Neutral

The other day I rushed out of the house to go to Costco. I was running late and really hurrying with the two little ones. I got into my car and opened the garage. Much to my surprise there was a car parked cross-wise in front of me. Great! My only hope was to “sign” to the dry cleaning man across the street that I needed that car moved and hope that he knew whose car it was. I loaded the kids in the car and ran across the street. The dear, sweet dry cleaning man thought that I was there to pick up my dry cleaning and handed me a huge stack of clothes and cleaned me out of all of the cash I was carrying. Okay, that didn’t work. I ran the clothes up to our place and tried again. This time I walked him across the street and showed him my car and the other car. “I need to leave”, I said as slowly as I could. “Ahhh” was his reply and he pointed down the street and then ran in that direction. Very soon after, the car was moved. Okay, now I was late. “Who parks in front of a closed garage?” I think to myself.
Costco was very hectic. I walk out with two full; no, “over-full” Costco carts, Maggie wandering aimlessly (there was no room for her in the cart), and James running full speed ahead doing his usual “kick whatever I see” move. I’m exhausted. When I see my car, my mouth drops. A whole line of cars are parked cross-wise in front of it. I am completely boxed in! What? I look at the Korean man that is helping me out. He looks as calm as ever. Feeling very trapped I stand there bewildered. The nice Korean Costco worker simply walks behind the car that is boxing me in and pushes it ever so slightly. The car rolls forward. He does the same thing to three or four other cars. Waa, La.
Cars are allowed to box you in if they are left in neutral so they can be “tipped” around the parking lot. Who knew neutral could be useful? I don't think I've ever used neutral in all my life.

(These are pictures of the street in front of my place.)