I decided to eat at a local restaurant and pulled into the parking lot of a strip mall in which said restaurant is located. The only "spot" that was open was actually about 3/4 of a spot, wedged in between two SUVs. (The SUV on the left actually was well over the line into my target spot.) Since I have a small car, I slide in between the two SUVs and park.
Fifteen minutes later, the restaurant manager comes to my table and asks if I have the red car with the Indiana license plate. (I guess I look like an outsider in northern Virginia.) Apparently, Right SUV can't get out of the spot, and I need to move. OK, my fault, I go outside.
SUV Driver is irate. I ask him if he couldn't get out. No, "I can't get in [the driver's side door]." HIS WIFE IS ALREADY SEATED IN THE PASSENGER SEAT, and it appeared quite easy to enter that door. Is it that hard to climb over into the driver's seat? The presence of my car was not preventing him from leaving the spot, he just didn't want to inconvenience himself with unnecessary motion. Instead, he disrupts the manager's day and my meal. Not wanting to make a scene, I just moved my car (of course, there were several open spots now.)
What do y'all think? Am I selfish to think that perhaps he could've just maneuvered inside his SUV?
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"If it felt good, you didn't push hard enough. It's supposed to hurt like hell." - Dean Karnazes' track coach, Ultramarathon Man
"My baby's soft and sweet, somewhere between a flower and a gun" - fiction family
You're right. He's wrong. He should've parked between the lines like he was supposed to in the first place. Since he didn't he should've manuevered into his seat from his wife's side. Hey, it's an SUV right? Plenty of room to do that. Unfortunately, I've seen SUV's parked like that all too often.
No, the guy I interacted with was properly in a space. It was the guy to the left of my car (that SUV, conveniently, was gone when I was called outside) that was over the line.
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"If it felt good, you didn't push hard enough. It's supposed to hurt like hell." - Dean Karnazes' track coach, Ultramarathon Man
"My baby's soft and sweet, somewhere between a flower and a gun" - fiction family
I would not leave my car crossing the line into another space; if that was necessary for the spot, I would have found somewhere else to go(either park or eat). If my car was completly within one space, I would have gladly moved it and expected the manager to comp my meal for my troubles. In your case, if this other driver wasn't the one that was over in your spot, that is just the way some people are; either too dumb or too quick to fly into rage or too lazy to do anything without troubling others. Climbing over the seat seems simple enough for us, but I honestly do think it is hard to climb over for some people. You would think that the energy they spend getting irate would help keep them fit, but apparently it doesn't. Moving your car is about the only reasonable way to handle that.
Even if there was a real/medical reason he couldn't climb over, there was no sense in getting irate. I hope you said something whitty on your way out of his way.
No, the guy I interacted with was properly in a space. It was the guy to the left of my car (that SUV, conveniently, was gone when I was called outside) that was over the line.
Ah. Sorry, I misread your first post. Well, you definitely weren't in the wrong. If you were fully within your parking space there's not much else you could've done. The fact that you had to park so close to his car is one of those unfortunate things that happen when someone on the other side doesn't park properly. The guy should've just climbed in through his wife's side. It would have been faster and less trouble for everyone (including him) to just do that then to do what he did. It's not like it takes great effort to climb from the passenger's seat to the driver's seat.
yo KM, most people in NoVa are basically rude, entitled doofuses anyway. I'm sure they probably could have attempted, but it's really easier to b*tch about it.
Yeah, I'm figuring that out now. I guess this isn't the mythical Southland, after all. Oh well, I'm here for another 10 months until I move to San Diego, so I guess I'll make the best of it.
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"If it felt good, you didn't push hard enough. It's supposed to hurt like hell." - Dean Karnazes' track coach, Ultramarathon Man
"My baby's soft and sweet, somewhere between a flower and a gun" - fiction family
There is no way that you were wrong. You were the gentleman who moved without making a fuss. He was the bitching asshole. I drive a small car and get tired of the dicks in the huge SUVs and Pickups who want to take more than their fair share of the parking lot.
__________________ In Fitness & Friendship, MAHLER
______________________________ __________________________ There is no light at the end of the tunnel. You carry the light with you.
Alextown: nope, Stafford. Although I was in Alexandria on Saturday for the 10k, no parking lot assholes there.
Phaedrus: I'm actually closer to Fredericksburg than Washington. I agree, on the rare occasions I do go to F-burg the people are a lot nicer . And Fredericksburg has Mary Washington, which is a bonus. :-D
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"If it felt good, you didn't push hard enough. It's supposed to hurt like hell." - Dean Karnazes' track coach, Ultramarathon Man
"My baby's soft and sweet, somewhere between a flower and a gun" - fiction family
If you were within the lines he needs to learn how to park, or get a smaller car. If he needs more than his space to open his door he needs to find an extra large space.
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"So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then, when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable."
- Christopher Reeve
You were technically fine, but I wouldn't have parked there. What if it wasn't that guy? What if it had been an ass who likes to key cars that are parked too close to him. That space was lost without being taken.
I try to remember that people are dicks, and while it might piss me off to have to walk a long way, I'd rather walk than have my car (or my passenger, who can't run as fast as I can) hurt, should the other driver be psycho.
You should have just told him, "Your welcome!", and went on your way. If he asked what for, you could say, "For defending the United States Constitution and your redneck ass." Just a thought now that you are officially a devildog now!
You did the right thing, I have had this happen to me before, I just climb over. No big deal, get on with your life. Apparently that was to hard. Good for you for being the bigger man.
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Your accomplishments can only be as big as your heart.
I love people who are a$$holes just to be a$$holes.
Last week I picked my son and daughter up from our babysitter's on the way home from work. It was a FRiday night, about 6PM. I was asking my 2-yo about his day, and if he had fun, as I sat in the left turn lane at a major intersection.
As I was looking at him in the rearview mirror, the left turn signal turned green, and I didn't notice right away. The large Ford Expedition (SUV driver, go figure) honked at me and I noticed the light and took off. As I got through the intersection, it turned yellow, then red, and the guy laid on his horn to express how pissed he was that he missed the light. As if I INTENTIONALLY sat there JUST to piss him off!! WTF??
So, I drove nice and slow, and sure enough, he caught up with me at the next light. He was in the lane to right of me and I rolled down my window to discuss the situation. He wouldn't even look at me. As I sat there staring at him, he completelt ignored the fact that I was ready and willing to address the situation and explain to him that there are far more important things than getting pissed off at another driver at a dumb-assed traffic light! He never looked. At the next 3 lights he stayed to the right of me, but distanced himself so that he was never right next to me again.
People are jerks. I hate aggresive drivers, and love the opportunity to confront them whenever they feel the like bullying me with a freaking car horn.
You should've gotten in the guy's face, explained that the a$$ next to you doesn't know how to park, then thank him for interrupting your dinner, because he obviously has the RIGHT to drive a huge car, park it in a private lot, and complain when someone else does the same.
People need to remember that automobiles and the driving resposibilities that come with them are PRIVILEDGES, not RIGHTS!
Like some others, I might not have wedged myself into a tight spot....even though one of my cars--the one I drive most--is pretty small. In all honesty, I prefer to park farther out in most lots where there are no people parked next to me. I don't mind walking.
That being said, if I were approached by the manager, I'd like to think I would ask that manager if I parked illegally or rudely. If the manager said, no, I parked OK, I'd ask if he/she would mind if I finished my meal first. If that were not an option, I'd definitely ask for my meal to be comped.
Oh, and I would be as nice and polite as I could be...but I'd move at the speed of a SNAIL!!!! I'd probably "forget" my keys at the table and have to walk back in (slowly) to get them...let's just say it would take an extra ten minutes if at all possible!
was I in the wrong here?
. And Fredericksburg has Mary Washington, which is a bonus. :-D
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