I took a walk in my local park yesterday. As I went past the duck pond, I saw an interesting sight. A man in an electric wheelchair was moving across the grass, and I could see he was holding one end of a retractable leash, moving towards whatever was on the other end of it. The creature in question turned out to be a cat. The cat, which appeared to be a Himalayan or similar sort, was crouched in the grass with its back to the pond, studiously ignoring the ducks and geese. I don’t know if the cat had actually been trained to walk on a leash, but the idea of this guy zipping through the park in his wheelchair with a cat on a leash put a smile on my face.
Shortly thereafter I came across not one, but two different groups of people who had for some reason decided that they should have their picnic across the sidewalk. Both groups had at least a dozen people who were scattered next to and completely across the sidewalk. I wondered briefly whether I should go around them or walk through their potato salad and stomp on their sandwiches. I opted to keep my shoes clean.
I wondered if I should apply for an honorary membership in Team CrankyPants, even though I don’t spin.
Sometimes I hate people.
Except for the guy in the wheelchair with the cat-on-a-leash. Oh, and maybe the guy I saw the day before who was leaving Old Hippy’s Coffeehouse on what appeared to be a home-made motorcycle/trike conversion with huge fins on the back like a 60’s car. I don’t think I hate him, either.
I didn’t get a photo of any of these, because it takes way too long for me to get to the camera app on my phone. I guess one of these days I should read the manual and see if there’s a shortcut.
CabledSheep 
I love the cat story.
I’d be on Team Crankypants for similar reasons! My pet peeve is people milling around on the trail (especially at trail crossings) instead of stepping aside to get things sorted out.
Good thing you didn’t go through the potato salad. What a mess to clean off your shoes!
I agree with you. Somtimes ( okay, a lot of the time ) I hate people too.
My cat, Big Kitty walks on a leash. It’s the only good thing his former owner did for him. he loves his walks.
I wish you’d have stood there all conspicuously taking pictures of them, and when they asked what you were doing, you could have said, “Oh, my friends would never believe that people would be so rude as to picnic ON the sidewalk, so I’m giving them proof.”
You know we’d believe it, because we hates people too, but maybe they would have gotten the idea.
Love the guy with the cat.
Oh yeah, and I haven’t spun a lick – I joined Team Crankypants just to be with my people.
I’ve been cranky lately too. Maybe it’s the dry heat that finally and inevitably showed up.
I really, really enjoy killing those people with kindness. Line cutters? “Are you ahead of me? Oh, please go!” I hate the kind of line cutters who pretend there is no line.
I wouldn’t know what to say to the sidewalk picnickers, though.
Those sidewalk people are first cousins to the ones who slam to a stop in the middle of a grocery aisle with no room to pass on either side. Hellooooooo… brain dead much?
After herding my family around all weekend I completely understand the cranky feeling. HELLO! Your are standing in parking lot behind a moving car, a car that wants to leave a parking space!! HELLO!! They never look around, they just live in their own stupid world and don’t hear a thing. Now you know why I’m on team CrankyPants.
I like to think of myself as Team Crankypants’ Patron Saint. But there can be more than one of us.
You would not be the only non-spinning member of the team, honey. You are more than welcome to join us and share your cranky with us. Could be fun.
What is wrong with people?! It’s like 95% of humanity has lost their damn minds.
Do you need a button? I’ll make one.
I can’t figure out if it’s cluelessness, entitlement, stupidity or some combination. We have behavior possibly related to all of those all around the East Coast. Been driving me nuts.