Freehold Raceway Mall. Sunday, Dec. 7, 2014. By Paul Goldfinger, editor @Blogfinger. ©

By Paul Goldfinger, Editor  @Blogfinger

People were arguing about spaces in the parking lots of the Freehold Raceway mall. It was a sort of feeding frenzy with material goods instead of small bait fish. I hate going to those places, but when the Genius Bar at the Apple Store calls, you need to go.

I followed a lady who was carrying her keys in her hand down one isle and then across to the next which was actually her destination. She got into her car while I sat there with my directional on–waiting.

She pulled out, and as she vacated the spot, a car, coming from the other direction, who couldn’t fail to see me waiting and signaling, blew into the space and shut off his engine.

I was appalled and furious so I did something crazy. I put on my warning lights, got out of my car, and walked up to his driver’s side. He stayed in his car and gazed out at me through his closed window. He was a lot younger than I and he looked a little grim.

“Hey,” I said, ” I followed her up and down two aisles—it’s my spot.”   This was stupid, but fortunately, he seemed a little stunned to see me get out of my car. I had my hands showing and I tried to look just a little threatening and angry while, at the same time, to seem like a guy who would get senior seating at the movies and who, in the words of Bruce, is born to run..

Amazingly, he shrugged and said, “OK.”  I went back to my car, he pulled out, and I got my space.

The moral of the story is to avoid big malls in December. Online shopping is the way unless your computer just froze and you are in the middle of a Pulitzer Prize losing composition for Blogfinger.

Ain’t cha glad you weren’t at that mall today?

DAVID JOHANSEN