# What's with "Two cars meeting in an empty parking lot" thing I see occassionally? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 6, 2019, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-two-cars-meeting-in-an-empty-parking-lot-thing-i-see-occassionally/835102 "2019-06-06T01:07:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-two-cars-meeting-in-an-empty-parking-lot-thing-i-see-occassionally/835102/1 "2019-06-06T01:07:33Z")
Basically sometimes in an empty corner of a parking lot I’ll see two cars side by side facing in opposite directions with both driver side doors open and both drivers apparently talking. That has to be a drug deal right? That way if the cops come they can immediately drive away in opposite directions. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-two-cars-meeting-in-an-empty-parking-lot-thing-i-see-occassionally/835102/2 "2019-06-06T01:17:00Z")
Yeah, or it’s two people who know each other, having a chat, facing opposite directions because that puts both drivers close enough to be able to talk comfortably. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-two-cars-meeting-in-an-empty-parking-lot-thing-i-see-occassionally/835102/3 "2019-06-06T01:18:09Z")
They are facing in opposite directions so the driver’s doors are next to each other. It could be some small time drug deal, but it could also be people talking to each other or conducting a Craig’s List sale, or any number of legal activities. I suppose in the age of cell phones it’s less likely to be two people talking to each other the way anyone would have assumed 20 something years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Springtime_for_Spacers)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-two-cars-meeting-in-an-empty-parking-lot-thing-i-see-occassionally/835102/4 "2019-06-06T01:21:58Z")
Some are and some are taxi drivers (et al) taking their breaks together and still others are folks in the early stages of an affair. ---
**Author:** ![brossa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brossa/32/3040_2.png) [@brossa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brossa)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-two-cars-meeting-in-an-empty-parking-lot-thing-i-see-occassionally/835102/5 "2019-06-06T01:27:31Z")
It’s how I got my dog from the breeder; we met in a town halfway between our cities. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-two-cars-meeting-in-an-empty-parking-lot-thing-i-see-occassionally/835102/6 "2019-06-06T01:57:00Z")
I’ve had the odd chat in a parking lot like that. I don’t immediately go to drug deal in the local Wal-Mart. Seems a drug dealer would be smarter than that. But who knows? They’re not real smart or they wouldn’t be dealing drugs. ---
**Author:** ![Arcite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/67e7ee/32.png) [@Arcite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arcite)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-two-cars-meeting-in-an-empty-parking-lot-thing-i-see-occassionally/835102/7 "2019-06-06T02:08:13Z")
> [@Asuka](#): > > Basically sometimes in an empty corner of a parking lot I’ll see two cars side by side facing in opposite directions with both driver side doors open and both drivers apparently talking. > > That has to be a drug deal right? That way if the cops come they can immediately drive away in opposite directions. Interesting, because the only times I’ve seen this they’ve been cop cars! ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-two-cars-meeting-in-an-empty-parking-lot-thing-i-see-occassionally/835102/8 "2019-06-06T02:43:00Z")
This is basically how all my Craigslist sales go down. “Here is a chair. OK, here is some money. Have a nice life.” ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-two-cars-meeting-in-an-empty-parking-lot-thing-i-see-occassionally/835102/9 "2019-06-06T02:52:26Z")
> [@Arcite](#): > > Interesting, because the only times I’ve seen this they’ve been cop cars! Those are definitely drug deals. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-two-cars-meeting-in-an-empty-parking-lot-thing-i-see-occassionally/835102/10 "2019-06-06T02:58:11Z")
Definitely drug deals. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-two-cars-meeting-in-an-empty-parking-lot-thing-i-see-occassionally/835102/11 "2019-06-06T03:09:23Z")
The ones I see are usually cops. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-two-cars-meeting-in-an-empty-parking-lot-thing-i-see-occassionally/835102/12 "2019-06-06T03:31:40Z")
Well, I suppose many policemen drive unmarked cars. So those two civilian cars you see might be two policemen exchanging office gossip. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-two-cars-meeting-in-an-empty-parking-lot-thing-i-see-occassionally/835102/13 "2019-06-06T03:33:01Z")
90% of the time when I see this they are 2 cop cars. Also why would people do drug deals like this? Drug deals are supposed to be inconspicuous. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-two-cars-meeting-in-an-empty-parking-lot-thing-i-see-occassionally/835102/14 "2019-06-06T03:34:54Z")
Earthworms are [simultaneous hermaphrodites](https://animals.howstuffworks.com/animal-facts/earthworm3.htm). > [@HowStuffWorks](#): > > To copulate, two worms line up against one another facing opposite directions. When you see two cop cars facing opposite directions in a parking lot that is _not_ two cops shooting the shit; they’re making new cop cars. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-two-cars-meeting-in-an-empty-parking-lot-thing-i-see-occassionally/835102/15 "2019-06-06T03:50:36Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > 90% of the time when I see this they are 2 cop cars. > > Also why would people do drug deals like this? Drug deals are supposed to be inconspicuous. It’s quick and easy. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-two-cars-meeting-in-an-empty-parking-lot-thing-i-see-occassionally/835102/16 "2019-06-06T04:11:47Z")
It’s two cops doing a drug deal via Craigslist. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-two-cars-meeting-in-an-empty-parking-lot-thing-i-see-occassionally/835102/17 "2019-06-06T04:40:59Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > It’s quick and easy. There are much quicker. much easier, and much less obvious ways of doing drug deals. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-two-cars-meeting-in-an-empty-parking-lot-thing-i-see-occassionally/835102/18 "2019-06-06T05:18:03Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > There are much quicker. much easier, and much less obvious ways of doing drug deals. True, but those ways aren’t always equally convenient for both parties. ---
**Author:** ![EdelweissPirate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8491ac/32.png) [@EdelweissPirate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EdelweissPirate)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-two-cars-meeting-in-an-empty-parking-lot-thing-i-see-occassionally/835102/19 "2019-06-06T06:21:39Z")
The drug dealers who would give up essential inconspicuity to purchase a little temporary convenience deserve neither inconspicuity nor convenience. Also, they tend to go to prison, where they’re greatly conspicuous and greatly inconvenienced. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-two-cars-meeting-in-an-empty-parking-lot-thing-i-see-occassionally/835102/20 "2019-06-06T06:37:09Z")
> [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](#): > > Well, I suppose many policemen drive unmarked cars. So those two civilian cars you see might be two policemen exchanging **office gossip.** …or drugs. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-two-cars-meeting-in-an-empty-parking-lot-thing-i-see-occassionally/835102.md?page=2)