You might want to think twice next time before swooping in on that perfect parking spot. According to the Springfield News-Leader, a young woman allegedly pulled out an ice-pick and stabbed a man repeatedly after she felt he stole her parking spot at Chili’s Grill and Bar on Sunday.

Luckily for the victim, his injuries were not life threatening. The woman was caught after fleeing the scene but has not been charged yet.

Now this article does leave some unanswered questions. Did she argue with the man first, before pulling the ice pick, or did she just come at him with it immediately? Why did she have an ice pick with her, anyway? How good of a parking spot was it? 

In any case, you know the holidays are almost here when people start stabbing each other over parking spaces. Still, an ice-pick to the baby-back ribs is nothing compared to what people will do to get a Christmas deal on Black Friday (like pushing over a 78-year old woman at Toys R’ Us, or trampling a Wal-Mart employee to death). Unfortunately, sometimes it seems we live in a road-rage, move-it-or-lose-it society. Common courtesy extends only to those we know or like; everyone else be damned.

I guess I should count my blessings, though.

A couple months ago, my truck battery died while my wife and I were parked in the TJ Maxx parking lot. I called my uncle to give us a jump, then pushed my truck back so it was in two stalls so he would have room to pull his car in to jump me. We were just sitting there waiting (obviously with some problem to my vehicle) when I saw these two female teenage Maxxinistas in the rear view looking for a spot to park.

I honestly think they considered ramming me before they noticed the two of us in the vehicle. Instead, they literally crammed into the spot behind me with their tail half out in the road. In the rearview, I see them flipping the bird. As they walked by going into the store, they yelled all manner of profanities our way.

I came out of that situation with a stabbing feeling of how callous and selfish people can be, but perhaps I’m lucky I didn’t come out with a stab wound.