r/asheville Biltmore Forest 💰 Dec 07 '24

i do not care if somebody is walking toward their car with their cart in the trader joe’s parking lot Meme/Shitpost

you have a line of 4-5 people behind you. if you sit there and wait for somebody to unpack their groceries, put the cart away, sit in the car for a second and THEN pull away, you are the actual devil. there is no way to safely pull around you. we are all stuck because you think the world revolves around you so the rest of us must wait for you to get your spot. i hope all of your ice cream melts before you get it home. i pray that you buy big, delicious looking strawberries only for them to be devoid of sweetness. i hope your frozen meals splatter and explode everywhere in the microwave.

380 Upvotes

182

u/bloodxandxrank Dec 07 '24

https://preview.redd.it/221g8y6qjg5e1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cc1064b60aab560462e1e493e6d6e0c9367ce4ff

I see your Trader Joe’s main character and raise you the cookout blocker. Seen this a lot lately

53

u/bathrobe_jesus Dec 07 '24

Jesus Christ society is doomed

8

u/Maleficent-Garden585 Dec 07 '24

What in the actually hell is this ?

16

u/Rock4evur Dec 07 '24

Most cookouts have two drive throughs, the line closest to the building goes to the window you’re seeing, the exterior line goes to a window 90 degrees out of view of the visible window. If someone in the second line pulls up preemptively while there still someone at that window you block the person in the first line at the window.

15

u/FortuneMustache Dec 08 '24

Honestly a terrible design, don't know why they keep making these.

16

u/Rock4evur Dec 08 '24

I kinda like them because tons of people forget about the second line allowing me to frequently skip a bunch of people.

22

u/organmeatpate West Asheville Dec 07 '24

The Cookout Blocker is capitalized.

5

u/qwncjejxicnenj Dec 07 '24

Cook out blocker 😂

5

u/jwjitsu Native Dec 08 '24

Block out with your Cookout, as they say.

7

u/mr_remy West Asheville Dec 07 '24

Turn the brights on for a little trolling, but yeah I’d be laughing like “idiocracy is here to stay!”

3

u/restingfitchbace Dec 08 '24

As someone that used to work at cookout and frequently ran the first windows register - the cookout blocker is one of the worst kinds of people on the planet.

3

u/jblack6527 Dec 07 '24

This pisses me off so bad.

2

u/magnoliawolf11 Dec 08 '24

amazing. thank you for your service 🫡

1

u/Traditional-Club9280 Dec 08 '24

cookout blockers take the cake dude

1

u/Traditional-Club9280 Dec 08 '24

cookout blockers take the cake dude

1

u/uplatestitching101 Dec 09 '24

I avoid Cookout for that stupid awkward drive thru “situation” WHO came up with that?? 🙄

1

u/johnblazewutang Dec 09 '24

This is so poorly designed…i could see someone not realizing they have blocked where you are exiting the drive thru…whenever you have places that have the inability to escape the DT for any reason, thats a fail in the design layout

40

u/talkstoravens Dec 07 '24

How I can relate to this. Last time this happened I rolled down my window to tell the person waiting (kindly) that there were spots available just ahead and they glared at me and left a note on my car while I was shopping that said "you are stupid"

7

u/Miserable-Corner-400 Dec 08 '24

Gotta love a classic case of projection! 😂

1

u/CypressThinking Dec 08 '24

Thank you! I wasn't quite sure of what was happening!

66

u/Inhousebob Dec 07 '24

Shop at Food Lion. They always have spots and the price is right. Plus, Shirley at the checkout needs her job.

49

u/Scoopdoopdoop Dec 07 '24

Food lion has good prices? Never really been

My beautiful beautiful Aldi was taken from me by Helene

34

u/iBoogies Haw Creek Dec 07 '24

Ugh still mourning the east side aldi loss.

15

u/BlackWidowPink Native Dec 08 '24

It's coming back early 2025!

9

u/so-pitted-wabam Native Dec 08 '24

Best news I’ve seen in a month 😭

9

u/IzzetAWin Dec 07 '24

Airport road Aldi sucksssss

13

u/beccageee Dec 07 '24

food lion’s app is very helpful and when i plan out my trips in advance i can save a ton of money. i ❤️food lion. also their bogo’s are great.

9

u/Scoopdoopdoop Dec 08 '24

Well dang I guess roar I'm going to the lion. Roar

4

u/cigarettejones River Arts District Dec 08 '24

Aldi 🥹🥹

2

u/Scoopdoopdoop Dec 08 '24

Devastated. They can rebuild him. They have the technology

2

u/hjartaborg Native Dec 08 '24

Food lion is super cheap and quality. This week they have full bone in pork butts for .99 a lb. I got two 8lb monsters for less than 16 bucks. And their produce is on par with Publix but cheaper.

1

u/atreeindisguise Dec 07 '24

Compared to Ingles, yes. Compared to my little Patton Aldi, no.

8

u/Justafunguy Dec 08 '24

Food Lion wins at prices and quality of produce.  Never see any veggies rotting on the shelf, which is common at Ingles who will charge you 2-3x for the exact same produce 

5

u/NickyNichols Black Mountain Dec 07 '24

Go to Food Lion in Fairview and then Troyer’s on the way back home. Win-win situation.

1

u/Jazzlike_Database459 Dec 10 '24

FOOD DOG in Fairview rocks

2

u/acleverwalrus Dec 08 '24

Is there a shitty kitty not all the way out in waynesville?

2

u/Inhousebob Dec 08 '24

Smokey Park Highway and Sand Hill Road.

1

u/Ok_Instruction7805 Dec 08 '24

Food Lion's within walking distance but I won't shop there. Still remember how they re-packaged & re-dated expired meat.

1

u/Inhousebob Dec 11 '24

Fair enough. I hope they got past that plan.

1

u/Dull-Journalist-8675 27d ago

Whoa what!?

1

u/Ok_Instruction7805 27d ago

This was in 1992. You can look it up. Food Lion's employees were repackaging and in some cases  giving rancid meat a bleach bath and then putting a new "buy by" date on it. I've never bought anything but canned goods at a Food Lion since then.

1

u/Dull-Journalist-8675 27d ago

Holy shit. I mean that was long ago but yeah…that would cause some trust issues

-2

u/Annalealee Dec 08 '24

But, they give her less than 30 hours of work per week, require 100% of availability and still have "random" layoffs that some six figure, remote working asshat deems necessary. How the middle class got erased. Is why noone wants to work. Aint no love left alive.

81

u/Rain_OnWeekends Dec 07 '24

Every time I’m in there people visibly wealthier than me act like I’m in their way while we’re both spending $8 on a single item lol

18

u/Apprehensive_Job3187 Dec 07 '24

$8 on a single item is too much for me 😅

9

u/Maleficent-Garden585 Dec 07 '24

I’ve been in TJ one time and it just wasn’t for me .

8

u/Rain_OnWeekends Dec 07 '24

I just got plain tired of discovering things I bought at Ingles was sold to me stale; I really hope they’re investigated someday, they get away with a lot you really don’t in bigger city hubs.

8

u/Maleficent-Garden585 Dec 07 '24

Ingles is overpriced as well . And I hate Walmart but I still go there lol

6

u/f3hp Dec 08 '24

Ingles is the worst grocery store I've ever been to. Whole Foods is some how cheaper.

2

u/dajuhnk Dec 08 '24

Have you tried Aldi?

5

u/Rain_OnWeekends Dec 07 '24

Like Girlboss in the grand scheme…we’re both broke 💀

-1

u/wthreyeitsme Dec 08 '24

Welcome to the New WNC. And with the flood, it's just going to get worse.

25

u/SirBrian007 Dec 07 '24

The Dark Lord was the actual architect of the TJs parking lot. Just a little slice of hell on earth.

1

u/mooonsocket Dec 07 '24

Completely agree. I used to live in AVL - currently live in MD and our stores are atrocious. It doesn’t matter what time we go, it’s always chaos in the lot and in the store. It will never make sense to me why they don’t expand the store and parking, people love TJ and they make plenty of moola!

15

u/schyler523 Dec 07 '24 edited Dec 07 '24

The parking lots are limited by the municipalities. Since the stores are so small, their square footage only allows a smaller max occupancy. This translates to small parking lots. For example, the Trader Joe’s in Asheville asked for about 50% more parking spots when they were initially building. The city only allowed them what they have now. Ask the city to pull their heads out of their asses.

The city gets bonus points for not allowing Trader Joe’s into the Gold’s Gym space on Hendersonville Road due to perceived excessive traffic. That would also help with congestion in the downtown store.

Source: worked for Trader Joe’s for 10+ years.

4

u/junkbmwr75 East End / Valley Street 🎭 Dec 07 '24

The Merrimon TJ's is a distilled visual representation of all of the failures of the UDO and specifically CBII zoning.

5

u/SirBrian007 Dec 07 '24

None of this negates my original point because of course the Dark Lord works in city government!

1

u/Existing_Poem6813 Dec 08 '24

Municipalities provide minimum parking space requirements, not maximum parking spaces requirements. It is geerally up to the company building if they want to go above or beyond. I would also be curious how big the lot is, that was probably more of a factor in parking space layout than the City would be. Not sure why the City would be against more spaces, granted there was enough room for them to meet requirements...

Source: Site Design Professional

0

u/schyler523 Dec 08 '24

The city absolutely limited the number of parking spaces based on the maximum occupancy of the building. Trader Joe’s wanted 100 spots and the city said they couldn’t have more than 64 because that would have more parking spots than the legal max occupancy.

3

u/Existing_Poem6813 Dec 08 '24

Interesting - I'm curious how you could fit 35 additional 9x18' parking spaces onto this parcel....

https://preview.redd.it/r8xwvy5pip5e1.png?width=1059&format=png&auto=webp&s=a2454650cabc60146e4a9e0656194cbdec8973a6

2

u/hippiesales101 Dec 10 '24

This view is crazy there’s actually like no spots 😂

1

u/schyler523 Dec 08 '24

If I recall correctly, the plan was to purchase the adjoining vacant lot and put spaces there as well.

1

u/Dull-Journalist-8675 27d ago

Ugh I wish they’d build one down south.

18

u/ChefSpicoli Dec 07 '24

It really seems like a lot of people are convinced they are the only ones on the planet these days. Going to any crowded store is just painful. I was recently visiting in a much larger city and it was so bad I started grocery shopping at 10pm.

8

u/RationalRhino Dec 08 '24

RIGHT???! My wife and I very peacefully crossed a street downtown today at a crosswalk after even letting a round of cars go… as we got to the sidewalk on the other side some jackass angrily yells at us out his car window “YA’LL JUST CROSS WHENEVER YOU WANT THEN” and I was like wtf I was in a crosswalk downtown… yes… yes I will…

39

u/Turbulent-Today830 Dec 07 '24

I never shop there due do the parking 🅿️ lot

26

u/enyapj Weaverville Dec 07 '24

Just being in that parking lot gives me a stress knot. I’ve stopped going.

3

u/ThillyGooths Dec 07 '24

It’s a hot fucking mess, I hate it lol. I’ll only stop there if it’s not busy.

1

u/theo-dour Dec 10 '24

I'm even stressed about that lot when I am just trying to go to Harris Teeter.

25

u/Auntie-Mam69 Dec 07 '24

I love r/asheville for these kind of posts. I was just about to head to TJ‘s, wondering what it’s like on a Saturday afternoon. I think I have my answer! I try not to shop during peak times because I don’t have to, and I feel bad crowding out younger people who have to fit shopping in around work and raising kids, and can only go after five or on the weekend. I am retired now but I remember how it felt trying to be two places at once, squeeze everything in. Sorry for it being hard ya’ll! Ima do you a favor and stay outta that lot today, hope your day goes smoother, OP. And that that shoppers ice cream did melt.

18

u/plutea Dec 07 '24

Crowds die down immediately when the sun sets! Pro tip from an employee ;)

5

u/Laungel Dec 07 '24

You are a wonderful person!! So considerate and thoughtful.

1

u/certifiedraerae Candler Dec 08 '24

Early in the morning OR parking at Harris Teeter across the street and simply crossing the road at other times are other good options!

1

u/Auntie-Mam69 Dec 09 '24

I usually do all of my shopping during non-peak or off hours, because I have the time to do that and I know many people don't. It was just fun t be about to head to TJ's on a Saturday, for once, until I saw the post about the parking lot. I love r/asheville because it's mostly locals, and ya'll report on stuff I care to know. :)

1

u/certifiedraerae Candler Dec 10 '24

If you go as soon as it opens there should be no problem. If you go at peak times it’s a nightmare

1

u/Educational_Yam9627 Dec 08 '24

I was there last night at 6:30pm on a Saturday and the parking lot was much quieter.

8

u/qwncjejxicnenj Dec 07 '24

Better than the ppl who leave their TJ cart in the HT parking lot for someone making minimum wake to fetch

29

u/mogwai316 North Asheville Dec 07 '24

Make your life much simpler by never driving your car into the TJ's lot ever and instead just park at the end of the HT lot and walk across Chestnut St. It's faster and less stressful.

34

u/MrsJohnJacobAstor Dec 07 '24

...And this is why the HT parking lot is a hellscape.

9

u/dixiebelle64 Native Dec 07 '24

Customers I understand. It is the TJ employees parking there for the whole shift that gets iritating.

0

u/Educational_Yam9627 Dec 07 '24 edited Dec 07 '24

FYI, HT can tow you if you park in their lot and walk to TJ’s and not shop at their store. We need a better solution than this one.

18

u/mogwai316 North Asheville Dec 07 '24 edited Dec 07 '24

I pretty much always go in both stores tbh. TJ's has good deals on some things but I can't get everything I need in there.

Also HT did a great job after Helene, so I'm happy to give them my business too.

8

u/MountainPotential798 Dec 07 '24

They can tow you but I don’t think I’ve ever actually seen anybody get towed. I’ve left my car there for hours before with no problem

1

u/Alternative-Box-6178 Dec 07 '24

Like they'd waste their time on that how would anyone even know

1

u/barnabyapp Dec 07 '24

That’s why you pull the ole HT loop-d-loop, aka park there, walk inside, leave, and then go to TJ’s. Not my fault they didn’t have what I wanted.

9

u/dixiebelle64 Native Dec 07 '24

You dont need to bother with that. HT is not going to tow. People come in with their TJ haul and finish their shopping all the time.

12

u/lightning_whirler Dec 07 '24

Complaining that parking is bad at Trader Joe's is like complaining that water is wet.

7

u/JustTheFacts714 Dec 08 '24

Except for a while in Asheville -- Water was not wet, it was non-existent.

1

u/hippiesales101 Dec 10 '24

Nice 😂🥲

4

u/o62omega Canton Dec 07 '24

We have come a long way since the flood!

3

u/britt273654 Dec 07 '24

Tis' the season 🎄

3

u/shrimp-and-potatoes Leicester Dec 08 '24

I hate when people ignore double yellow lines.

Usually it is people at New Leicester and Patton trying to go left from Ingles. Most recent was at Smokey and Asbury. We are crossing over from sandhill, and some dude in a dually decides he's going to turn left, right after the light, to go to the gas station there. Over the double yellow of incomings turn lane.

Mind you, it's morning school traffic, so there's a line already coming in the opposite direction from Asbury. They're waiting to make their left turn. There's now a line coming from sandhill since this truck is stopped trying to squeeze through people at the turning lane. Sandhills line is now in the middle of intersection blocking Smokey's entire flow as the main light turns gren, and nobody is moving because this douche flute doesn't understand the purpose of a double yellow line.

The worst part is that the lane he crossed Smokey in (from sandhill), is also a left turn, of which he could've taken, and immediately made a right into that same gas station. Barely slowing the flow of traffic in one lane.

https://preview.redd.it/lyyi60orjl5e1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=671ec853e53c4d530ffc6ddfead375f7a1b240e7

I even made you map, in case my word salad is hard to follow.

8

u/Apprehensive_Job3187 Dec 07 '24

I go crazy if someone enters the wrong way and grabs a spot someone just pulled out from.

5

u/wncexplorer Dec 07 '24

When TJs is nuts, I usually skip it or park at Harris Teeter.

7

u/Itchy-Helicopter-223 Dec 07 '24

Harris Teeter for the win. TJ's gives me feelings of fight or flight.

2

u/SmartphonePhotoWorx Dec 07 '24

I park at the back of the Harris Teeter lot and walk over. (I never buy a whole lot at one time.)

2

u/Joyage2021 Dec 07 '24

A Trader Joe’s wouldn’t be a Trader Joe’s without a shit parking lot. I’ve been to so many in different states, it must be part of their business ethos.

2

u/Bulls1722 Dec 10 '24

It gives a subconscious signal to the shopper to shop quickly once they're inside...get them in, get them out. Same reason why you usually never have to wait too long to check out.

2

u/endlesslyvictorious Dec 07 '24

Denver, Austin, and Wilmington alllll have better TJ parking lots I have discovered recently

2

u/PositionAdditional64 Dec 07 '24

CELL PHONES.

This is why ppl waste more time than ever in parking lots.

2

u/Laungel Dec 07 '24

Just stopped by one in Goldsboro on the way home the other night. It may have been in a capitalist retail strip mall hellscape but man was there a lot of parking and I was able to pull in, grab 5 of the item i wanted, check out, and be on my way in 10 minutes

2

u/RationalRhino Dec 08 '24

I was about to say “OMG YOU WERE THERE WHEN I WAS TODAY TOO” but no… this post says 11 hrs. These people just do this all day every day I guess? I just screeched my way out of there and decided to pay Bezos inflated prices for cheese instead because my sanity felt worth it

2

u/thirstl Dec 08 '24

Oh I hate this so much. Just circle around again and you’ll find a spot!!!!

2

u/ArcticSlalom Dec 08 '24

Park at Harris Teeter. We all need the exercise.

2

u/slowporch_dav Dec 08 '24

Agreed. Just circle once or twice and you’ll find a spot

2

u/cinfrog01 Dec 07 '24

Im guessing you are the person in the car behind this person you are cursing and you are mad they won’t stop waiting for the space and drive on so you can then get the space. It’s TJ’s parking lot. If that’s the only about to be empty space, and that’s entirely possible in a Trader Joe’s parking lot, then screw off. I’m waiting for that space.

1

u/LeaderOpen7192 Biltmore Forest 💰 Dec 08 '24

no, its really not. its because there are 6 of us behind you stuck in a standstill because you won't fuckin move for 10 minutes while mawmaw hobbles to her car and loads in her groceries. /i/ am trying to find literally any other spot or leave, even. but i can't because you've generated an internal race for a spot and have made up some fantasy of everyone trying to steal the spot you're aiming for.

you think i'm going to complain about you idling in the same spot for 10 minutes and generating traffic because i want that one single spot that clearly isn't opening up in the next couple seconds? okay lol

2

u/EmergencyCommon9842 Dec 07 '24

There are TJ citizens, and there are Ingles citizens. TJ’s has a reputation nationwide for having the worst parking in the entire world (or, so some people think)

Grow up! Be prepared and patient. Did Helene not teach you humility and gratitude?

2

u/Werkstatt0 Dec 07 '24

So they're just supposed to circle quickly, not get a spot, and then go to the back of the line? Fuck that. I haven't been since July when I moved but absolutely fuck that. Wait your turn. Next free spot.

1

u/LeaderOpen7192 Biltmore Forest 💰 Dec 08 '24

they can circle slowly in anticipation of a spot. again, the issue is sitting there for legitimately 5-10 fucking minutes with a line of cars building because they only want THAT spot when others are legitimately opening up across the lot.

1

u/Familiar_Key8757 Dec 07 '24

Tis the season lol

1

u/sweethoneybean Dec 08 '24

Brother, i park in harris teeter lot and walk to trader joes. I'll carry fix or six of my heavy ass bags before i EVER park in the TJ's lot ever again 💀

1

u/Disastrous_Cover6138 Dec 08 '24

Yo y'all sleeping on parking at Harris Teeter and then walking over.

1

u/cherrygoats Dec 08 '24

I park at Harris Teeter and walk over to TJ

1

u/everyalways Dec 08 '24

THIS X 100000000

1

u/johnblazewutang Dec 09 '24

Hell yeah, fuck them people

1

u/acleverwalrus Dec 08 '24

It's gotta be a design feature of trader joes to have the worst cluster fuck of a parking lot imaginable. Also ppl immediately forget how to drive once they enter

-3

u/[deleted] Dec 07 '24

Everyone who shops at Trader Joes is equally horrible. If you are in the parking lot at all, you're part of the problem.

-5

u/Mayor_of_BBQ Busbee Dec 07 '24

if you don’t have a handicap placard and/or mobility issues, there’s no reason not to park at Harris Teeter and cross the street. Your legs ain’t broke.

0

u/britt273654 Dec 07 '24 edited Dec 07 '24

Maybe they were disabled?

1

u/LeaderOpen7192 Biltmore Forest 💰 Dec 08 '24

was not a disabled spot.

1

u/britt273654 Dec 08 '24

Are they only allowed to be in designated areas now?

1

u/LeaderOpen7192 Biltmore Forest 💰 Dec 08 '24

no?? but there were handicapped spots open so i don’t quite understand why they’d pick some random spot that isn’t open yet if there were multiple handicap spots open?

0

u/britt273654 Dec 09 '24

Lmao. Drive around? Wow, people.

0

u/SpookyWah Dec 08 '24

I won't even shop at Trader Joe's BECAUSE of their awful parking lot. It's a shame because I like a lot of the things they have but it's way too much trouble.

0

u/PandorasLocksmith WNC Dec 08 '24

My father, who passed a few years ago, ENDLESSLY RANTED/RAGED about people waiting for parking spots.

And often he was dead on. It was annoying to listen to for 49 years (how old I was when he died) but especially at the mall it made more sense than ever. People would go inside and walk around for two hours but need to be next to the entrance?

Even when I had a kid I was like. . . Well, we can still walk from farther away.

Then I became disabled and. . .I still walk from farther away. Even if the heat means I'll likely have concerning heart problems by the time I reach the door.

It's like his voice is drilled so deep into my brain I can't make an excuse to park closely. I'll go park way off where the trees are so the car is less hot when I get back in. Because I would rather do that then hear my dad in my head ranting about it.

But like. . .I kinda wish more peoples dad's had ranted to them about it.

-1

u/mavetgrigori Dec 07 '24

I also love watching people turn left across a busy lane on Merrimon to get into the lot. There is no broken lines there, you're not supposed to be turning left into the bottom portion. That is a right turn for incoming traffic

1

u/EverRed1 Dec 08 '24

It is legal to turn left there. Unbroken line means you should not pass. It does not mean you cannot turn left.

1

u/mavetgrigori Dec 08 '24

Manual states otherwise. Broken line on one sine means passing/turning allowed. That spot is meant to take south bound traffic in. Hence the very obvious curve INTO it

1

u/EverRed1 Dec 09 '24

The NC Driver Manual states that a solid line means no passing. It does not state that a solid line means no turning. It’s on page 84. The curve into it was built according to TJs design and has no legal meaning.

-1

u/QualityAlternative22 Dec 08 '24

Why do people keep rewarding Trader Joe’s shitty store/lot design choices by continuing to shop there?? I haven’t been in 6 years and don’t plan on going back.

0

u/Arlobass Dec 08 '24

How do people that self-absorbed even function in this world! Constantly honked at, flipped off, yelling, screaming, notes on their car? At some point don’t they have to find awareness…..

-9

u/[deleted] Dec 07 '24

[removed] — view removed comment

9

u/LeaderOpen7192 Biltmore Forest 💰 Dec 07 '24

because i’m annoyed someone decided to sit there for 7 minutes on a spot, generating a big line of parking lot traffic when no one can get around them safely? ok lol

0

u/asheville-ModTeam Dec 07 '24

We are removing your post/comment due to hate speech or insults. This includes but is not limited to:

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-1

u/Dr_GeeksNerd Dec 07 '24

True. I don’t know why you don’t getupvotes for this.