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cars

Be aggressive, be-be aggressive

Today in the Bart parking lot, a car parked thisclose to me.  And I came out there and looked at it, and it was one of those small-ish SUVs, way over its line into my space, and I purposely left room when I parked for the car to the right of mine to open their door…so why aren’t other people as considerate?

I have a car that could be accurately described as “small,” and the doors are really long, so even if I can get it open like 8 inches, I have to squeeze myself way into that wedge to get past the seatback.  Ugh.

I actually wrote a note, intending to leave it on the hated car.  I wrote it in red sharpie because it’s all I had on me, but maybe I subconsciously wanted to use red sharpie.

“Hey, parked a LITTLE close on your right side, didn’t you?  I am now climbing in the passenger-side door of my 2-door, stick shift coupe.  But don’t worry, I checked and you have PLENTY of room on YOUR driver’s side.”

Then I stood there with the note in my hand, thinking, This isn’t going to change anything. I still have to climb through my passenger door.  They’re not going to read this and think, “Wow, this chick is right, I should be a more considerate driver.”  They’re probably just going to call me a bitch and turn my note into litter.

So I crumpled it up and threw it and the red sharpie into the backseat.  Then I crawled between the two front seats, navigating the low steering wheel and the stick shift.  Then I backed out carefully (although I thought about just sort of gently scraping against the shiny paint on the haunch of their car).

I’m not sure if you would call my actions mature, or just resigned.

Update: Wow, being Freshly Pressed is totally all it’s cracked up to be!  I spent yesterday reading the comments (and laughing out loud) and feeling like a rockstar knowing that people – complete strangers – were reading, commiserating with, and enjoying this post.  I love WordPress and WordPressers!

131 replies on “Be aggressive, be-be aggressive”

I guess that You did right. Some drivers are “blind” to their environment and they have no respect to other car drivers. Same kind of thing happens here sometimes.

Once I was photographing one car which made a record in the worst parking. Then came the owner, one Lady, and she asked me why I was photographing her car. I answered truly and she told to me that she goes to her home and tell to her husband that he can “bruise” me. Well, it never happened because I disappeared.

So that kind of world is our world in which we living.

Safe driving and happy miles.

you could’ve folded a piece of paper to resemble a parking ticket and then left it on their dashboard.

it’s always fun to imagine people’s reaction when they think it’s a parking ticket to only find out it’s not.

If you had a dry-erase marker with you, you could have written the note on the windshield (mirror image) so they could read it once they got into the car.

I hate inconsiderate parkers. If you pulled in at a bad angle, or your car is way too close to one side, how hard is it to just back out, straighten up and try again? I have gotten back in my car and restarted it just to do that after I got out of it, thinking it was correctly parked, only to see it wasn’t.

I drive a compact, two-door car with a stick shift as well; I’ve had to wedge myself in that tiny space between my long driver’s side door and my seat MANY times because of drivers just like that one.

I think you did the right thing here though. You’re right; that driver probably thinks there was nothing wrong with his/her parking job, and you’re being whiny. Someday someone who’s just as inconsiderate will scrape the hell out of the side of that precious SUV, and I doubt even that will change that driver’s ways.

I left “The Note” once, only to be caught rehanded touching the Arnold Swarchzeneger wannabe’s Hummer wiper blades. He accused me of scratching his car and actually went after me for a moment. It was a lot like a three stooges episode. He probably never takes the ultimate off road vehicle off roading enyway. He doesn’t deserve that car…

By the way, Great blog!

I’m like you … When people are rude and inconsiderate … I want to do something mean right back at them … but then I start thinking why bother … what lesson will they learn? … will they ever change their rude behavior because of little old me? … alas doubtful … It still doesn’t stop me from hating rude and inconsiderate behavior AND parking like that is definitely in that category.

Indonesian drivers are even more rude and inconsiderate. It’s terrible here.

I can tell what’s worst than this: is when i find a chip paint on my door (like when someone opens their doors really hard and hit my door). I hate people like that!

I searched hard but didn’t find the word “passive” in your post. Yeah, you need to escalate.

The reality is that, most likely, the person operating that vehicle had no clue what they did and is probably not qualified to drive it, either.

The other day I met a client for breakfast and HE was the one who parked that way. I pulled into a spot, realized his rig was blocking a third of it, had to pull back out, and go find parking elsewhere. The guy is an utter boob and obliviot.

Welcome to Earth.

See now when i first passed my driving test i remember recieving notes on my car in car parks….lets just say i hadn’t mastered the skills of bay-parking, parallel parking and well just parking in general…
However notes sometimes do work, i never parked in that car park until i learnt to stay in the lines!

Some folks are just bad drivers. I bet they didn’t even notice they’d pinned you in. Add a car seat in the back…and a crying baby…that driver could have just been trying to survive! I’ve got a little OCD on those little car “dings” you get when someone parks close to you and they bump their door into the side of your car. I always park in an end spot…and place my car closer to the side of the space that’s farther away from the single adjacent spot. Sometimes you walk a little more….but with confidence.

Or, rather…maybe you should have pretended to have an “old war injury” that prevented you from contorting yourself into small shapes, so you could fit in your car. You could have told the parking authority about this car’s offense, and possibly, just possibly, it could have been towed!

You totally should have left the note. It’s not immature. It’s just mildly passive aggressive. Everyone needs to let out their passive aggressive side once in a while.

❤ Milieu

Should have just written on their window with the red sharpie. It would have washed off – but not without some effort.

I have had to park off to the side because the person beside me parked really badly many times. At my old work I arrived early and would have to park around people who had just dashed in to drop their kids off at the day care nearby and hadn’t really bothered to park, so then I looked bad for the rest of the day. Was rather frustrating.

You could have done what I used to do: Keyed them and then slammed my door into them while getting into my car. They are well aware of the fact that they are parking in such a manner. I have mellowed a bit because I now realise that Americans are, in general, inconsiderate and irresponsible. Not all of them, but a majority. And critical thinking has gone to the wayside. Now I just put stupidity tickets on their cars. The tickets have check-boxes for the offence. Parking too close is a choice on the ticket. I use it a lot. It is almost like people can’t see the white lines. I think that they can’t when they are in SUVs, no matter how small, because the SUV has a higher front. Solution to the problem, that would also be environmentally friendly, the manufacturers shouldn’t be making such big vehicles that promote this problem. Just my opinion, mind you. Then again, I am a tree-hugger.

I really like Brandon’s dry-marker idea. A lot… :O)

1. No paper to throw away.
2. Driver has to clean off comment.
3. Others may see comments and go hmm…
4. Downside, assumes driver can read which is not always true.

I had a friend do this one time — let the air out of all 4 tires. I must admit I thought it was hilarious, but at the same time I was scared shitless that the guy would return and pull a .38 out of the glove compartment. I guess a polite note is really the best way not to pass one’s rage along.

I don’t think its THAT big of a deal…thats just me. There are bigger eggs to fry IMO.

buttt i do feel your pain. it can be annoying. At least you vented here instead of venting on someone’s car. LOL.

I might have gone with the keying but that is rude. But so is parking so close to another car that the driver cannot get in. I would go with the dry erase marker next time. Who knows it might be me who does it to you. Great post and congrats on being freshly pressed.

It was probably a woman who parked like that! Parking a car in a descent way is much more difficult for women than giving birth to a pair of Twins 😀
Sometimes I see women driving in the speed lane much slower than the allowed speed. It’s so frustrating specially in a 2-lane street/highway. But what can I do?! I stay patient looking at people’s stupidity.
As a whole, I believe women are genetically lacking driving skills, coool 🙂

Oh thanks for the misogynist comment. I was hoping that wouldn’t come up, but human nature being what it is I see I was hoping in vain. I wish we all could tell who the bad drivers are by their sex or ethnicity. Sadly, I live in an area of equal opportunity dumbshit drivers. And by the way, if your vision is suffering and you only notice women driving badly, may I suggest giving up your driver’s license? You may be a danger to yourself and others, because I can assure you men drive just as poorly as women.

unfortunately, I was expecting this would come up. I did my best to ignore him in my passive-aggressive post below, but I’m glad I wasn’t the only one who noticed this.

I have had that EXACT experience more than once. I drive a little 2 door BMW 325i. I have climbed across my front seat with much scary danger posed to certain body parts which I can’t mention on this comment in order to open my 1000 lb door to exit on the other side. Maybe a note would be good. Something like, “Hi, just wanted you to know that I was strolling along in the parking lot headed for my car and noticed the owner of the car next to you looking like he was about to key your car. I asked him what was going on and he said he was furious that you had parked so close to him. I was able to talk him out of his rash action, but gosh, you might want to be careful in the future. Some people are scary! –Helpful Me

In the end I think you did the right thing. They wouldn’t care or they would have thought to leave you space to get into your car.

While I was reading your post I thought, I would have waited for the car on the other side to leave then parked that close to his drivers side, see how he likes it. Hehehe

Excellent. You people are full of great ideas. I can see it now, a little box in my car full of silly string, dry markers, etc.

Good job on not leaving a note, all angry notes come off passive aggressive…true story. I understand not scraping the car is the mature thing to do, but I would have opened my door hard and fast, you are obviously a better person. Owning a shiny car means you should try to do a better parking job to keep it shiny.

Some drivers are super shitty at driving, they can’t quite help it, they just are and they do a terrible job at it. Why do we let them on the road when they can’t drive worth a damn? Err… that’s probably a good question. I know several people who can’t park AT ALL and always go over the line, and leave it like that. Me personally I worry about my little white car so I will back up, repark, and repark again if I messed it up. But, that’s just me.

You could have door dinged them – but then you’re just as likely to chip the paint on your car. Someone up above the comments noted “keying”, but I don’t know if they were being hyperbolic or literal – if literal, is that really mature? intentional property damage over an inconvenience?

You did the mature thing. I’ve left notes before for people who’ve blocked my driveway. I’ve dinged doors, I’ve crawled thru the passenger side.

Had you been substantially blocked on the other side as well, you could have gone back to the store and had them call up the owner on the intercom!

Just keep in mind though that while most of us make concerted efforts to be “considerate”, there’s always going to be a chance we’ll be the inconsiderate one. Who knows, maybe next week you’ll accidentally park too close to one side of a line. Pray that others show you the same civility and maturity that you showed to the particular person the other day. “Do unto others as you’d have them do unto you.”

I drive an SUV. I park carefully inside my lines, usually maneuvering a couple of times to get it right. I try and park in the less popular spots – ie further away with more walking. And this happens to me all the time. Your restraint is noteworthy. I have left notes, and had to stop myself from doing other less savory things. I got sick of it. Now I use these –
http://www.youparklikeanasshole.com/
They have lovely printable forms with boxes you tick…..I don’t care if I piss someone else off, they already did it to me.

You definitely got the shaft on that parking situation. I’m guessing the SUV driver did not have a front-seat passenger that day. Personally, I’ll park and re-park just to make sure there’s enough room on both sides of my car.
I’ve never thought to leave a note because, like you, I’m convinced people who park like that just don’t care how other people feel.
I will say, though, there are plenty of people who just do not understand the dimensions of their cars and how much space they take up. They don’t mean to cause trouble; they’re just clueless.
-Jen

http://sasfiction.wordpress.com

Shoulda left a note so they’d consider being more considerate next time. But then again, people who do that are generally not the reflective “I want to improve myself” types, are they? Good on you for being the bigger person.

Psyche,

I get a lot of hope from the action of your many respondants. Varied and creative, they show the endless ways that we interact with each other when confronted.

Thank you for your post. I think I think it made me think about thinking about being.

Douglas

Aw! I was really hoping you would have left the note there. Sure, it wouldn’t have changed anything, but it would’ve been definitely okay to give that driver a piece of your mind in note form. Imagine the effects of the red sharpie note…priceless.

People are idiots, generally. They probably would have read your note and stupidly looked over to their right and thought, “Who sent this? There’s a whole empty space there.” So it would have been pointless. …You can see I have a lot of faith in humanity. 🙂

Definitely the mature course of action. For all you know, when he parked there might have been someone else parked too close on the other side. Or he might have one leg and need loads of space to get out – you’d feel a bit foolish if you found that out after you’d keyed his car and written him a rude note!

If the person is just an ass there’s more than likely nothing you can do to change that……but, I think you have to ask yourself something just in case they aren’t an oblivious jerk. Ask yourself, have you ever done that? Is there a chance that you might accidentally do it in the future? If the answer to either is yes then ask yourself another question. What would you want someone to do if you did the same to them? I’m thinking having someone leave me a note, a somewhat polite note mind you, is what I’d want someone to do if I ever did that. I wouldn’t want someone keying my car, or writing on my windshield, or dinging my door, etc.

As someone above said, “Do unto others as you’d have them do unto you”.

My best friend leaves little notes that say, “Thanks for taking up two spaces, –God” — needless to say she’s not religious. I find it quite funny but I try to stay away from negative energy like this. At the end of the day, we just have to laugh at assholes.

Please take my quiz and find out what fear, if any, is holding you back in life:

http://bigbangbang.wordpress.com/2010/11/16/whats-stopping-you/

Much love,

Shan

There’s a fun website called youparklikeanasshole.com. I find it cathartic. Though I would never actually use one of their notes on someone’s car, because you don’t know who you are dealing with. Tons of people in LA do the, “I have a nice car so I’m going to try and be subtle and park just over the line in hopes that no one will park next to me.” It actually just makes me laugh.

Ooops, you dropped your keys…aw, look…..it scratched the paint on the car next to you.

Gee, what ashame.

heeheehee………………………….

Last time someone did this to me, I went back into the store and got a bottle of milk of magnesia. I waited in the parking lot until the owner came back. I followed the vehicle home, drinking the MoM as I went. The owner parked the car at the curb and went into the home. When the MoM did it’s job, I climbed up onto the hood of the car and dropped my payload on the windshield. I laughed so hard driving away that I got lost in the residential neighborhood had to drive around for about 15 minutes trying to find my way out. it all felt strangely just and after such a huge bowel movement, my complexion cleared up for several weeks afterward. I guess that’s the true meaning of catharsis.

i would have done the same, most likely. I hate when people do stuff like that. They are so careless and inconsiderate

Thanks for the post. I suspect that people do this a lot on purpose, it’s sort of a little man’s complex thing.

I parallel parked along a curb at a library once and both the car in front and the car in back of me completely pinned me in. The cars were parked bumper to bumper. The librarian asked the drivers to move their cars over the intercom and the guy behind me actually showed up to move his car. He was a nice enough guy and when I asked him why he did that he just said that he thought I had enough room in the front! So, he really did know what he was doing! Should someone like that be allowed to own a Driver’s License?

I really like the dry-eraser idea.

I’m not sure if this was true in your case, but a couple times when this happens to me it is because after I leave, another car started the trend of parking to close to the other car, which has to park closer to me in turn. Maybe the driver thought he (I vote it was a male) would just be in and out quickly picking someone up, etc.

These are the thoughts I have now to prevent myself from being blinded by rage. I made it a new year’s resolution and so far it has been going okay.

To be fair after that one post about women being genetically horrible drivers, I must mention that I believe it is the overly-aggressive male drivers that also need their license revoked (the source of my rage). You can spot them a mile away. I mean, really? You need to rev your engine to speed in front of my tiny space? And then they give me the finger because I’m not going to make it easy for them (when there is a ton of space behind me, I checked).

In normal traffic speeds, I used to purposely try to block them (helping form the shield of slow cars), because I am just a horrible woman driver anyway, right? Asian, to boot. So suck it and drive slower than 70mph, loser.

After my resolution, I generally ignore them speeding around everyone and just watch their rage escalate for no real reason in their tinted, ‘racer’ cars or SUVs; different sizes, but the same thing being compensated for. One car went off-road just to cut someone else off. I hoped he got a nail or shrapnel in his tire. Other times it’s the carpool lane, which is understandable but not really.

I gave up asking “why” in regards to people. I just chalk it up to these people being totally oblivious to the world around them. Cirucmstances and experiences that happened to them that I (as far as I know) had NO part of, have formed how they act or react.
Like you, I am very courteous to others around me, but I’m the one with the problem if I really expect people to do as I do. It’s just NOT going to happen, so no sense in spending the time/energy in reacting.
You did the right thing. Be thankful that you were able to slide in through the passenger side and continue with your day.

And for the record, I NEVER park between 2 cars for the fear of “oblivious” people that may ding my car when getting in or out of theirs. I go for the spots that are along the edge of a parking lot, curb or structure; and yes…this usually means that I may have to walk a little ways longer to reach the store, but I think a few extra steps and some exercise is worth more than the hassle of being “dinged” or of what you just wrote about.

I used to have these little cards when I was in high school. It was Mickey Mouse giving the finger, and it say something like “Hey a-hole! Next time leave a crowbar so I can get my car out!”

I left those things all over the city. But you’re a better person than me.

I think you should have left the note. Maybe they would have crumpled it up and called you a bitch at the time, however, I believe you would have planted a seed. Sometimes that’s our role, to plant the seed. We may never see it flower, but down the line it will and if we had not planted the seed, well, nothing would change.

I leave notes myself. Not often, but I have done it. I think your note was polite and to the point. I’ve written in purple sharpie before. A red sharpie is what you had, a purple one is what I had. How is that subliminal if you can’t find anything else to write with? Next time leave the note. You already when to the trouble to write it, why waste it?

I often wonder the same thing you do, why aren’t other people considerate? I will repark my car if it is too close to someone, or crooked in the space and might make it hard for the next drive to get in (to the next space). My husband thinks I’m nuts. And I have never gotten an answer to that question, either. If you do, please post it! I’d love to know!

Sad to say, but I used to fret about being considerate to others until I gave up and accepted the inconsiderate horde. There were just too many. I’d watch my friends drive/park and think: wow no one is doing anything to their horrible driving. And if someone did, they certainly wouldn’t care. They would probably snicker and say, “this person has too much time on their hands.”

Before the horde killed my considerate spirit, I remember this minivan woman left her car door wide open resting on my car the whole time she was doing something still in the car. I asked her to at least leave her car door half-open and she looked at me like I was crazy. But at least she did it anyway, but only because I watched her. (I was going to use the atm)

And yes, I used to also park and repark until I was perfect. Now if I am a little close to the line I just darkly think, “Ugh, whatever. Everyone else does worse.”

I think you should have left a note, but been a little friendlier. Sometimes people are unaware of their surroundings, and this reminder might change them. But I agree, if you left the note you initially wrote, they would have thought, “bitch!” Maybe a little more nicely worded (and less sarcastic) note would have done the trick. Not that I blame you for being annoyed!
http://simplysolo.wordpress.com

One word – brilliant! Though to some it may seem like a trivial post, to me it’s the simplicity that makes it hilarious. This has to be one of my major annoyances … ever! I would not have been as ‘mature’ as yourself and definitely done some damage to that car.

I would have probably scratched the shit out of it. I have been known to pitch hissy fits in parking lots because of idiots that can’t park. I was in between two morons once and seriously had no idea how to get out of the parking spot b/c they had both parked at opposite angles. ugh!

I feel your pain. Nothing is more frustrating than trying to be a good person when a lot of people (not all, of course) around us seem to take advantage of people’s good nature and stamp their boot-print in your back… Having said that, I have to say that I would have left a note. However, I would not make it sarcastic or punishing. Once people become upset and defensive it does not matter what your message is… they just won’t get it. I would have left a note like this: “Pardon me, but I had a devil of a time getting into my car because you parked too close. Please be considerate of other’s parking space as I am sure you are hoping they will be of yours.”

It gets the message across without sounding like a fire-breathing dragon. Of course, there are no guarantees that they won’t still be offended or carelessly throw your note to the ground. However, I have found that if no one speaks up people like this will NEVER stop their bad behaviors. If enough people say something without being a torch-brearing mob, then maybe someday they will unconsciously think a little more about others instead of all about themselves. Either way, I at least feel better knowing that I have tried to make that person aware of their bad behavior and that maybe with a little effort it will spare someone else being in the same situation as I was with the same careless driver…

I had to do this once in my two door 350z – not exactly an easy car to climb through the passenger seat in. I was SO pissed! It was a motorcycle that blocked me in and he was not even legally parked (I was in the end parking spot.) The super annoying thing – he had plenty of room to not block my door but did it on purpose! This was at my office and I knew the owner of the bike and confronted him on it later… and he admitted he did it intentionally. To be fair, I was hugging the line. But he was parked in a NON-PARKING spot and had plenty of space to not block my door. I was super pissed. He was kind of an odd guy and I was one of the few people at the office friendly to him… but not after that incident.

You know, when people do this to me, I do think about the fact that it could be worse. The worst parking that I ever saw was when a person parked on the striped lines between two vehicles owned by handicapped people. Well, I was sitting there waiting for my daughter to come out of the store and here comes this woman in a wheelchair and she couldn’t get into her car because the idiot who parked on the striped area had essentially prevented her from getting her wheelchair next to the driver’s side door. So, two morals of this story are:

1. Some handicap people do drive and need to have access to their vehicles while they are in their wheelchairs; they fold them up and shove them behind the driver’s seat

and 2. We non-handicapped people should be happy that we can crawl in from the passenger’s side and get into the driver’s seat.

Bless you all.

I was in the same exact situation several months ago. I took a picture and showed it to me husband that night. Just last week, he was looking for a fresh page to write on in the notebook in my car and came across my message to the perp that I was too afraid to leave. There’s something to be said for therapeutic writing…

Congratulations on being mature. A lot of people think it’s okay to act like a jerk when someone else acts like a jerk. If you have a small car, I’ll bet this happens to you a lot. You should see what happens when you ride a little scooter! It’s ridiculous, but the offending parkers don’t have a clue. I’ve started taking pictures of the worst ones and turned it into a contest, which keeps me from turning into a jerk! Writing about it like you did is even better!

I must admire your restraint; I don’t know if I’d be able to resist if I found myself in the same situation. It really frustrates me when people are inconsiderate, and even though the mature thing to do would be to sigh, shake my head and walk away, it just feels so much more satisfying to give them a little piece of my mind.

I like how you took a step back and thought about it before reacting…that’s something I always wish I was more capable of!

I agree with you that a note probably wouldn’t make much difference, but letting the air out of their tires and leaving a note might get them to realize that there are other people in the world!

Someone lady did this to me one day and since I had the time, I waited for her to come out of the store. I had the patience and I was PISSED! I stood, leaning on her vehicle and when she came out she was very confused and I informed her that she was rude and inconsiderate and that she needed to learn how to drive her vehicle or not drive at all.

Another time, I was still in my car when someone in a HUGE SUV pulled in next to my car and actually HIT ME! I was so pissed and the police were very much on my side 🙂 I guess you could say I am not as mature as you are or grown up, but I have no qualms about informing people of their stupidity.

Nice post, congrats on being freshly pressed.

Once, I returned to my car (parked on the street) to find another car actually wedged behind me–up against my bumper! The license plate of their car had left a number impression in my paint, I kid you not. I had only had my car for a month, at the time.
It wasn’t even a situation where they had bumped me and then backed up. No, they actually left their car physically pressed against mine.
I was so steamed I left an angry note, but…..unfortunately the only paper I had to write on was a notepad with a kitten on it (a gift). So, basically, I left them an “angry kitten” note.
Looking back, it was ridiculous. But I was young… what can I say?

This happened to me once, and I was all ready to curse out the MFer who parked so close to me….I waited a bit…I had my speech all planned out…my blood was boiling….
and then I saw her…
too bad for me it was a little old white-haired woman who, when she saw me waiting to get into my car, apologized about 10 times and practically wanted to bake me cookies because she was so sorry!
Did I feel stupid!

First day back to school I had this same thing happen to me. You would hope that university students would learn at some point that, “Look, there’s another car. I should park a respectable distance so that I don’t ruin my new, or old, car!” Nope. Apparently parking is difficult and that 2 and 3/4 of an inch, yes I measured, is an appropriate distance from another vehicle. Luckily, I took the path you took as I needed to be somewhere ten minutes prior. Later, I saw that same car parked again, the same way, only thing was this time they actually had their parking tag. Turned out to be a professor. I don’t even know why but it seems so much worse when I found out who it was. I really wished that I had written some note for them at that point.

I feel like everyone has these moments. I can’t tell you how many times I have drafted emails and notes to coworkers, friends and strangers in this manner, most of the time haven’t followed through. Typically going to passiveaggressivenotes.com will make you feel like a better person and relieve some of the tension. Congrats on taking the high road!
– Bailey

As someone posted earlier, I admire you and your personal restraint. There seems to be quite a diverse list of ideas on what you should have done. I too believe that it would have been better to leave the note…at least they might have at least thought about it next time. Some people just do not have the good common sense that the rest of us have. Blessings to you!

Parking is like racing, and every body wants a good place while parking, but its never Done when you take someone’s parking place and not be considerate…
I think you should have posted the note and used really pinching language to make them realize, even if they are going to throw it and scold you among them, at least they would know someone hates them for their stupid stupidity…
But bravo to your kindness, that you were very care full while backing,
I sincerely liked the post!
Thank you!

Hilarious!

I would have left the note for them though!

Parking like that is one of my pet peevs. I even wrote on a car windscreen once in lipstick (the only writing implement I had on me) as they were parked half over the driveway of the block of flats I lived in, making it near impossible to get the car through.

However, I do admire you for taking the higher road. I wish I could do it more myself!

Good blog post on the “almost” you had…just leave it next time. Hmm, maybe with a nice brick attached to it and thru their windshield? I joke about the brick part but you should have left the note. As a writer, you know how good it feels to get those feelings out!

Congratulations on being on the front page of the Word Press website!

Sincerely,

Kevin Hellriegel http://khellriegel.wordpress.com

I would have opened my door and squeeze in, left him a mark and I wouldn’t care. Once I was driving in an alley and I couldn’t turn left cause one car had double parked, well I just turned and didn’t give a damn about the mark I had left him. At that point I understood that this is how it’s going to be if no one cares enough, they do it to me, I’ll do it to them. Just so you know, I am a very good driver and patient and careful but I hate being the victum.

We went to this mall just last week. It has a fairly small multi-level car park but I can assure you that, in that level alone, there were at least five instances where cars ate two parking spaces even if the parking slot’s width was well enough to accommodate a large vehicle.

I hate it when people can’t park! I pay to park in a garage everyday and there’s people in there that never manage to stay between the lines. I think you were smart to not leave the note – there are some crazies out there these days. But there is a silver lining. Probably the next time they do a shotty parking job, someone will pull in on their drivers side and park correctly… and then they won’t be able to get in. Karma.

I feel your pain. Same thing happened to me when I parked at a medical building this week. I come out to my car and the driver on my right had blocked my door while leaving themselves excessive access on their driver’s side!
I fumed for a while and crawled over the passenger side seat to get in to my car and as I pulled out I saw a person in a wheelchair roll up to the car that blocked me in.
I hated myself for the rest of the day and thanked God I had 2 good legs to crawl with.

Congrats on FP….

That’s happened to me a few times. On occassions I have felt like letting the persons tires down (I haven’t YET)….. If I had left a note I would of been tempted to attach it to a brick.

Same happened to me and my friends last night. We couldn’t park because the other car was parked just like in ur picture…..amazing! :S
luzeyeview.wordpress.com

Just for future reference – chapstick on a windshield can write a message that is just short of impossible to wipe off. Like writing on a foggy mirror, it shows up again once there’s any moisture on the glass.

I put a big “:(” on the windshield of a Jeep Liberty with a particularly heinous parking job.

Chapstick! Brilliant! My dad called me last night to tell me my very sweet and non-grudge-holding mother once wrote on a car in lipstick for doing this. But chapstick showing up over and over is even better.

Wow! Cool post, defiantly going to bookmark this blog. By the way, did you know your blog bugs out in K-melon browser?

Just had to put that, it’s all I ever read when I see a popular post.

Back on subject, when I park in an empty carpark and some douche parks right next to me!

It is so annoying when people do things like this. I don’t care if my car is old or new, it’s rude. I probably would have done the same thing, written the note, then decided against it, thinking it wouldn’t change them one bit. But, I would have also cussed and ranted and raved part of the way home–before I had the sense to realize they are not even going to be thinking twice about what they did to me. I just wish people could be more considerate. What if you had a dying grandmother in the hospital and you only had a few minutes to get there to see her last moments on earth and tell her you loved her? And taking time to squeeze into your car and climb over the seats just so you could pull out of the stall and head to the hospital made you lose precious time in saying your good-bys to your dear, sweet granny?! That would really suck. Hey, you just never know…

but MAYYYYYBEEE, the car on the other side of them (to the left) parked slightly into their spot, and pulling in parallel, although crooked was all they could do to not hit either car. . . . (and no, it isnt my car) lol.

You are a better person than I. If I have paper and pen, I feel almost compulsed to express my disgust in these situations. Someone did this to me once when I was over seven months pregnant. Climbing through the passenger seat was not an option. I was literally incapable of getting into my car. Needless to say, a note was not necessary that day.
Driving Misanthropy
http://tinyurl.com/37xwkfg

I am surprised you didn’t get your car scratched up! Although, the fact that you left a note might actually have deterred them – I mean, if I left a note like that, I’d definitely write down the car’s license plate number just in case!

I hate people who aren’t considerate with their parking! I have a Porsche, and it’s pretty big, but I still make sure to give the guy on my other side enough place for opening their doors.
Why can’t I get some space in return? Well, I did once. A guy was just getting out of the car at the same time as me, saw that his car was somewhat over the line, looked at me having difficulty getting out. He got back in and moved his car a little back so I had enough space to get out. Why can’t other people be the same?
Ashley

I used to have copies of a picture of Mickey Mouse flipping the bird and underneath the pic were the words….”Next time leave a canopener”. I kept ten or so in my car to put under thisclose parked car’s wipers. 🙂

At minimum you can print out prank parking tickets, and check the Parking Like a Jackass box. Then put it under the wipers.

Google prank parking tickets-images and your all set.

youparklikeanasshole.com !!!

here you go, a note that refers the offender to go to this website. You can download and print the pre-made notes and give them to who you deem an ignorant driver. The hate mail on this site is very aggressive so maybe it was best that you didn’t leave a note, some people get really offended.

haha 🙂
you should have left him a note saying “You parked too close to my car. You just dont mess with the Zohans. Wait till you turn on the ignition and see how your car blows up because of the bomb i managed to plant below your car” 🙂

nice read 🙂

The Zohan idea is pretty funny. Before anyone does it though, I think you might want to find out if it could raise some legal issues. I’m not a lawyer, but I think it could cause someone to call the cops, maybe have a security camera checked to find your license number, and maybe even visit from a deputy. People are pretty paranoid about anyuse of the word bomb in post 9/11 america. I’d don’t know, but I’d be careful.

OK–that is a bit too close for sure. Regarding the note, your actions were VERY much mature! I think its what makes WordPress such a nice tool for us. We can voice our opinions (i.e. RANT), which often helps us feel better. I have both a 4-door and a 2-door car. I avoid using the 2-door as an every day drive for the fear of inconsiderate people opening their doors and putting dings on my car. RG thinks I should drive it more simply b/c cars are material items and I should think more about the pleasure of driving the car rather than worry about the what-ifs. Yikes your pic didn’t help none. LOL Congrats on Freshly Pressed! LB

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