# Restaurant parking in front of dining area windows. Should cars kill their headlights quickly?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurant-parking-in-front-of-dining-area-windows-should-cars-kill-their-headlights-quickly/740617>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [December 16, 2015, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurant-parking-in-front-of-dining-area-windows-should-cars-kill-their-headlights-quickly/740617 "2015-12-16T16:36:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![purplehearingaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@purplehearingaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehearingaid)\
**Post date:** [December 17, 2015, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurant-parking-in-front-of-dining-area-windows-should-cars-kill-their-headlights-quickly/740617/41 "2015-12-17T01:45:20Z")

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> [@kayaker](#):
>
> Up-scale hamburger place?
> 
> The valet parking attendant will do whatever is appropriate.

LOL! That is a good one !

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**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\
**Post date:** [December 17, 2015, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurant-parking-in-front-of-dining-area-windows-should-cars-kill-their-headlights-quickly/740617/42 "2015-12-17T13:13:27Z")

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> [@Spud](#):
>
> Such places do actually exist. Here is one from celebrity chef Michael Symon.
> 
> [http://bspotburgers.com/](http://bspotburgers.com/)
> 
> The one near me actually does offer valet parking.

OK, I’ll go with that being an upscale hamburger place.

I think though that the OP restaurant is just a burger joint. McDonalds, BurgerKing, Wendy’s, are all _fast food places_. A step up from that is a restaurant featuring burgers. You need something bigger; freshly slaughtered bison, a one month wait for a reservation, dining room that rotates over the city, valet parking, candles, whatever before it deserves “upscale”.

David’s Burgers is not upscale, home of Butcher Boy Burgers notwithstanding.

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**Author:** ![Krouget](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b38774/32.png) [@Krouget](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Krouget)\
**Post date:** [December 17, 2015, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurant-parking-in-front-of-dining-area-windows-should-cars-kill-their-headlights-quickly/740617/43 "2015-12-17T13:14:51Z")

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> [@Rigamarole](#):
>
> In the photo you posted, there is a significant elevation difference between the parking spaces and the eating space. Not that there wouldn’t of course still be some glare, but it’s not like the headlights would be pointing _directly_ at the people sitting inside. Whereas there are some restaurants that this is exactly the case, and where I think it would be a little more obnoxious.

Right, that’s what I was thinking. I opened the thread expecting a bit worse than the photo. I wouldn’t really be bothered by that parking situation.

However, there are places where the seating is level with the parking lot and headlights can be very annoying-- especially on some older vehicles where the aim is off, or giant SUVs. I’d definitely turn off my headlights.

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**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\
**Post date:** [December 17, 2015, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurant-parking-in-front-of-dining-area-windows-should-cars-kill-their-headlights-quickly/740617/44 "2015-12-17T15:45:27Z")

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The photo I linked was as close a match that I could find. There’s a second entrance on the side of that location that is more level and thats where parked car lights shine brightly into the restaurant. A minor annoyance for the people that eat at the window booths.

I try to keep from adding to the problem with my own car. Doing my bit to be polite as possible. But not every driver may even realize their car’s headlights can disturb other people trying to enjoy a meal. This thread then (perhaps) raised the issue in a constructive way.

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