Irritating Parking Lot Users

[stampeder]

Okay I've seen this a million times but I'm mentioning it now because I just saw it again at a supermarket parking lot and it has always bugged the heck out of me:

• plenty of open spots
• my vehicle is a large GMC 2500HD Extended Cab pickup with a Canopy
• I always park away from the crowded entrance areas for ease of parking
• I pull into a spot but creep forward into the spot ahead so that I am nose-out for an easier exit
• a lady pulls up and parks beside my drivers door facing the other way
• she has an open spot ahead of her, but she stays put, meaning that our doors might ding each other's vehicle
• I get out, opening the door very gingerly to prevent hitting her car, and I shake my head, but she is oblivious
• I go inside and when I come back out she's getting into her car
• she still has a spot open in front of her to easily drive through and out, but she BACKS OUT!
• it takes her forever because she can't see past my truck
• I resist every urge and instinct to go give her a wet slap on her forehead!

Like I said, I've seen this countless times and it always drives me crazy!!! Its usually a woman, BTW.

[DSgamby]

I work at a grocery store and I seen brian dead drivers

Million times daily, I see drivers enter one side of the lot, drive straight, stops just before the doors to allow all the customers to go inside or come outside, than drive to the other side of the lot to go to a spot. Than they go out the same way.

[Camvan]

I always park on the farthest away spot, its excercise plus I avoid most peoples strange and rather skill deficient driving abilities. It would be funny if they didn't have the ability to maim, injure or kill people.

[Doug30]

Stampeder, you should be grateful she did not ding your door.

[Anteater]

Try dealing with the drivers in St. John's.

[57]

Although I almost always back into a parking spot (or drive through to front out), I don't do so at grocery stores, or other stores if I need to use a shopping cart. That way I can unload into the trunk from the cart easily.

So, there is a thought process, but it sounds like most times there is no thought...

I have a list of about 1000 other things that people do to drive me crazy, but there just isn't time...

[asif9t9]

There's nothing wrong with what she did. Like 57 said, maybe she wanted to leave her trunk facing out. And maybe she wanted to pull out in reverse because that was closer to the direction she wanted to travel. It's a whole other issue if we think parking stalls are too narrow to begin with. But if you are that worried about dings on your car, you need to park much further back. Especially with a pickup.

[jshel101]

If I am always getting a lot of stuff, I don't pull all the way forward. It is too hard getting stiff in the back of my van when a moron parks a few inches behind me. If I am only getting a couple things then I will pull forward. It does make it a lot easier getting out.

What I can't stand is people who can't park straight in the stalls. I don't understand how hard it can be to pull straight in a stall.

[powerstream]

I've always said that people get a driver's license way too easy in this country. In Germany you'll be out $2000 and a guaranteed failure on your first road-test before they give you a license. Here pay $100 and get an easy road-test and this is the result. So many people think they own the roads and that driving the way they do is a right. I work in retail and I've seen my share of idiot drivers trying to catch a spot, or running stop signs in the parking lot without looking out for traffic or pedestrians, people (mostly women, soccer moms) parking their ****ing minivan 2 yards from the door just to run in the store and get something (no one in the van btw, so why can't they park in the parking lot?!). I just never understand the stupidity of some people, I really don't.

[eljay]

I really dislike the people who park diagonally across the 2-4 spaces they feel their vehicle deserves.

And the people who can't center their vehicles in one space properly, causing a "domino effect" of lost parking spaces to one side.

[hugh]

Its usually a woman, BTW.

Well, I'm going to have to disagree.

My experience is that men and BMW drivers are the worst. Everytime I drive somewhere and someone is illegally idling in front of a store and has run inside its usually someone in a BMW. Seldom a Lexus or Mercedes and usually a male although I have found in the BMW situation that it sometimes is female.

I really dislike the people who park diagonally across the 2-4 spaces they feel their vehicle deserves.

My experience is that is usually a guy.

Parking their ****ing minivan 2 yards from the door just to run in the store and get something (no one in the van btw, so why can't they park in the parking lot?!).

My experience is mostly guys but some women.


My experiment..

One day between St. Catharines and Toronto, my wife and I decided to count drivers that did stupid things. We stopped after 50 and the percentage was well over 90% male.

To this day, I honestly believe that most bad drivers are male.

[stampeder]

Just to clarify, in my scenario there were tons of open spaces, so there was no need for her to park where she did or to back out.

As for BMWs, they seem to be the vehicle of choice for young, inexperienced, male drivers where we live. I avoid parking anywhere near them if I can.

[Rouge21]

Originally Posted by asif9t9

It's a whole other issue if we think parking stalls are too narrow to begin with.

I like the way that Costco defines the spaces in its lot...a double line on each side definitely provides more space between parked cars.

[Zoo]

I try to be as courteous as possible when parking. If there is another spot available I will avoid parking behind someone so as to make it easier to load up their trunk. It amazes me that in a wide open parking lot someone will park next to me and crowd me by parking their vehicle closer to me than they need to.

It seems like many out there have no clue that there are other drivers on the road and in the parking lots and just do what they want to do with little to no consideration made for others.

Sadly I am seeing this more and more...

[99gecko]

I resist every urge and instinct to go give her a wet slap on her forehead!

"Resistance is futile!"
- The Borg Collective -