Mal Hall, a San Diego stand-up comedian, has a bit that always gets a laugh in comedy clubs around the country: the highly relatable experience of cruising the Costco parking lot for an open spot during peak shopping hours.
“If you love being around people you can’t stand, go to Costco on Saturday,” he riffs. “As soon as I pull into the parking lot, I’m like, ‘What are we doing today? What is this?’ ”
He’s not joking. Once a week, Hall piles his three kids in the car, drives five minutes to Costco and turns into the second row of the parking lot. If he doesn’t immediately find a spot, he drives out to the boonies, stows his two youngest in the shopping cart, and then he and the 7-year-old hoof it, bypassing long lines of exasperated drivers…