Costco sucks your brains!

I hate shopping at Costco.  I especially hate shopping at Iwilei Costco which, wouldn't you know it, is the one closest to my home.  First of all, I can't stand the parking lot; each row looks pretty much like the next so unless you park in the very last row on any of the sides, it's hard to remember exactly where you left your car. Then, the way the parking lot is arranged, there is a big section fronting the store where no one is clear who has the right of way; some drivers inch along desperately trying to make eye contact with other drivers to indicate their intent to go while other drivers suddenly speed up to assert their self-given right to proceed.  As this area is also full of pedestrians, some with loaded carts, this makes for potentially dangerous situations.

Secondly, the shopping carts are parked on the right of the store; this means you have to get your cart then cross through the line of people exiting the building in order to get to the entrance which is on the left.  That creates another huge pile up of people and wheeled vehicles. 

Thirdly, and most annoying are the people.  I often have occasion to be in places where large groups of people gather yet only at Costco are there so many random acts of idiocy in such a small period of time. The biggest crowd of people is near the doors, either checking in or checking out so why would you suddenly come to an abrupt stop to have a conversation with your companion?  The aisles are wide enough for 3 carts to fit through so if we all stay to our right, that creates a nice open space down the middle--unless someone decides to park there.  And they usually do.  Parents allow small children to push their carts; many of the children aren't big enough to see over the handlebar nor are they strong enough to maneuver a cart full of heavy items.  Sometimes the kids can't stop the carts; that's where all the nice adult ankles come in handy--instant wheel wedgers!

And some people do things that the rest of us just don't get.  Today a woman was standing in the checkout line; she was clearly waiting for someone judging by the way she kept turning around and scanning the area behind her but instead of getting out of the line, she continued to stand there and even waved several people, including me, ahead of her.  That was courteous enough but since she didn't move her wagon or herself, that meant whoever she waved through had to maneuver around her and load their items onto the conveyor belt with this woman's wagon pressing against their butts. 

Since I am assuming that not everyone who shops at Costco is already an idiot (I have to make this assumption since I shop there as well), there must be something in that physical space that creates what C calls a "stupidity field" (he hates to shop at Costco even more than I do).  Why else would the designer have created that nice new overflow parking lot and not put in any cart returns?

Costco sucks your brains...and even its own people are not immune to its effects.