Comments on: Who gets the parking space?

By: BeenThereDoneThat

BeenThereDoneThat — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 19:33:51 +0000

…. There is no law against it, plus it just recently happened again to me. Yes I saved a spot, who cares?… only the one trying to park there. What was funny though is it was a young girl, she started spouting off cuss-words like she was taught them when she was one. She even left a note on my windshield saying it was a public parking lot. I just laughed and wrote a note of her level intellect (profane-note) on the same sheet of paper and left it on her windshield. Took off and there it remains. One must also consider the terms of the account. It may be viewed as hateful or aggressive, but the intent was well given. She may not like what I wrote back to her and may try to file charges. Then again, she never had the rights to yell at me like that and the charges for harassment such as she said can be brought against her in the court of law.

By: Gavin

Gavin — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 15:21:27 +0000

In sao paulo, brasil, I often saw people standing in parking spots and then selling them. They often got injured when run into.

By: It's good to be the King

It's good to be the King — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 17:47:48 +0000

Okay, I’ll agree with holding a spot for a couple reasons (injured or a moving truck) but otherwise, absolutely no saving spots!

Even if you were standing in the spot and wouldn’t move, I would park the car in front of the parking space and walk away so your friend could not get in.

And for the people who shovel the streets for a parking space and/or block it with paint cans, cones, etc: Thanks for shoveling the road and littering. Your actions do not entitle you to the spot. It is PUBLIC PROPERTY, not your personal parking spot; Presuming that it is yours b/c you put 2 minutes worth of effort into it is ridiculous. The rule is “first come, first served”, not “first come, first REserved”. Unfortunately, you are probably successful most of the time because most people are too lazy to get out of their cars to move those objects.

Don’t get me wrong, I sympathize with people who live in areas or cities with terrible parking. But hey, that is a consequence of the lifestyle choice you have made.

By: Off Topic

Off Topic — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 14:59:25 +0000

On a completely unrelated topic, what is that picture in the middle of the post of? (Between the cars and the map.)

By: greenstrawberries

greenstrawberries — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 05:45:41 +0000

I had a friend who had recently had knee surgery, but did not have a handicapped parking permit. She was driving, and we spotted a spot a row or two over that was really close to the entrance of the movie theater we were going to. (we had been looking for quite some time for a parking spot) She couldn’t walk very far, so I jumped out and stood in the spot while she drove up to it, to save her the trouble of walking from a really far away spot. I stood close to the entrance to the spot so that other drivers could see me. A driver came up about a minute after I was standing there, and I explained the scenario, but they were really angry and wouldn’t go away. My friend pulled up very soon after thus causing a stand-off situation between 2 cars and a person! The people in the first car didn’t believe me that my friend had just had knee surgery, and they ceded the spot once she showed them her crutches! (she was driving an automatic and it was her left knee that had the injury)I think in those kind of cases, spot saving should be allowed, but I am aware of the fact that people would abuse it.

By: Tim

Tim — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 12:07:36 +0000

Last Saturday was Car Free Day – not sure if any other cities celebrated it, but here in Toronto there were a bunch of people who paid for parking spaces on Queen St., then occupied them, with the express intent of making sure NOBODY could park there. The activities performed by people in the spaces ranged from mime, to dance, to free haircuts! I’d say that’s a much better use for public space.

By: Tdave

Tdave — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 06:59:58 +0000

I would be afraid to leave my car in a spot that someone wanted to claim as their own. If they seek revenge, you might come back to find scratched paint or broken glass or firefighters hosing down the smoldering wreckage.(o.k. maybe not that last thing)

By: Rob

Rob — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 00:58:58 +0000

hmmm… Seems there is a niche for an interprising person to make light weight cardboard car cut-outs.

By: austin mama

austin mama — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 22:04:24 +0000

Holy cow! This just happened to me the other day! I had never considered it before and when I backed out of a parking space that I realized had “No Parking – Tow Zone” painted very faintly on the wall in front of me, I turned around to get into a space that I eyed in my rearview mirror. By the time I had turned around, there was a guy standing in the space. I pulled up and he crossed his arms and shook his head. He then motioned to the person in the car just behind me that had also turned into the parking lot I was in. I couldn’t believe it. I inched forward and we had a little stand off for awhile. I had to back up some to line up for the space and he walked up to my bumper and stood right at it. I was in my husband’s big a-s 4×4 truck, but I’m a pretty small woman, so I guess he was trying to intimidate me. Which he did. I parked right there, with him in front of me.

His friend ended up in the legal spot. I could’ve gotten a ticket, but I was just getting take out. I was furious! I really wanted to knock him over (for a second) then I decided it wasn’t worth the assault charge. I left them a note when I left. It said “That was bad karma – Shanah Tova.” (happy new year)

By: Sara

Sara — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 21:38:09 +0000

I’m amazing at how strongly people feel about this! I’ve never even considered that it wasn’t acceptable to hold a parking spot – after all I can’t think of a scenario in which it would be for more than a minute, because how would you have gotten there if you didn’t come from the car that’s going to park there (but had to make a u-turn, or something)? Mind you I’ve never actually done it, but wow, I’ll make sure not to so I don’t get royally bitched at!