There are two Trader Joe's I shop at. One is closer,
but the other is easier to get to during non-rush hour
because I can take the freeway almost the whole distance.
I usually go to the closer one because I shop in the
morning.

Most Trader Joe's share a parking lot with one or more
larger stores. But the one closest to me is the largest
store -- the other tenants are a Starbucks and a bank.
The parking lot is small and crowded, but what's worse
is that two entrances/exits both force you to leave in
one direction, opposite of the direction you had when
you came in. There's even a little fence which has
been lengthened twice to prevent people from going
back the way they came in at one entrance/exit, and
I've observed cops watching that side.

So I use the other entrance/exit. If I'm lucky,
I can get across 3 lanes of traffic into the left
turn lane at the next light to make a U-turn. I've
had one close call doing that, so I usually don't
do it unless I have plenty of room. Today, traffic
was busy and I was sitting behind three cars waiting
to leave. First, one guy makes a simple left turn
and he's gone. Then the next guy tries to do the
manuver to get into the left turn lane. WHAM!!!
Not too serious. Nobody hurt. Not even any airbag
deployment. But I'm sure it will be major $$$
to fix the damage. Amazing how in a fraction of
a second your whole day is ruined. What made it
even more scary was he was just trying to do what
I do all the time.

Maybe I should shop later and go to the other store.

Oddly, the Whole Foods megastore has essentially
the same problem. It is also entered from the
direction you're not allowed to go when you exit.
However, their parking lot is so much more spacious
that I feel less stressed going there.

In article >,
Mark Thorson > wrote:

> Maybe I should shop later and go to the other store.

I go shopping when I get home from work at 07:00.
Hardly any traffic, no major lines, and it's early enough to get custom
meat cuts and interact with the produce stockers.

I like that. ;-)

I used to go midnight shopping when I worked swing shifts. No
interaction with the fresh food guys and gals, but there was NO traffic
and no lines either...
--
Peace! Om

"Human nature seems to be to control other people until they put their foot down."
--Steve Rothstein

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On Oct 9, 2:57*pm, Mark Thorson > wrote:
> There are two Trader Joe's I shop at. *One is closer,
> but the other is easier to get to during non-rush hour
> because I can take the freeway almost the whole distance.
> I usually go to the closer one because I shop in the
> morning.
>
> Most Trader Joe's share a parking lot with one or more
> larger stores. *But the one closest to me is the largest
> store -- the other tenants are a Starbucks and a bank.
> The parking lot is small and crowded, but what's worse
> is that two entrances/exits both force you to leave in
> one direction, opposite of the direction you had when
> you came in. *There's even a little fence which has
> been lengthened twice to prevent people from going
> back the way they came in at one entrance/exit, and
> I've observed cops watching that side.
>
> So I use the other entrance/exit. *If I'm lucky,
> I can get across 3 lanes of traffic into the left
> turn lane at the next light to make a U-turn. *I've
> had one close call doing that, so I usually don't
> do it unless I have plenty of room. *Today, traffic
> was busy and I was sitting behind three cars waiting
> to leave. *First, one guy makes a simple left turn
> and he's gone. *Then the next guy tries to do the
> manuver to get into the left turn lane. *WHAM!!!
> Not too serious. *Nobody hurt. *Not even any airbag
> deployment. *But I'm sure it will be major $$$
> to fix the damage. *Amazing how in a fraction of
> a second your whole day is ruined. *What made it
> even more scary was he was just trying to do what
> I do all the time.
>
> Maybe I should shop later and go to the other store.
>
> Oddly, the Whole Foods megastore has essentially
> the same problem. *It is also entered from the
> direction you're not allowed to go when you exit.
> However, their parking lot is so much more spacious
> that I feel less stressed going there.

sorry you had this mishap. I hate busy lots and intersections - I'll
go around a block to avoid making a left.

Hope it's fixed in a hurry and no hassle with ins. co.

Kalmia wrote:
>
> sorry you had this mishap. I hate busy lots and intersections - I'll
> go around a block to avoid making a left.
>
> Hope it's fixed in a hurry and no hassle with ins. co.

It didn't happen to me. It happened in front of me.
I don't care about the insurance.

In article >,
Omelet > wrote:

> In article >,
> Mark Thorson > wrote:
>
> > Maybe I should shop later and go to the other store.
>
> I go shopping when I get home from work at 07:00.
> Hardly any traffic, no major lines, and it's early enough to get custom
> meat cuts and interact with the produce stockers.
>
> I like that. ;-)
>
> I used to go midnight shopping when I worked swing shifts. No
> interaction with the fresh food guys and gals, but there was NO traffic
> and no lines either...

Back in the pre-SO days, I'd go grocery shopping at 7 am or earlier. I
hate lines and heavy traffic, so it worked out well. However, you also
see some interesting phenomena at that hour. One morning I was followed
down to the Tom Thumb by two police cars with lights and sirens blaring.
They pulled in right behind me. It wasn't me they were chasing,
mercifully. Some enterprising young man decided to pilfer some rib eye
steaks and stuff them into his sweats and coat. One of the store staff
witnessed this and called the cops.

Cindy

--
C.J. Fuller

Delete the obvious to email me

"Mark Thorson" > wrote in message
...
> There are two Trader Joe's I shop at. One is closer,
> but the other is easier to get to during non-rush hour
> because I can take the freeway almost the whole distance.
> I usually go to the closer one because I shop in the
> morning.
>
> Most Trader Joe's share a parking lot with one or more
> larger stores. But the one closest to me is the largest
> store -- the other tenants are a Starbucks and a bank.
> The parking lot is small and crowded, but what's worse
> is that two entrances/exits both force you to leave in
> one direction, opposite of the direction you had when
> you came in. There's even a little fence which has
> been lengthened twice to prevent people from going
> back the way they came in at one entrance/exit, and
> I've observed cops watching that side.
>
> So I use the other entrance/exit. If I'm lucky,
> I can get across 3 lanes of traffic into the left
> turn lane at the next light to make a U-turn. I've
> had one close call doing that, so I usually don't
> do it unless I have plenty of room. Today, traffic
> was busy and I was sitting behind three cars waiting
> to leave. First, one guy makes a simple left turn
> and he's gone. Then the next guy tries to do the
> manuver to get into the left turn lane. WHAM!!!
> Not too serious. Nobody hurt. Not even any airbag
> deployment. But I'm sure it will be major $$$
> to fix the damage. Amazing how in a fraction of
> a second your whole day is ruined. What made it
> even more scary was he was just trying to do what
> I do all the time.
>
> Maybe I should shop later and go to the other store.
>
> Oddly, the Whole Foods megastore has essentially
> the same problem. It is also entered from the
> direction you're not allowed to go when you exit.
> However, their parking lot is so much more spacious
> that I feel less stressed going there.

Sometimes I wonder who designed these places. Some of the new shopping
center areas are almost impossible to get out of!

Dale P

In article > ,
"Dale P" > wrote:


> Sometimes I wonder who designed these places. Some of the new shopping
> center areas are almost impossible to get out of!

I'm no expert at this, but I think they want good freeway access. Then
the freeway causes traffic backups. Now you have trouble getting in and
out. There's also changing traffic patterns. There's a shopping center
a couple of miles from me. I go there a couple or more times a month.
I used to just zip in and out. Then the freeway got busy, and traffic
got backed up. Then they kept adding more stores and office buildings.
Then the freeway got busier, and people took an alternate route, which
passed by two sides of the shopping center. Well, there *are* only two
sides. So, no more left turns. Still works OK from the freeway, but I
don't live that way.

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA

In article
>
,
Cindy Fuller > wrote:

> In article >,
> Omelet > wrote:
>
> > In article >,
> > Mark Thorson > wrote:
> >
> > > Maybe I should shop later and go to the other store.
> >
> > I go shopping when I get home from work at 07:00.
> > Hardly any traffic, no major lines, and it's early enough to get custom
> > meat cuts and interact with the produce stockers.
> >
> > I like that. ;-)
> >
> > I used to go midnight shopping when I worked swing shifts. No
> > interaction with the fresh food guys and gals, but there was NO traffic
> > and no lines either...
>
> Back in the pre-SO days, I'd go grocery shopping at 7 am or earlier. I
> hate lines and heavy traffic, so it worked out well. However, you also
> see some interesting phenomena at that hour. One morning I was followed
> down to the Tom Thumb by two police cars with lights and sirens blaring.
> They pulled in right behind me. It wasn't me they were chasing,
> mercifully. Some enterprising young man decided to pilfer some rib eye
> steaks and stuff them into his sweats and coat. One of the store staff
> witnessed this and called the cops.
>
> Cindy

I saw that at a store once too, but it was much later in the day.

Expensive beef steaks seem to be one of the more attractive things to
shoplift.
--
Peace! Om

"Human nature seems to be to control other people until they put their foot down."
--Steve Rothstein

Web Albums: <http://picasaweb.google.com/home?tab=mq>

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