Bagging Up Versus Backing Up

I work at a small-town grocery store stocking shelves, bagging customers’ groceries, and carrying them out to the customer’s car.

One of our frequent customers, an elderly man, has come in to shop. I bag his groceries and bring them out to his car, which he has backed into his parking space.

He thanks me and drives away. I go back into the store, bag another customer’s groceries, and carry them out to her car. She happens to have parked right next to the elderly man’s space, which is now empty.

As I wait for her to create space in her back seat, I notice out of the corner of my eye that the elderly man is backing into that now empty space again… right where I am standing. There is no time for me to move. I end up jumping into the air right when the back of his car smacks me right on my hip. Fortunately, I don’t fall and the groceries in my arms are safe. My whole body just got shoved over a bit while I was in the air.

The elderly customer gets out of his car and says, “I forgot something!” and walks back into the store.

Apparently, he didn’t realize he had just hit me with his car.