Disclaimer: I am not an SUV-basher. Drive what you want, and hell, I’ve thought about having one as my next car. (I do find the fancy-shmancy SUVs, like the Lexus and Mercedes, a bit silly though.)
So last night, we’re going to Red Lobster in my cute little Honda Civic. The lot is fairly empty as it is a slow Tuesday night, yet, there are these obscene behemoth SUVs and gigantic trucks (the kind with the 3-foot tires) parking their big asses in the clearly labeled “COMPACT” parking spaces. Their large butts stick a solid 2-5 feet out the back of the spaces, which of course, block views and generally look stupid.
I understand when a lot is fairly full, but a near-empty lot?? Obviously, our view wasn’t obstructed because we could park further away, but this just drew more attention to what is becoming an increasingly annoying pet peeve. What REALLY gets my blood boiling is when I have to park next to them (in a compact space, of course), and can’t see (or be seen) for shit for the first half dozen feet I’m backing out. Of course, that’s after I’ve had to use a can opener to get into my car in the first place. Grr! Urge to kill…rising… (…okay, maybe not urge to kill, but definitely urge to key!)
I want someone to ticket these illiterate drivers, dammit. I gave fleeting thought to writing a “Nice compact, asshole” note on the windshield, but it was more a thought for my own amusement than anything.
Anyone else pissed off by this? (Now, this is a pet peeve, not a BBQ Pit rant, so don’t take this or yourselves too seriously )
oh good god yes! Once I was driving through my college’s very overcrowded parking lots and I saw a stupid looking blond girl in a massive dullie ford pickup try to fit into a compact car parking spot. Now I understand that we were all late for class and that maybe she hadn’t been driving the truck for long, but what she did was unexcuseable. She attempts to pull into the spot and on her way in she rubbed up against the car next to her and lifted it up off the ground, destroying both the rear quarter of that car and the side of her truck. After realising that she wasn’t going to make it into the spot, she simply backed out and drove off.
(I tried to get her liscense plate #, but was facing the other way and some students were chasing her already.)
I’ve printed up some little cards on the computer to slip onto peoples’ windshields for just this situation.
For SUV’s/Giant Trucks in compact spaces: “If you consider this a “compact car” then you must have one fat ass.”
For generally bad parking jobs: “HEY! Nice parking job! …you inconsiderate bastard. [sub]…one of these days, when somebody keys your car, you may ask yourself why…parking like this is why.[/sub]”
This used to be a pet peeve of mine as well, until the day of enlightenment came to me… perhaps they were parked that way because SOMEONE ELSE parked badly, and they had no choice. Of course, if I SAW them park, all bets are off.
In my own defense, my XJ Cherokee is a compact SUV, and I’ve noticed that it takes up less room in a parking space than many Hondas and Toyotas. Usually my rear bumper does not stick out as far as the one on the “compact” car next to me. (And I always try to park in the middle of the space so as to leave room on either side.)
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