Rant & Rave: Obstructive shopping carts add unneeded stress to the grocery store

RANT to ill-placed shopping carts. Grocery shopping can be exhausting and time-consuming for everyone, but it makes it even more difficult when folks leave their carts in what is already a “pinch point” at the end of an aisle or where there are store fixtures close together so they can go get something. I either have to stop and wait for someone to come back from where they went to retrieve their cart, or move their cart out of my way when I need to pass. Please, make sure that if you have to temporarily leave your cart you are not blocking the next person’s path of travel.

RAVE to the wonderful professors at Seattle Central College. I returned to school for the fall 2021 quarter because of unemployment (rave to Washington state’s workforce program and Worker Retraining Program!) and the creativity, positivity and encouragement of my professors to keep going during this tough time has made all the difference. The other day, my new math professor juggled a two-hour class with 20-plus virtual students AND his 9-year-old son who was supposed to be in the other room in his online class. He paid attention to all of us with calmness, organization and compassion. I am grateful to be a Washingtonian and a student at Seattle Central College.

RANT to tailgaters. The speed limit is the law. Obey it. And stop being rude, aggressive, selfish and dangerous.

RAVE to Gonzaga University men’s basketball for a great season! What a wonderful trip!

RANT to all the jaywalkers. Use the crosswalk, obey the signals and look out for cars.

RAVE to the medical and support staff members at the Sea Mar Community Health Center in South Park. These essential workers consistently display professionalism, kindness and tireless commitment to service. They are truly living out their mission statement to extend “respect and sensitivity to persons of all cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds.” Besides all of the other numerous medical services they offer, this clinic’s staff is vaccinating eligible people with a simple walk-up system that creates more equitable access to these critical vaccines. 

RANT to people who stand in the pool for hours. You make it difficult for others to swim or exercise. Same goes for you chair hogs, you know who you are!

RAVE to Tom Jensen, retired King County detective, for his dedication and perseverance on the Green River killer investigation. Even in retirement he continues to help out with the investigation. He is the unsung hero for his years of tireless work on this case.

RAVE to Victor, who helped two women locate their car in a parking garage at Harborview Medical Center the other day. The dismayed women found the car inaccessible, closely boxed-in by two other vehicles. Our slender rescuer slid carefully between cars to enter ours and back it out. When we thanked him he said, “We like to help people here.”