A bit of a story for you - I hope it makes you smile. Some days the beach can be spectacular but its temporary inhabitants....less so.....
I had decided to go take photos and have a swim this morning - after a hard week it seemed like a good way to repair. When I arrived at the beach the tiny car park was mostly full. 'Mostly' seems the best way to describe it because there were indeed four spare car spaces left but each one had an older male (not trying to stereotype but it's true) standing in it, waving would be parkers away. I picked the closest one and wound down the window. "Come on mate" I said. "I've got a friend coming" he replied. "That's not how this works" I countered and gave him my best you-know-better-than-that look. He didn't move. So I said "Where is this friend? Is he behind me?". His reply? "They're only ten minutes away". Okay. That got me. I wound the window up and edged forward into the park, making him step back and back until he threw his hands up in a rage and walked away. I had a park.
Down on the beach I went back to seeking calm. I found a stretch of beach with no one on it for hundreds of metres and got the camera out. Which was lovely.... for about twenty minutes.... until a family of five appeared in a four wheel drive, parked, clamoured out and then swarmed around me to splash in the ocean. Right in front of me and my camera. Did they think I would like random kids included in my photos or could they not find another spot on the twenty kilometres of beach either side of me?? So I wandered off, had a quick dip and decided to head home.
Back in the car park a family of four had decided to unpack the contents of their boot behind my car. Surfboards, chairs, bags all spread out across the roadway. I walked up and said "Hi, I'm leaving, would you mind moving your gear" while pointing to my car. They looked at me and then just....looked away..... I was a bit stumped so I tried a second time. Same again. No response. I jumped in the car, started it and put it in reverse thinking this might do the trick. Nup. They continued to wax boards, apply sunscreen, dance. Winding the window down yet again (which I never do so I always fumble to find the right button) I said "Excuse me, I'm reversing". The dad rolled his eyes and moved most of the gear out into the middle of the roadway but away from the back of my car. The mum stayed put. Finally I've had enough and just start moving, very carefully and slowly - I really had no intention of running anyone over. It wasn't until the car's alert system started blaring that I was about to crash that she finally moved in a flurry of indignant protest. You'd think this would be the end of it. But no. I could move back but not turn the 90 degrees needed to get onto the roadway without traversing their mountain of beach gear. I went as far forward as I could. Every alarm in the car was blaring, screaming that all four corners of the car are now far too close to either the row of parked cars behind me or the family and their hoard. The man waved me on as if the say the path was clear so I wound down the window YET AGAIN and said "If I move forward right now I will run over your son's surf board, which I'm happy to do but I'm not sure he would appreciate it". He rolled his eyes and finally moved everything off the road. I shook my head and moved forward, itching to get out of the car park and thinking finally, I'm free. But just as I do.....a woman in the next car along plonked her surfboard. On the roadway. And started waxing it. RIGHT IN FRONT OF MY CAR.
Some days I think we just pick up more negative information than others. But today, I really do think the idiocrasy is well and truly alive.