# Rant about people who block parking lot aisles **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 25, 2006, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-about-people-who-block-parking-lot-aisles/381745 "2006-11-25T15:22:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Caridwen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c89c15/32.png) [@Caridwen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caridwen)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2006, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-about-people-who-block-parking-lot-aisles/381745/21 "2006-11-26T02:24:21Z")
I can see doing it when it’s crowded, but not when it’s not. The exception might be if I go to the mall at night alone. I do try to park as close to the store as possible. The one and only time I worked in retail, I used to sit in my car and read during my break. I’d always look up and have someone waiting for the space even when I wasn’t sitting in the drivers seat. When I tried to wave that I wasn’t leaving they’d give me a dirty look, and this was in a parking lot that was half full. I don’t get it unless it’s really cold out. My husband is the other extreme. I need my hiking boots when I shop with him. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2006, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-about-people-who-block-parking-lot-aisles/381745/22 "2006-11-26T03:02:11Z")
[QUOTE=Loach] What I will not do is hang behind someone who is walking out to their car and follow them like a vulture circling a corpse. I purposely walk down a parallel row and then cut across to my car when I get to it so I don’t reward this kind of behavior. [/QUOTE] I do the same thing when followed by vehicular stalkers. When I’m getting into my car with packages and someone stops to wait for the space, I won’t dawdle (the way some folks procrastinate you wonder if they just can’t bear to give up a good spot). On the other hand I won’t just toss stuff into the back and peel out without getting my seat belt on and drink stowed, just so Mr. Impatient doesn’t have to wait an extra 30 seconds. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2006, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-about-people-who-block-parking-lot-aisles/381745/23 "2006-11-26T03:32:38Z")
[QUOTE=Alma] I have an aunt who, no kidding, will pray for a better parking space. I never did find out who is the patron saint of parking places. [/QUOTE] Does the Vatican have an email address for these sorts of theological questions? ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2006, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-about-people-who-block-parking-lot-aisles/381745/24 "2006-11-26T04:33:09Z")
[QUOTE=Duck Duck Goose] You must learn patience, Grasshopper. Or as the man said, “Eh, where’s the fire?” [/QUOTE] Well, the fire certainly isn’t a row over and maybe back a little. Maybe you should get an umbrella. The amount of extra walking (THE HORROR!) is likely to be maybe 10% more of your journey. Patience indeed. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2006, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-about-people-who-block-parking-lot-aisles/381745/25 "2006-11-26T05:05:54Z")
[QUOTE=Alma] I have an aunt who, no kidding, will pray for a better parking space. I never did find out who is the patron saint of parking places. [/QUOTE] No saint, but there _is_ a [Goddess of Parking Spaces](http://www.templeofsquat.zoomshare.com/2.html)… ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2006, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-about-people-who-block-parking-lot-aisles/381745/26 "2006-11-26T05:21:27Z")
I once told the story about being stuck for ten minutes in a Sam’s Club parking aisle because some bozo decided to wait while another car was _getting a jump start_. And yes, there were plenty of other parking spaces around. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2006, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-about-people-who-block-parking-lot-aisles/381745/27 "2006-11-26T05:47:56Z")
I’ve found that leaning on the horn for 90 seconds or so does the job. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2006, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-about-people-who-block-parking-lot-aisles/381745/28 "2006-11-26T05:49:51Z")
Waiting is OK, but ONLY if traffic can get past you. If you are blocking traffic, then no waiting. If you’re not blocking traffic, you can wait there for hours as far as I care. ---
**Author:** ![Klaatu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Klaatu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Klaatu)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2006, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-about-people-who-block-parking-lot-aisles/381745/29 "2006-11-26T06:05:04Z")
[QUOTE=Duck Duck Goose] Nope, sorry, I’m not a particularly lazy person, nor am I a fatass who needs exercise, nor do I need a blue card hanging from my mirror, but if there’s a spot close to the entrance, and they’re obviously unloading their shopping cart and are gonna drive away in a minute or two, and _especially_ if it’s raining or snowing, I’m gonna sit there and wait a couple minutes for that spot. If that irks you, sitting there behind me, take a chill pill and a deep breath and reflect that in the larger scale of things, in which galaxies and universes are constantly being born and dying, this too shall pass. 😉 You must learn patience, Grasshopper. Or as the man said, “Eh, where’s the fire?” And can you swear on this here Bible here that you yourself have never, ever parked your little booty right there in the aisle while Grandma unloaded her four cans of cranberry sauce, because that spot is _right there_ by the entrance, dammit, and all you want is to run in for a gallon of milk, and why should you have to hike in from the boonies just for a gallon of milk, thus necessitating the guy in the car behind you having to take a chill pill, deep breath, reflect, etc.? Uh huh. I thought so. 😉 [/QUOTE] Yep, and you are one of those parking lot sense of entitlement morons that fucks up the program and irritates the shit out of people. But of course you don’t care. Move your ass and park five more spaces down, dipshit. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2006, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-about-people-who-block-parking-lot-aisles/381745/30 "2006-11-26T06:42:33Z")
[QUOTE=DrDeth] Waiting is OK, but ONLY if traffic can get past you. If you are blocking traffic, then no waiting. If you’re not blocking traffic, you can wait there for hours as far as I care. [/QUOTE] Exactly. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2006, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-about-people-who-block-parking-lot-aisles/381745/31 "2006-11-26T06:49:37Z")
Yep. Why do people have this terrible phobia of walking? I’m an inherently lazy person, yet I still enjoy walking. But being lazy isn’t the opposite of being impatient. I am both. I don’t like being held up by useless dipshits, and I enjoy overtaking the queue of dickheads queuing for “prestige” parking spaces on the first basement level near the shopping centre entrance, just spinnig the car down to Basement Level %, them walking back up the stairs (or catching the lift) and seeing the same people queued up, no closer to getting a spot. Little things like a walk across a parking lot from a far-flung parking spot don’t bother me at all. In fact it’s a welcome chance to catch my breath between the humdrum of driving in traffic and the humdrum of dealing with the same arseholes in the mall. ---
**Author:** ![Klaatu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Klaatu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Klaatu)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2006, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-about-people-who-block-parking-lot-aisles/381745/32 "2006-11-26T07:21:15Z")
Plus, when you do park a bit away from the front, you can get in your car and easily leave the lot, not having to run the gauntlet of blocking aisle dickheads. ---
**Author:** ![Cubsfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Cubsfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cubsfan)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2006, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-about-people-who-block-parking-lot-aisles/381745/33 "2006-11-26T13:09:48Z")
[QUOTE=Duck Duck Goose] Nope, sorry, I’m not a particularly lazy person, nor am I a fatass who needs exercise, nor do I need a blue card hanging from my mirror, but if there’s a spot close to the entrance, and they’re obviously unloading their shopping cart and are gonna drive away in a minute or two, and _especially_ if it’s raining or snowing, I’m gonna sit there and wait a couple minutes for that spot. If that irks you, sitting there behind me, take a chill pill and a deep breath and reflect that in the larger scale of things, in which galaxies and universes are constantly being born and dying, this too shall pass. 😉 You must learn patience, Grasshopper. Or as the man said, “Eh, where’s the fire?” And can you swear on this here Bible here that you yourself have never, ever parked your little booty right there in the aisle while Grandma unloaded her four cans of cranberry sauce, because that spot is _right there_ by the entrance, dammit, and all you want is to run in for a gallon of milk, and why should you have to hike in from the boonies just for a gallon of milk, thus necessitating the guy in the car behind you having to take a chill pill, deep breath, reflect, etc.? Uh huh. I thought so. 😉 [/QUOTE] Then you’re a fucking inconsiderate dickhead. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Tiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Mama\_Tiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Tiger)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2006, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-about-people-who-block-parking-lot-aisles/381745/34 "2006-11-26T14:48:07Z")
[QUOTE=Alma] I have an aunt who, no kidding, will pray for a better parking space. I never did find out who is the patron saint of parking places. [/QUOTE] I have a retired nun friend who prays to St. Joseph for parking spaces. Of course, she’s a Sister of St. Joseph, so he provides her with all kinds of stuff. I tried it myself once: Heading off to a Mother’s Day Brunch and not fnding any spaces open anywhere for blocks around, I was teasing my son by suggesting that I should pray to St. Joseph, so I uttered one request to his scoffing, we turned the corner, and voilà! There was a parking space right outside the door of the restaurant we were going to. So apparently he’s _my_ patron saint of parking spaces, too. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2006, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-about-people-who-block-parking-lot-aisles/381745/35 "2006-11-26T15:56:15Z")
[QUOTE=Duck Duck Goose] And can you swear on this here Bible here that you yourself have never, ever parked your little booty right there in the aisle while Grandma unloaded her four cans of cranberry sauce, because that spot is _right there_ by the entrance, dammit, and all you want is to run in for a gallon of milk, and why should you have to hike in from the boonies just for a gallon of milk, thus necessitating the guy in the car behind you having to take a chill pill, deep breath, reflect, etc.? [/QUOTE] Yes, I can. That’s just rude. ---
**Author:** ![Alma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@Alma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alma)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2006, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-about-people-who-block-parking-lot-aisles/381745/36 "2006-11-26T18:59:39Z")
[QUOTE=Mama Tiger] I have a retired nun friend who prays to St. Joseph for parking spaces. Of course, she’s a Sister of St. Joseph, so he provides her with all kinds of stuff. [/QUOTE] That could very well be it. I wondered if it was St. Anthony (he helps with lost things, right?) but I do have another aunt who is an SSJ, so that makes sense. Sort of. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2006, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-about-people-who-block-parking-lot-aisles/381745/37 "2006-11-26T22:40:58Z")
I have never understood the need of some p…people to park so close. I have seen humans circle the lot for 20 minutes in order to park close. It shames me to say that one of these humans is genetically close to me. I got two good legs. I don’t really have to carry anything _from_ the store, as they will lend the use of a cart. Walking an extra hundred feet, or evan a hundred yards isn’t a hardship of any kind. Why all the fuss?? ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2006, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-about-people-who-block-parking-lot-aisles/381745/38 "2006-11-26T23:21:44Z")
[QUOTE=spooje] I don’t really have to carry anything _from_ the store, as they will lend the use of a cart. Walking an extra hundred feet, or evan a hundred yards isn’t a hardship of any kind. Why all the fuss?? [/QUOTE] Don’t\* even \*get me started on the dipshits who can’t walk an extra twenty feet to put said carts in the corral. Instead, they leave them crammed between the spaces, or just abandon them wherever, allowing a good gust of wind to roll them into other people’s cars. ---
**Author:** ![Achren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/898d66/32.png) [@Achren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achren)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-about-people-who-block-parking-lot-aisles/381745/39 "2006-11-27T00:15:26Z")
[QUOTE=Loach] In every day life this isn’t necessary, just park a little ways down the row. I have to confess I have done this during Xmas season though. Sometimes there is no parking until someone comes out. I will wait a little for someone to get their stuff in the car and leave. If someone is waiting for me I will try to move as quick as I can. What I will not do is hang behind someone who is walking out to their car and follow them like a vulture circling a corpse. I purposely walk down a parallel row and then cut across to my car when I get to it so I don’t reward this kind of behavior. [/QUOTE] About vehicular stalking - mostly I agree, except for my college, where often there is no parking available and the only way to get a spot is to catch someone leaving. But since everyone suffers equally, this has also turned into a good way to get a ride to your car in exchange for your spot. Comes in handy when you’re parked 20 walking minutes from the school. ---
**Author:** ![Jaade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dfb087/32.png) [@Jaade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaade)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-about-people-who-block-parking-lot-aisles/381745/40 "2006-11-27T00:21:08Z")
[QUOTE=Achren] About vehicular stalking - mostly I agree, except for my college, where often there is no parking available and the only way to get a spot is to catch someone leaving. But since everyone suffers equally, this has also turned into a good way to get a ride to your car in exchange for your spot. Comes in handy when you’re parked 20 walking minutes from the school. [/QUOTE] Georgia Southern had that same problem when I attended school there. We used to arrive 20 minutes before our classes started so we could follow other students to their cars to get _any_ kind of parking place. We all had lots of parking tickets, too, from parking in dormitory parking or in spaces we “made” because of lack of parking. The college had little to no parking for off-campus students and there was nowhere to park off-campus close enough to walk to school. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-about-people-who-block-parking-lot-aisles/381745.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-about-people-who-block-parking-lot-aisles/381745.md?page=3)