It was difficult at first to decide which norm in our society I wanted to violate. Then
unfortunately I injured my knee in a volleyball match and this limited me even more in my
choices for violations. However, the more I thought about it I saw that I could use my misfortune
to my advantage. Walking around on crutches for a weekend I obviously already stuck out in the crowd, but I wanted to do something a little different. If I got rid of my crutches and did not have to walk around I would look like any normal healthy athletic individual. This then brought me to Pick N Save. I could not shop around the store with my crutches and carry all my groceries, so I hopped onto one of the handicapped shopping cart scooter. Typically in our society the elderly, handicapped, or physically impaired often need the aid of a motorized cart to assist them at a shopping center while shopping for groceries. Since this group of people is usually older, our society has come to accept seeing the elderly use these types of motorized carts for assistance. However, when a young healthy individual uses the aid of a cart society does not expect this and some people will even frown and look down on the young person driving the cart. People in our society do not like to see others take advantage of situations when they are very capable of managing on their own. For example it is like seeing a person park in a handicapped space in front of the store and then very spiritedly and healthily walk inside. We do not know for sure why this person is parking there but from what we see they are very capable of making the walk into the store. Just as it appears that the person parking in the handicapped space does not need a
handicapped permit at all, it definitely appears that I do not need to be driving around a
handicapped cart at our local Pick N Save. With this experience I was violating the norm in our
society that it is wrong to take advantage of a situation especially when that person is physically
able to accomplish the task without extra assistance.
Driving around in the handicapped scooter at Pick N Save was an experience I will not
forget for a while. I was a little embarrassed at first to be climbing onto a motorized cart because
just as most of our society I associate their carts with the elderly. Also first starting to use the
cart I did not know what I was doing and did not know how to operate the machine. With a few
jolting starts, stops, and crazy turns, though, I was on a roll, literally.
I moved throughout Pick N Save starting at one end in produce and slowly moving to the
other side of the store. It was kind of late so the store was not busy but I hunted down the isles
with the most shopping customers. I tried my best to keep a straight face while driving but I
could not help laughing a little. The first people I met gave me a double take. As I motored by
the coupled just glanced up quickly, then they both had to look again as I sped by. I think they
were expecting to see an older person driving the cart but were shocked when they looked up to
see a young healthy person. Rounding the corner of that first isle I approached my next subject.
An employee was stocking the dairy shelves and as I drove closer he stopped what he was doing
and had to laugh. He asked me if I was just being lazy or if I was actually hurt. Several more
times throughout the store, as I zigzagged back and forth, I crossed his path and each time all he
could do was laugh because he could not believe I was actually driving the cart.
Many of the other people I came across joked around with me as well. As I was backing
my way out of the light bulb isle one of the other employees jumped up on his step ladder and
said, “Whoa! Quick jump up on the ladder out of the way!” Another man had parked his cart in
the middle of the isle so it would have been impossible for the motor cart to get by. When he
heard me coming he reached out to move his cart out of the way and then just had to laugh when
he saw who was driving. Later on in the store I ran into the same guy, and once again he was
blocking the isle. This time he had to laugh at both me and himself.
The best encounter I had was with another UWM student. As I drove down the long isle that stretches from one end of the store to the other he could see me coming from a long
distance away. I was laughing almost the entire time as I approached him so I’m pretty sure he
thought it was a big joke. As I passed him he half smiled, but it was more of a “what the heck are
you doing” smile. The best part was though, my friend later heard him tell someone else in the
store, “I just saw a girl from UWM driving one of those handicapped carts.” I think he was
embarrassed for just having known me at that point.
In this situation and with violating this norm I found that people can generally find the
humor in it. I think though when people violate social norms frequently and purposefully society
begins to get frustrated and this is when the humor of the situation is harder to find. It is also
more difficult to accept violations of the norm when the person doing the violating comes across
as rude and inconsiderate. In my case I was injured so using the scooter seemed legit but if there had been a handicapped individual who needed the scooter I would have given it up immediately because I know I too am one of those people who would look down upon someone who use the carts just out of pure laziness or to be funny when they are clearly only to be used for someone who is in need. I had no problems with the customers of Pick N Save because I was
having too much fun driving the scooter around. I was not rude or inconsiderate to anyone, but
was cracking jokes along with them, especially when I passed them more than once as I
zigzagged back and forth through Pick N Save. I was surprised to see that none of the store clerks or managers questioned my riding the scooter. By doing this act I could have caused people to conform to what I was doing and go against the norms of not riding the scooters and saving them for those who need them, if one person saw me doing it, other people may think it is ok for them as well. Although I am not paralyzed but was injured I did feel guilty while doing the act. I do not believe I was completely in the wrong for using the scooter and believe in situations like mine it is ok to use them but I do believe that first and foremost these scooters should be reserved for only handicapped and paralyzed store patrons.
After I concluded my deviant act I left the store promptly. Engaging in a behavior that lasted no longer than 20 minutes I no longer wanted to be seen. I wanted people to forget and I hoped no one I know saw me or that anyone will remember me behaving that way. It is amazing just how acutely distressed I felt. I sensed other’s disapproval of my actions even if they did not make contact with me, but also noted that I also disapproved of my actions. That internal disapproval is very powerful. I realized from as early as I can remember wanting to do well, to receive praise from my teachers, and parents and peers. I remember feeling ashamed, and embarrassed when I did something others didn’t approve of. I also remember how hard I tried and still do try, to do well in my efforts. I don’t think that will ever change because I am driven by an internal force and society reinforces my behavior by encouraging these attitudes.
It is very obvious that social sanctions are effective at controlling behavior. Not
only did I feel constrained by my internal sanctions, but people around me behaved
according to the unwritten laws of social sanctions. We all play our parts unconsciously
to control our environment as we have been socialized to do from birth.