Last night, I was off work (for having worked 20 hours the day before). I’m tired and cranky and I have to go into work to get boxes to empty my bathroom because they’re renovating. I don’t really feel like there and I’m especially afraid someone will see me and ask me to do some work for them.
Of course you think about it, it happens. A tiny little thing about 15 minutes worth. Being the pushover that I am, I said of course no trouble. After the work, I go to the underground parking lot. There are two guys in car down the lane. They see, I see them, I SEE THEM SEEING ME, I put the boxes in my trunk, and get in my car. I look in the rear view mirror and there they are parked right behind me, leaving me no room to leave, first reflex is lock my doors. But no danger, the driver just had to go pay his ticket to be able to leave the parking. FUCKING ASSHOLE… how about parking between the two freaking yellow lines… Now I’m pissed off, very close to rage. I’m swearing like a madman in the car, I just wanted to ram into his car, but I need my car so I backed up until I almost touched his car and put myself in park and waited. When he came out, he looked at me with a smirk… HOLY SHIT that didn’t help me. When he realized that he couldn’t get into his car, he started giving me shit, knocked on my window. I looked up and asked him what he wanted… with a smirk. He told me to move to which I replied once I’ve selected the CD I want to hear I’ll move. I made him wait for about 90 seconds before moving my car.
I know that was petty and bad (could’ve been dangerous) but it felt so good. It also thought me to listen to people around me who told me that if I went to the corner store they would’ve gladly given me boxes. Oh well!!
Yup, probably not the most enlightened or safe thing to do but I think that we can give you a pass on this one. Sometimes direct action is called for!
Like this time that I was driving down the street and a UPS truck had blocked one lane. Two lines of cars were waiting to pass. Now in normal civilized society, the thing to do here is that folks take turns going. But noooo, it go to be my turn and the woman in the car in the other lane roars up to the front of my car and then starts honking her horn. I put the car in park, walked over to her window and informed her that not only was my favorite NPR show on and not only did I have a fresh pack of cigarettes, but that I was prepared to wait until Gabriel announced the crack of doom before I let her go. Immature as hell, but I still get a warm glow thinking about it.
Recently, I was not let over to the next lane by a driver in that lane (a car had just stalled several cars up in my lane). I had my turn signal on and briefly had a possibility of moving over. but the other driver moved up to prevent me getting over in front of him. I didn’t do anything, didn’t get mad, didn’t look over to make eye contact. These things happen in dense traffic.
A few seconds later I caught something out of the corner of my eye. I looked over and he was waving at me. (I wondered what now?, is he going to be mad at me or something?) I rolled the passenger window down. He apologized and said he was sorry, that he should have let me in. I said “that’s OK, thanks” and waved back.
I hope I’ll have the character that man had when I make mistakes of judgement, manners, etc.
just kidding, I don’t care if you’re a woman or not… still in love.
that was just beautiful… sometimes I wish I was less stupid, so I could make comments like that on the fly… ofcourse, if I was less stupid, mainstream TV wouldn’t be as entertaining.
Actually, a lady just recently called me a bitch on the road. She was on her cell phone and driving like an idiot (more so than usual in L.A.). Without giving full details, let’s just say she was pissing people off. Traffic was slow and jerky enough that I was able to to shout at her, “Get off the phone, you’re driving like a jerk!” A few seconds later, her lane was moving past mine, so she shouted back, “And you’re talking like a bitch!” Traffic in my lane cleared long enough for me to shout, “Am one!” before I passed her and got in front of the car in front of her. Oh, well. It won’t keep her off the phone, but maybe it will make her think a little bit more when she’s on the phone, driving.
I remember a typical idiot on the LBJ in Dallas who took it upon himself to use the left-hand breakdown apron as his own private lane. He noticed the policeman clocking cars in that lane about the same time everyone else did…and every single car closed ranks nose-to-tail, ignoring invective and his attempts to force his way over, funneling this guy right to the waiting officer.
Seein’ that many people spontaneously working together…it was a thing of beauty.
Years ago I went to SUBWAY for a sammitch and there was this little “bebop” (lowered, silly paint, potential for a crappy boomy stereo) mini truck parked sideways in front of the door taking up three! parking places (the best ones), there was a Crown Victoria parked correctly behind the truck so I pulled in the spot in front of him (in a full sized supercab pickup) and went in to have my sammitch, in the store is a grandma, a young guy and me, I get my sammitch and sit down when the young guy leaves and comes right back and TELLS (not asks) me to move, I laughed and said “I will leave when I am done, if you want to park like that I reccomend that you do not park where everybody else wants to” so he says that he is going to call the cops as I am “holding him against his will”, I laugh and pick up my cell phone saying “I will call them for you”, he decides that this is not in his best interest and tells me that he is going to push my truck out of his way this makes me laugh hard and I tell him “I have insurance, how about you”, grandma was finished a few minutes ago but she is not moving, when the young guy walks outside again I tell grandma not to worry, I will take care of everything, the young guy gets in his little truck and begins to rev the engine in an attempt to scare me (HAHAHA) but as his truck is lowered and it has plastic crap all over it (ground effects and wings etc.) he is gonna fare really badly if he tries to push my truck (which would not move anyway), so I finish my sammitch (turkey and bacon on wheat) and leave, he is giving me “the skunk eye” as I walk to my truck, I wait for him to leave and I hang around long enough to see grandma leave, end of story.
I lived in Greektown- Chicago in the 70’s during the winter that shut down the city. The massive snow banks reduced our block to a one-way street and etiquette dictated that you allowed the car that was the farthest along to make it to the main intersection before you proceeded in the opposite direction. I was three-quarters down the street one evening when a big ol’ Cadillac came up and the driver began to lean on his horn and gesticulate wildly indicating that I should back up. His rationale was that I was in a much smaller vehicle and therefore he had the right of way
I locked the doors, lit a cigarette, turned on the dome light, and started to read. Every time he blasted his horn at me, I smiled and waved.
Took him abut 10 minutes to realize that I was prepared to sit there all night.
LOL!See…apotheosis proved that not all Texas drivers are morons or jerks,as we have been maligned as such for ages.
Reminds me of the few times this Christmas season when I have noticed people following me with cars to MY car in the parking garage(when it is full and they are too cheap to pay 5 bucks for valet).They follow and I get into the car.I SIT in my car,reading or whatever until they get pissed and go in search of another spot.THEN I pull out a nd continue on my merry way.
IDBB
This seems like a nice place to begin my posting career.
I pulled up to an always crowded gas station after work for coffee and cigs, only to find a beat up old car parked sideways across 2 or 3 spots, leaving me just the end spot.
If I park in that end spot, then that illegally (??) parked car has very little wiggle room. Screw it, I park there and take note of the license plate. sure enough, I come back out and the side of my car has a nice big dent in it. I call the police, and give them the license plate number. The woman was charged with hit and run, and driving without a license. The insurance company paid me $1100 and it cost be only $950 to get it all fixed, plus get an entire paintjob for the car.
I love this thread. Thanks, jools. It restores my faith in humanity and people’s senses of personal justice and fairness.
unclviny, your sig line made me giggle.
Many years ago, my parents, brother and sister and I went to see The Natural in the movie theater (I told you it was many years ago). The parking lot was packed and there was a Trans Am (I think) parked over two spaces. We parked a fair distance away, and as we passed the Trans Am my Dad went along side the car and let a little bit of air out of the tires. To the looks of surprise on all our faces, Dad said something to the effect of, “Not enough where he is stranded, it will just be inconvenient for him–he can drive to the gas station–but enough to let him know that his selfish, egotistical behavior is not okay.”
When I was in Virginia, my boss was a white-haired southern gentlemen of the highest caliber. He won my boundless admiration with this story:
He was at a red, and the very second it turned green, the idiot behind leaned on the horn. He calmly put the car in park, got out and strolled to the back of his car, quizzically looking at the lights and bumper and tires. The idiot, red-faced and sputtering, yells "what are you doing?!?!? He innocently drawls, “Well, you hit the horn-I knew you had to be signaling me to tell me something was wrong with my car.” Cut to idiot sputtering as he has to wait for the next green light-which he did wihtout the horn.
I was inside a restaurant when the guy who had parked over BOTH of the handicapped spaces walked out with his girlfriend. I followed him out and started yelling at him, asking what brand of cereal he got his license out of and whether he was physically, mentally or just morally handicapped. AFTER he got into his car, he started telling me to fuck off, so I told him I couldn’t hear him and maybe he should get out, that or learn where and how to park. Of course he didn’t get out, he just drove off, which left the spaces open for the woman on crutches who had just pulled in and had saw the whole thing. Having thought that I had made an ass of myself, I didn’t expect anyone to thank me, but it was really nice of her that she did.
All the scenarios in this thread would piss me off, too, except this one. So the lot’s full, and people see someone getting ready to leave. What’s wrong with waiting for you to leave and taking your spot? I’ve done that. Friends have done that. Parents have done that. I don’t see what the big deal is-- I can sure as hell park my car for free, so whay should I pony up $5?
Well, that’s like the walmart parking game. I see people stopping traffic in midlane waiting for a space where they see someone just starting to load their groceries. These assholes tie up traffic for minutes trying to avoid a few feet of walking - which sure wouldn’t do these wide-load rednecks any harm. Idiots.
I agree with that, but I think Beadalin was referring to when the parking lot is full and seeing someone getting ready to leave. There are 2 parking lots at the BART (train) station, both of which are completely full by 8:00 a.m. I don’t get to the station until noon, so of course, both lots are then full. You’re damn skippy if I see someone getting in their car to leave I’m gonna wait for them, it’s that or keep circling for however long it takes for someone else to leave, thus missing my train and being late.
I agree that the other stuff in this thread is completely assholish, but waiting for someone to leave for their spot is not. I think waiting in your car just so they can’t get your space, is the real assholish thing to do.
Well People I’m glad to see that I’m not alone to get really pissed off by that kind of situation. Even though my family and friends pretty much all freaked out about it. I was told that I had to choose my battles, a woman alone in a underground parking lot with two guys was not best situation for me to affirm myself, I do understand their point of view but I just couldn’t help myself.
Thank you so much for sharing with me your experiences… But seal_clubber I must admit I’ve done that before though, a full parking lot, and I see someone leaving, I’ll wait I’ll try to do it so I won’t be in the way and I won’t stare at the person leaving, I’ll just patiently wait with my clicker on, and hopefully some asshole won’t jump in before me. Another situation related to parking that piss me royally!!
