Friday, May 11, 2007

A Little Less Talk & a Little More Shut the Hell Up, Please!


Every morning, during my grueling hour and fifteen minute commute in stop and go traffic on the Capital Beltway, I listen to the Kane Show on Hot 99.5 FM. Its a really comical show, with some great personalities.

However...

This morning, they started talking about IKEA's latest efforts to reward those who make environmentally-conscious lifestyle decisions - namely, driving a hybrid vehicle. IKEA now has reserved parking spaces at the front of their lots for hybrid vehicles. How many reserved spots? Two. The Kane show was not all about this and find it rude and obnoxious. One of the members of the show went so far as to say she hates being victimized and "forced to make certain decisions."

For starters, you have a SERIOUS problem if IKEA'S decision to reserve a few parking spaces for hybrid vehicles "forces" you into buying a hybrid vehicle. Does this person go to IKEA every day or perhaps, several times a day, thus making the need for a parking space at the front of the lot necessary? Or is this person so busy that they do not have time to walk an extra fifty feet to purchase a crappy bookshelf held together by wooden pegs?

Its not like IKEA sells the antidote to some type of poisonous snake venom, making the fact that only certain people can park by the entrance pivotal. They sell crappy furniture and weird home decor, people!

They even went as far to ridicule this decision based on their perception that anyone who drives a hybrid vehicle would not be able to even fit anything they purchase at IKEA in their hybrid vehicle. This same argument could be made for handicapped spaces - anyone who is handicapped certainly won't be able to carry an IKEA futon out to their car, so why should they get a reserved spot? Does the existence of handicapped spaces also victimize you and "force" you to make certain decisions so that you too can take advantage of a handicapped parking space? Is the world just so unfair that you can't get by in every day life without a permanent, debilitating physical ailment?

This asinine conversation continued for another 10 minutes or so, where they continued to gripe and moan about being victims and how much they love their SUV's and might have to give them up now that they can't get rock star parking at IKEA. In case you forgot from the first paragraph, they're reserving two spots. Count 'em: 1 - 2 ...oh, all done. Just two.

Which just makes me wonder...

I've been to IKEA many times and there are always thousands of people there and I've never been able to park less than a half-mile away from the entrance. Do those who work at the Kane Show really get such wonderful parking spots at IKEA that this decision actually affects them?

Kane Show, if you are really turned off by IKEA's new environmental efforts, then just take it as a sign to save up your money and shop somewhere you can get high-quality furniture AND a great parking spot. You'll be much happier in the end.

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