Post #127705 by dangergirl299 on Sun, Nov 28, 2004 6:04 PM

I work across the street from the local Mall. To begin with I hate Malls and avoid entering them to the greatest extent possible. I don't like crowds, noise, traffic, parking problems (not so much walking distances from the door but waiting for people who block parking lanes so that they can save 10 feet of walking or whatever!), overpriced mall consumer goods, consumer debt, and most trends. Or department store perfumes, which make me nauseous.

Now, when x-mas season kicks into high gear, the Mall-goers (for lack of a more offensive term) add time to my commute time by polluting my simple commute with their Mall-going cars. For a green arrow that is only green for less than 5 seconds, and exactly 90 seconds between lights, waiting behind a line of 20 cars (3 or 4 light rotations, easily) just to get to work, really chaps my hide!

The interesting dynamics though are that the bulk of December is crap getting to work. But there is a strange lull in traffic - to make a gender assumption based upon personal experience and researched newspaper articles, it appears the women folk finish their shopping the last weekend before x-mas. men don't start until Dec. 24. Thus, there is a lull in mall traffic from the Monday prior to x-mas through the 23rd. This is the best time to go to the mall (or work, for me).

I guess everyone can't be as cool as us and get holiday gifts online, on e-bay, at thrift or antique stores, or make them by hand...