So I live in downtown Minneapolis and I am poor and as such must park my car in the street. This isn’t usually a problem in my neighborhood but things do get tight after 10pm on weekdays.
I got home late last night cause my karate class went over time. Parking was pretty packed but I have a nice little car that I can maneuver pretty well. So I found a place on my block that left about a foot and a half in front of my car and about 6-9 inches behind my car - parallel parking. The surronding cars had plenty of room on the other ends of their vehicles. I figured one of them would be gone by morning, leaving me to escape without trouble.
Little did I know that the insideous Honda accord would take the place of the van formerly in front of my car. And they parked leaving only 6 inches in front of my car! I dont know why the did it. They had 3 feet infront of them. To make matters worse they were about a foot farther away from the curb than I was.
Anyways, it took me 5 minutes to get my car out of that space - no power steering.
Ah, the joys of parallel parking. What fun I used to have in NYC! Even better than that was when you’d come out to your car, only to find several inconsiderate pricks had double, and sometimes even triple parked by your car, leaving you completely trapped. I’m so glad I live in an area where most spots are in a lot or diagonal parking.
I couldn’t stand people that parked so tight that both cars were right on your bumpers. I used to keep several copies of a little drawing that I would leave under the wiper blades of any offending vehicles.
It was a smiling Mickey Mouse, and one hand was out and giving the finger. The other hand held a sign that read:
“Thank you for parking so close, you selfish inconsiderate bastard. Next time, leave a fucking can opener so I can get my car out.”
There’s not much call for parallel parking in my area. What I hate is, when parked in a lot, to come out to find that some ass has parked so close to you that you can’t open the door! One time at the grocery store, I had to go in the passenger door of my Geo Storm, climb over the gearshift, and maneuver my way down into the driver’s seat. I am not a small woman, and the Storm is not a large car. I wanted to key that van so bad…
Dire Wolf This doesnt happen too often to me, but I might make up a “notice” to post on offending cars just because it is so funny.
Dolores Claiborne That reminds me of the time I did something like that on purpose, but dont hate me. Once in a pay parking ramp with diagnal parking spaces there were two huuuuge SUVs parked with one space between them. And they were parked poorly so that no one could comfortably park between them. It was winter and the empty spot was right near the door. So I did it. My friend got out first and I pulled my little CRX into the spot. Then I rolled down the window and crawled out, opened the door rolled up the window and locked it. Hee hee. Those guys deserved it! I figured I had to pay just as much as they did. I dont know how they did it, but they were gone when I returned.
awwww, I feel for ya. I, too, drive a small, easily maneuverable no p/s car (mine’s a stick shift tho’ how about yours?) I was doing a favor for a friend, driving him to his car, he wanted to stop at a corner store,
The ‘lot’ is about the width of two cars. I’m hugging the r/h side, about 10 feet away from me, also on the r/h side is another vehicle, Then this other guy pulls in- if he’d pulled closer to the left side by the 2 feet available, I’d have been able to get out - if he’d pulled in closer to me, I’d have been able to get out. Pretty much pulled into the only way possible to make it impossible for me to get out.
and, by this time, there’s some one behind me, too. Had to wait an extra 10 minutes for one or the other to move.
I have to park on the streets around where I work, so I know all about the parallel parking nightmare.
One thing that pisses me off is when people leave too much room between cars. They leave several feet, sometimes front and back. You could get an extra third as many cars on the street sometimes. It just means some people, like me, have to park 10 or 15 minutes walk away.
And it pisses me off that they have started charging for parking. Grrr.
Dire Wolf wrote: Ah, the joys of parallel parking. What fun I used to have in NYC!
Well, my Stuyhigh buddy, I’m still here fightin’ the good fight while you’re sippin’ mint juleps under the Spanish Moss. Lucky bastard. [Smilie here]
Like RickQ sed, people who take up too much room piss me off too. Here in NYC this is often not just an innocent mistake; it is frequently the result of a selfish conspiracy of doormen, building service workers and tenants in some of the ritziest apartment buildings in town. By taking up two spaces, they can horde a spot for their soon-to-be-arriving pals, or keep the curb in front of their building entrance totally clear. In the process, they lock up most of the free spaces that exist around their building.
Drive down Park Ave. (which, surprisingly, is all alternate-side parking from 61 St. to 96 St.) any evening and you’ll see more half- and three-quarter-sized parking spots than anywhere else in town. It’s no accident. The bastards.
forward dink reverse dink forward dink reverse dink
LMAO. Sometimes I think I moved to the 'burbs just to get away from the parking hell that is San Francisco.