listen to my own music during my lunch break - mostly because I got tired of hearing everyone else's shitty music, AND because it was better to be out of the building during lunch break, so that people couldn't pester you the way they could if you're in the break room.

[Buzzard]

Sounds like someone with time to kill between places. Running the engine to get AC costs money, while the breeze is free. Parking lots are safer and quieter than on the side of the road somewhere.
Well... quieter before he got there, anyways.

[Monterey Jack]

Still, invest in a pair of headphones, ya twit!

[Slave to the Phone]

Still, invest in a pair of headphones, ya twit!

I will, I will, I promise!!! (I didn't think it was that loud and I always park in the far end of the parking lot, out of the way and under a tree.)

I work in a windowless meat locker 8 hours a day. I spend many of my lunch hours parked in a business parking lot because I want to get away from the office. I eat my lunch (never littering, all trash goes with me), read a book and listen to music while defrosting until I have to go back.

I see other people doing the same thing, many of them often enough that I recognize their cars. Sometimes I will see a coworker, but we studiously ignore each other until its time to go back to work, and then we are best friends again.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

Still, invest in a pair of headphones, ya twit!

Tell that to the old guy who likes to come in now and, while he's riding around in one of the scooters, blast his music from his phone while he shops through the store!

I had to point blank tell him to turn it down the other day because he was trying to ask a question and I simply could not hear over that racket.

Why, oh why do they need to do this???? Can't you use headphones so you're not disturbing those of us who are trying to work on the sales floor? Bad enough I have to listen to a damn communicator going off in one ear (and half our coworkers only use one volume level - SCREECH) and if I have another customer trying to ask something, that kind of background noise is just TOO MUCH!!!

Listen to your shitty music at home and don't feel the need to share it with us . . . otherwise the wrong employee might take that phone and you'll find yourself getting your temperature taken!

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Car stereos don't have earphone jacks, and using earphones while driving is a Very Bad Idea.

That would only work if he's playing a boombox inside the car, which also strikes me as a Very Bad Idea.

[Jetfire]

When my dad worked retail (he's retired now), he would often take his lunches out in his truck, parked in the parking lot under the store's sign, and listen to the local radio station while he ate lunch and relaxed. The windows would be opened, but he isn't the type to blare the radio anyway.

[KellyHabersham]

Reminds me of a story I heard about a family I knew back in northern Arizona - supposedly they didn't have a TV, so for entertainment, they would all sit in the family truck and listen to the radio. (no idea if it was true or not)

[Monterey Jack]

I don't know how long ago that was, but it's to believe ANYONE could not own a TV past the early-80's.

[KellyHabersham]

I don't know how long ago that was, but it's to believe ANYONE could not own a TV past the early-80's.

This was in the early 1990s.....I remember hearing several classmates make comments about going past this family's house, and seeing them all sitting in their truck with the radio on.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Parking lot guy needs better taste in music. May I suggest “Gangbang at the Old Folks’ Home?”

[CyberLurch]

I don't know how long ago that was, but it's to believe ANYONE could not own a TV past the early-80's.

Me. While I technically own one, it hasn't even been plugged in since 2011. I quit watching and cancelled the CATV out of disgust. Got tired of paying to see the same half-dozen movies over and over again on the movie channels (literally playing THE SAME FLICK at the SAME TIME one night - I could skip across all three of the channels and not miss a moment of dialog!), watching the same 8 or so commercials over and over and over again every 9 minutes or so, and discovering the History Channel no longer had anything to do with history. Add in the Law and Order Only channel, and entire daytime blocks of SPONGE BOB on CN.... yeah, f*** it. Told 'em to turn it off.
Discovered something profound. I DON'T MISS IT. The stuff I want to see I can find on Youtube, Netflix, Hulu, or rent at the video store. F*** television.

[Monterey Jack]

I need a TV to watch all of my movies, either on Blu-Ray or one of the various streaming services. I can't imagine not owning one.

[fumblebee]

I don't own a TV. We had 3 until we moved last year, but we hadn't turned them on for AGES. I cancelled our cable in 2013 and never looked back. Don't miss them. Don't need them. Mosts of what I want to watch isn't on TV here anyway. I love my British shows (mostly panel shows) and I can watch a lot of them on Youtube. The other things I can find on Amazon Prime.