I only assume the best of my fellow human beings. Therefore, I can only assume that my fellow Ikea shoppers (some several dozen thousand of them) this weekend were all following the posted Ikea shopping rules that I’d somehow failed to notice on the way in. Judging from their behavior, those rules are:
1. If you see something you might like, stop immediately where you are. No need to move off to the side of the pathway first. Or walk over to it. There’s no chance that several dozen thousand people are right behind you trying to get somewhere too.
2. If you want to talk to your friend about something, stop immediately where you are and begin talking. No need to move to the side of the pathway. There’s no chance that several dozen thousand people are right behind you trying to get somewhere too.
3. Other good places to stop and chat with several people are bathroom doorways and just before or after stairwells, elevators, escalators and check-out lines. There’s no chance that several dozen thousand people are right behind you trying to get somewhere too.
You know, those sound eerily similar to ATL traffic laws; when in doubt just stop wherever you feel necessary, regardless if that be the middle of an intersection or whatever.
I also love how folks weave a foot or two into the right lane when they make a left turn, or vice versa. Because it’s impossible to complete a turn by any other method.
and those dotted lines? just a suggestion. argh.
you didn’t even mention the parking lot, chutney…
I agree with you, completely! And you know what else? I’m more likely than not, one of the people who piss you off so! I think I’m both a stop-and-talker and a stop-and-pointer, because when I’m in Stroll-Mode, as I am at a mall or a park or a county fair, I’m just not thinking in terms of traffic. I’m militantly trying to Keep it Light, trying to Have a Good Time.
Because, let’s face it, Ikea is not laid out to do this. And that makes me mad. The whole layout of Ikea just drives me nuts because it mimics that of a highway. Keep-movin’, folks, but don’t stop to chat and you, there – face forward. Git along; yee-haw!
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Heh. I suppose it is part county fair, part interstate highway. Good way to force you to look at everything they offer, but not good for the “getting there” part of it all.
Maybe they could hire some Swedish cowgirls to stand along the side of the Ikea-path and whip those little dogies into moving along. It’d bring me to Ikea more often.