CORONA DEL MAR TODAY

Personal Space

Maybe it’s me, but I’ve noticed that in Corona del Mar, people tend to respect your personal space. So why is it so different up in Newport Coast?

Every single time I go to the Newport Coast Pavilions, I get so irritated by the huge amounts of space that some teeny tiny people claim. Yesterday, this woman was shopping in the most obnoxious way. She’d push her cart toward a stack of strawberries, angling the cart to block 75 percent of the aisle and then using her body to block the rest. And then she’d look at the strawberries, study each container, even though they were all the same size and let’s face it not that great because they aren’t local and it’s not really strawberry season.

The same woman moved her cart to a checkout stand but did not push her cart through. No! She angled that cart again, sticking out in the aisle, then saw friends and made huge, huge, hugs and gestures — blocking everyone.

I see this all the time in Newport Coast establishments. People must be used to the gated community cul-de-sac approach to things, but they all seem to be gesturing broadly, standing in your way, arms akimbo.

When all you want to do is grab a head of garlic and move, it’s hard not to notice these things.