Left Unattended
She was foolish enough to leave her car unattended after blasting him with her self-righteous vitriol, so what was she expecting? For him to do nothing?
When she came out of the store 20 minutes later, she found out exactly what happens when you walk away from your vehicle after treating someone like that.
Soaring Temperatures
Beads of sweat were forming on Travis Smith’s forehead as he pulled the key out of the ignition in the Home Depot parking lot where he’d gone to pick up some PPE equipment.
The A/C in his car was broken, so he was already in a bad mood. But it was about to get so much worse.
Sinking Feeling
Instead of parking right by the store, Travis decided to leave his vehicle a little further away to give himself and others a good amount of space, wouldn't this what any normal person would do?
Before he got out of his car, Travis checked the list of things to pick up. This was his first visit to the store in a while, so he wanted to make sure he had his wits about him. He never imagined he’d need to be on high alert before he even stepped out of the car.
Stressed Out
Travis was understandably nervous since all of the shelves looked pretty empty, just his luck! He really hoped that what he had come for wasn't already out of stock. That's the last thing he needed right now.
He found what he was looking for and moved to get out of the store as quickly as possible. It’s funny the kind of mistakes people make when they’re stressed out.
Where Are They?
Before realizing what he’d done, Travis was feeling pretty pleased with himself. It may have just been a small thing, but having not having gone out in a while, making a trip for supplies felt like a big accomplishment.
But suddenly, a sinking feeling hit him in the pit of his stomach. He patted his pockets as the hot sweat flowed freely down his face. Travis didn’t have his keys.
Worst Case Scenario
Had he left them in the store? Would he have to go back in there? Suddenly, he realized where the keys had probably ended up, and he hoped he wasn't right.
This was really not the time for this. He’d just got away for the crowds and dreaded the thought of having to go back inside to hunt for his keys. Travis raced back to the car, only to confirm what he’d been dreading.
Locked Out
His keys were lying on the dash and after using the button on the door to lock it, there was no way to get them.
Fortunately, he still had his cellphone. But before he could dial for assistance, a van came screeching in his direction. He jumped back against his hood as the driver accelerated towards him.
Close Call
“Hold it!” Travis exclaimed to the driver, who didn’t seem to notice he was standing there in plain view. She came to a halt inches from his legs.
The woman driving the van was angry. “It was as if hitting me would have inconvenienced her plans for the day,” Travis said. There were plenty of spaces in the parking lot, so Travis gestured towards them, but the woman just waved her hands at him furiously.
Heating Up
“Why?” mouthed the woman, as if that particular space was somehow better than the others. She remained in the car right in front of Travis with the hot engine running for a full five minutes before heading to the store with a scowl.
Travis was already suffering from the heat as he tried to find the number he needed to call, but now he was roasting. What was her problem?
Daggers
Eventually, the woman turned off the engine and got out of the car, staring daggers at Travis as he scrolled through his contacts for the roadside assistance number.
She marched off to the store, clearly still enraged that he had been standing there. But Travis’ mood had been pushed to the limits. And he had an idea on how to cool her down.
Sweet Revenge
Travis had managed to get through to his insurance company, and they sent out a tow truck to help. When he saw the mechanic pull into the parking lot, he waved him over.
But rather than simply flag the truck down behind his car so he could get his door open, Travis felt compelled to get a little revenge on the woman who ruined his day.
Guiding Hand
As the truck approached, Travis stepped out into the opposite row of spaces and asked the driver to stop right behind the woman, blocking her in.
When the mechanic got out of the cab, Travis confessed what he was up to, by which point he couldn’t be bothered to move the truck again. Travis couldn’t wait for her to come back out from the store to see her reaction.
Kind Stranger
After Travis explained everything that had happened to him - from his nerves about going into the store to the woman nearly hitting him and blasting his legs with engine heat - the mechanic took pity on him.
So while the guy got his tools ready, he offered Travis a front-row seat to the woman’s reaction to not being able to leave the parking lot from the comfort of his air-conditioned cab.
Big Moment
Twenty minutes later, the woman emerged from the store. And when she saw the predicament she was in, she dropped her shopping bags before she even reached her car.
You could almost see the fumes rising from her crimson forehead. Then she spotted Travis sitting in the cab, who at least had the courtesy to hide his grin with his hand.
Fuming
Unable to get to her trunk to load her shopping bags, the woman threw her stuff into the backseat, got in herself, and slammed the door.
“She was lividly muttering to herself,” said Travis, smugly. All the while, the truck driver was getting a kick out of the scene while focusing on getting the door open. He even decided to join in a little.
Helping Hand
To help Travis get his own back, the truck driver took an extra few minutes to get the door open to make sure "he does it right." Travis and the mechanic exchanged glances and smiled as the woman slammed her hands down on the steering wheel.
If only Travis could hear what she was muttering to herself. What was she going to do next?
No Patience
The job took a good ten minutes longer than necessary, and all the while the woman ranted and raved in her car, unable to go anywhere.
To thank the mechanic for what he considered going above and beyond the call of duty, Travis tipped him a few extra bucks for helping him get his own back. But he still wasn’t finished brightening Travis’ day.
First Out
The tow truck driver decided to do Travis another solid and stayed put to let him pull out of the parking lot before the rude woman. Travis slowly backed his vehicle out as the truck driver waved him off, and he was sure to wave at the furious woman as he left as well.
But did Travis really have to go this far? Some people certainly didn’t think so.
Petty Revenge
“I am not sure I understand what she did wrong?” one Reddit commenter countered. “Honestly, I’m still not really sure why she couldn’t park there? Is it that it would’ve been easier for the tow truck guy to park there to service you?
“In which case, why didn’t you just tell her?” Meanwhile, others relished Travis’ petty revenge.
Why?
“Tow truck drivers probably get yelled at during work more than most professions. It probably made his day to finally 'win' one for someone,” said one commenter on Reddit.
“Honestly, I hate that so much!” said another. “I specifically park at the end of parking lots because of my anxiety disorder, having a terrible depth perception when parking and just not liking to be around people. But every time, someone will park directly next to me despite the 20 or so other spots around! Why do you feel the need to do this?” How would you have handled the situation?