He tried to steal my parking spot!!!!

[Maleficent13]

What's the difference in this behavior and "cutting" into line at a park ? Either way, you are being discourteous to someone who was there before you were.

Sorry, but rude is rude, regardless of your point of view.

Gotta go with wvrevy on this one. And I loved the seagull post.

 

[minniepumpernickel]

(hanging head in shame). I once threw a Snickers bar on someone's windsheild in the middle of the summer in Florida when someone actually threatened to kick my a...... if I took the spot that I had been waiting for. I actually left the store and came back a little while later...I found out it was an employee that WORKED at that store. Wow, was that a sticky, nasty mess.

LOL, I can't believe that you did that!

I knew an old lady that would buys eggs at the grocery, and then go around and egg peoples cars! She is my friends grandmother.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Tigger_Magic, I'm confused--jfulcer asked, in your opinion, what the OP should have done.

You then replied, "What I would have done: calmly advised the other driver that I was waiting/signaling to pull into the parking space; told him/her that their behavior was inconsiderate. If they choose to force the issue, I would find somewhere else to park."

Alliecats then asked how you would have "calmly advised the other driver", and you then replied, "Put car in Park. Turn off ignition. Open door. Get out & walk to other car. Talk. It's actually quite simple and easy to do."

Then Darrose brought up a good safety point with, "Tigger_Magic....I think that by turning off the car, and approaching the other driver you may be putting yourself into a dangerous situation."

Your reply is then, "True. I was simply answering alliecats question. I would not advise anyone actually doing this; the safest course of action is to avoid a parking lot confrontation (over a parking space of all things) with a complete stranger".

Huh??? You were asked a serious question, answered, and then seemed to backpeddle.

I can appreciate that you don't think it's worth ruffling your feathers over a parking lot space. It's not that I don't agree with that in theory, but I personally would not roll over and play dead and allow myself to be walked all over in a situation like this. I think what the OP did was right on the mark. Now if I were looking for a spot, saw someone getting ready to leave, but made it to the parking spot at the same time as someone else, I'd back down and not push the point, but that's not what has happened in this case. These drivers KNEW someone else was waiting, but they felt that they were somehow better and the deserved the spot. Very rude and to be wimpish and roll over and let "alpha driver" have what he or she wants is a bit too passive for me. No, it's not worth a fight, yelling, etc.

I recently was in a parking lot and was looking for a spot. It wasn't a packed parking lot, but fairly busy. I saw a spot in the next row and I circled around for it. Someone had gotten there before me and I was going to continue looking. No biggy, he was there first. He looked at me, realized that I was circling for the spot and motioned me to have it. I was shocked. I did take the spot and if I had of seen him I would have thanked him for his polite behavior (and asked if he had a son my 17yo daughter's age... ). We could all use more of that kind of behavior and he brightened my day--a random act of kindness kind of thing.

So I'm all for polite, kind behavior. I love to dish that out and it's wonderful to receive. But allowing a borish, rude person to steamroll over me isn't going to happen without me at least acting like I care.

And we all have hot buttons that we'll react to and resist. Your hot button might be something totally different. Funny think is that I wasn't raised to stick up for myself--my mother was passive, but would then rant and rave to her family about a rude clerk, bad service, a driver cutting in front of her. Better if she would have just learned to calmly speak up at the time than to complain so much later.

T&B

 

[Chattyaholic]

What's the difference in this behavior and "cutting" into line at a park ? Either way, you are being discourteous to someone who was there before you were.

Sorry, but rude is rude, regardless of your point of view.

I'm sorry, but your point of view is no more important than mine, or vice versa. Your point of view thinks I'm rude, my point of view thinks otherwise. Let it go.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

What's the difference in this behavior and "cutting" into line at a park ?

That's right--it's not my ride on Splash Mt until my rear end is sitting on the ride. So everyone can cut in front of me--doesn't matter if I'm waiting an 1/2 hour since it's not really my ride yet. And same goes for talking to a CM at Disney reservations. It's not my call until it's been answered, so when I'm put on hold they can take other people who have called after me since I'm not actually on the line talking to them yet. My time isn't important, afterall.

T&B

 

[4greatboys]

As someone else pointed out, public parking spaces aren't assigned and don't have my name on them. It's not "mine" until I pull into it.

The norm among most is the space belongs to the person waiting for it.

Does your rule apply to other things as well like eating out? If Im waiting for my food, it comes to table then its still free game even if its front of me til I actually dive into the plate. If someone wants to run over and snatch it up before I start eating thats okay because it wasnt really mine yet?

 

[Chattyaholic]

What's the difference in this behavior and "cutting" into line at a park ? Either way, you are being discourteous to someone who was there before you were.

In answer to your question, I don't think they are the same thing. When people are in line, they already have their position in line, cutting into it is wrong. But I feel the parking space doesn't belong to ANYONE until their vehicle is parked IN IT.

This is my OPINION on the matter. I'm sorry if it bothers you so much that it is DIFFERENT than YOUR opinion.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Seriously, I really think the "it's not my spot until I'm actually parked in it" is only true when a person is still circling and hasn't come to a stop at one spot (that doesn't have someone else waiting for it). I'm sure there have been plenty of times that we've seen an open spot (maybe before anyone else), went to it, and someone else got there first. We don't give the spot to the first person to see it, but the first person to be waiting for it. So seeing doesn't mean it's yours.

I'm wondering if those who insist that the spot is open until someone is actually in it has been guilty of taking a spot that someone else has been obviously waiting for. Hopefully not, but just curious.

T&B

 

[Chattyaholic]

Does your rule apply to other things as well like eating out? If Im waiting for my food, it comes to table then its still free game even if its front of me til I actually dive into the plate. If someone wants to run over and snatch it up before I start eating thats okay because it wasnt really mine yet?

Oh my gosh, you've GOT to be KIDDING!!

I can't believe how a few of you people are grasping at straws on this, just because a couple of us have different views on the subject than you do.
Ridiculous!!

 

[Chattyaholic]

Here's a question for those of you that feel it is YOUR parking spot if you are sitting there WAITING for it...

Two people see an empty parking space, they each start driving over to it, they get there (from opposite sides) at the SAME TIME...

Who does the parking space "belong to" then?...

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Here's a question for those of you that feel it is YOUR parking spot if you are sitting there WAITING for it...

Two people see an empty parking space, they each start driving over to it, they get there (from opposite sides) at the SAME TIME...

Who does the parking space "belong to" then?...

I've already covered this a couple times. "Now if I were looking for a spot, saw someone getting ready to leave, but made it to the parking spot at the same time as someone else, I'd back down and not push the point, but that's not what has happened in this case." AND "Seriously, I really think the "it's not my spot until I'm actually parked in it" is only true when a person is still circling and hasn't come to a stop at one spot (that doesn't have someone else waiting for it).".

I'm talking about obvious cases when someone is stopped, waiting for a spot, with nobody else there waiting. Not a person is still circling and sees the spot at about the same time as someone else. In that case I'm totally with you and it's not worth any fight (that's when the random act of letting someone else have the spot is a great thing to do).

T&B

 

[LoveWDW]

As much as I would like to point out the bad actions of the other driver to him/her, my husband cautioned me about the problems with picking fights. It could come back to haunt you, if not right then, the jerks might find out where you live. I suspect that unless my adrenylin was up and I was out of control, that I'd have looked for another spot and groused to myself a bit. Got to keep under control, though.

 

[Wish I lived in Fl]

Put car in Park. Turn off ignition. Open door. Get out & walk to other car. Talk. It's actually quite simple and easy to do. And somewhat more polite than "I roll down the window and yell, "Hey, that's MY spot, now get lost"."

Getting out of the car is considered an agressive act. A man in Boston ran over a lady bus driver and got off from killing her. He said he felt threatened because she got out of her bus. He outweighed her and was a foot taller but he got off scot free.

 

[alliecats]

Put car in Park. Turn off ignition. Open door. Get out & walk to other car. Talk. It's actually quite simple and easy to do. And somewhat more polite than "I roll down the window and yell, "Hey, that's MY spot, now get lost"."

No need to be sarcastic. I was well aware of how you would exit your car and arrive at the other car--just like anyone else would, I hope. What I was trying to get at, was seeing if you were actually going to get out of your your car--I was hoping I just misunderstood you. Apparently I did not.

For what its worth, I think this is an extremely dangerous and foolhardy way of solving a problem and MUCH more likely to escalate things. Are you kidding, someone getting out of their car and approaching another immediately puts that person on the defensive. How would they know they planned to come and calmly & politely request that they move? You wouldn't. This is much more likely to escalate things & I hope you aren't seriously saying that you would handle it this way!
People, please don't do this. THIS is not worth the parking space.

 

[manchurianbrownbear]

"If I owned a mall..." there would be no stopping in the parking lot until you've pulled into a space.

I know probably no one agrees with me on this, but I think if everyone just kept moving until they came across an open spot, you would see confrontations like this.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

"If I owned a mall..." there would be no stopping in the parking lot until you've pulled into a space.

I know probably no one agrees with me on this, but I think if everyone just kept moving until they came across an open spot, you would see confrontations like this.

That would be fine if it could be enforced, but only the rule followers (or those afraid of getting caught) would do it and the others would still wait. And of course the mall owners would not want to anger their customers and encourage them to go to another mall. Afterall, it's illegal to park in a fire lane while picking up pizza, dropping off a movie, etc, but how many people do anyway, often blocking the flow of traffic?

T&B

 

[Tigger_Magic]

The norm among most is the space belongs to the person waiting for it.

Does your rule apply to other things as well like eating out? If Im waiting for my food, it comes to table then its still free game even if its front of me til I actually dive into the plate. If someone wants to run over and snatch it up before I start eating thats okay because it wasnt really mine yet?

Your analogy falls apart too easily. You are not paying for the parking space; it's free. My meal is something I paid for (or will pay for), so therefore, it is mine and I have every right to claim it as such. If you want it so bad, you can pony up the $$ for it and then you can claim it as yours.

 

[Tigger_Magic]

Getting out of the car is considered an agressive act.

As is blocking a car in so it cannot back up; vandalizing a car and numerous other activities that have been applauded on this thread. As I've pointed out, I believe it is proper to be appropriately assertive. I don't believe in being aggressive. There's a big difference between the two.

 

[DebbieB]

"If I owned a mall..." there would be no stopping in the parking lot until you've pulled into a space.

I know probably no one agrees with me on this, but I think if everyone just kept moving until they came across an open spot, you would see confrontations like this.

What gripes me about that is someone will be sitting there with their signal on while someone else loads their car when there are empty spaces 4 or 5 spaces away. Why wouldn't you just take an empty space rather than wait for one to save walking 4 or 5 spaces (assuming you are not disabled).

 

[Tigger_Magic]

What gripes me about that is someone will be sitting there with their signal on while someone else loads their car when there are empty spaces 4 or 5 spaces away. Why wouldn't you just take an empty space rather than wait for one to save walking 4 or 5 spaces (assuming you are not disabled).

I see this all the time, too. Maybe they can't be bothered with the extra effort of walking a few more steps.