Claiming Spaces

In my daily life I’m always claiming little parts of public areas as my own and I get really annoyed when people violate that.  Even when I’m just standing, that is my little patch of America! Pretty much I expect there to be a good 16 inch radius minimum, around my person at all times. There is little worse than being touched by people I don’t know.  This is why I avoid mosh pits and concerts without assigned seating.  This is also why I hate summer because there are few things as nasty as strange, moist skin on my skin. 

My need for space also manifests itself at the grocery store.  

I put that little stick down, put all my stuff on the belt and then I put down the other plastic stick behind my order because I am courteous like that, and for me it is like planting a flag!  For those few moments that is MY real estate and that piece of plastic is my own personal maginot line. Woe to he or she that tries to cross it.  If someone comes behind me and tries to push my plastic stick forward to make more room for their stuff I go -  BANG, straight up, full on Richie Cunningham on them: “Easy Bucko. This is MY portion of the belt! It is mine until the checker finishes checking and then, by removing the second stick bequeaths the lead portion of the belt to you.  I don’t know where you are from but here we have RULES!”