Parking lot etiquette and vent.

[shh]

I also dig in my purse or look through my messages before I leave when shopping myself.

Help me understand your thinking. Waiting for someone to get back to the car is different - you're not done yet and it's your spot.

But if you're literally finished and ready to leave, why would you just sit looking inside your purse or at texts before backing up if you see a line of people stuck waiting?

Couldn't you simply give someone else that spot, then park elsewhere less busy to look at messages or wait until you're at a red light, home or next destination?

Same thing goes for checkout lines. If I need to find my car keys or put away receipts after paying, I immediately step to the side, so I don't hold up the next person. I constantly see people stand in front of the register blocking the next transaction and making everyone in a long line wait longer while they take their sweet time fishing for car keys, reorganizing their bagged stuff or looking for something in their wallet/purse.

 

[disneychrista]

Waiting for someone to get back to the car is different. But if you're literally finished at that location and ready to leave, but you're just sitting in your car looking inside your purse or at texts before backing up with a line of busy people waiting: well that seems rude to me.

Why can't you simply leave so someone can have the spot and then park somewhere else less busy to look at purse contents and messages or wait until you're at a red light, home or at your next destination? Why keep an entire line of people waiting for you?

So it is okay to take up a parking space somewhere else? That makes no sense at all.

And one should NEVER be reading texts or looking through their purse at a red light, that is just not safe.

 

[Brian Noble]

This is one of my irrational annoyances. I don't wait for an occupied spot unless the car in the space has their reverse lights on and is actually attempting to move. Whether or not I am bugged when other people do it is more or less directly tied to my spiritual fitness at the moment.

I would sneak around someone who is, but only if there is a LOT of room to do it. I probably would not honk unless my spiritual fitness was at a very low ebb.

If the lot is busy, I also would not be sitting in my car checking texts etc. unless it was an emergency of some sort---and if it is, I am probably on my phone (hands free) in a voice call while I am driving to whatever the emergency happens to be.

 

[shh]

So it is okay to take up a parking space somewhere else? That makes no sense at all.

I can't speak for your neighborhood of course, but there are plenty of places I can park away from stores...not every business parking lot houses a retail store or is busy.

I do this frequently: I go back to my car and immediately leave, giving someone else the spot, then find a less busy parking lot if I have stuff to do. I just consider that more polite than making busy shoppers wait while I linger there for no reason.

But I guess we just have to agree to disagree - I just avoid stores this time of year and save myself the aggravation.

 

[sasywtch]

I don't think you were rude IF you were pulled close to the right where someone could go around you. I hate those waiting and they are parked smack in the middle. I'm pretty much jealous that you found a good spot as I drive around. I have to do this often as I have to find a handicap spot with the hashtags on the right for my daughter's lift. Right now during rush month shopping, I'm really not liking the people walking down the middle of a road aisle with no regard to traffic.

 

[shh]

If the lot is busy, I also would not be sitting in my car checking texts etc. unless it was an emergency of some sort.

Neither would I...I try not to honk either unless it's an urgent thing (someone who is about to careen into me, for example.) Honking just startles people and adds to everyone's stress level. Who needs that, right?

 

[_19disnA]

I have no issue with honking the horn to prevent someone from crashing into me when they don't seem to realize a car is behind them.

 

[Brian Noble]

I have three honks.

One: The light tap, usually when someone has their nose in a phone and has missed the light turning green by a fair bit.
Two: The "standard" honk: the urgent "hey, dude, watch out, you are about to hit something!" that you mention.

I will confess the third is "I think you are a jerk." I try not to use that one, but every once in a while my darker nature gets the better of me.

 

[Tinkerbell58]

I've had the experience where I find a parking spot, attempt to pull in, and see a collection of shopping carts taking up the spot. It would be considerate if people would return their cart to the cart corral and not leave them wherever they feel like it or in the handicap spots.

 

[Disneyland1084]

I think if the lot is REALLY full, with almost no spaces anywhere, "stalking" people who appear to be leaving is OK, but you do have to keep in mind that you're not the only person combing the lot for an open space. So, stop as far to the right of the aisle as possible while you wait, keep your blinker on, and don't be upset if other people pass you to get by. It should not be necessary for anyone to honk at anyone.

I get what you're saying, and there was plenty of room for cars to go around me.

 

[kymom99]

Help me understand your thinking. Waiting for someone to get back to the car is different - you're not done yet and it's your spot.

But if you're literally finished and ready to leave, why would you just sit looking inside your purse or at texts before backing up if you see a line of people stuck waiting?

Couldn't you simply give someone else that spot, then park elsewhere less busy to look at messages or wait until you're at a red light, home or next destination?

Same thing goes for checkout lines. If I need to find my car keys or put away receipts after paying, I immediately step to the side, so I don't hold up the next person. I constantly see people stand in front of the register blocking the next transaction and making everyone in a long line wait longer while they take their sweet time fishing for car keys, reorganizing their bagged stuff or looking for something in their wallet/purse.

Well I might be texting someone to say I’m on my way. I don’t text and drive. I might also be decompressing since I hate to shop. If I saw a line I’d probably get moving. But I personally don’t wait for a space unless I see backup lights.

 

[neverlandsky]

I never stop to wait for a spot. It just backs up the rest of the vehicles, making a crazy parking lot even more congested and crazier.

This!

 

[MIGrandma]

I never sit and wait for a spot to park if I see someone getting into their car. I just drive on and keep looking for an open space. You don’t know how long it will be between the time someone gets into their car and actually vacates the parking spot. I usually vacate my spot pretty quickly, but occasionally I want to take a minute to cross things off my shopping list if I’m going to another store, or I might blow my nose, get a drink of water, and occasionally I will keep my space while I put in an online food order to pick up and take home. The parking space is mine until I actually leave it. Same for other people too. They don’t have to give up their space until they’re good and ready to.

 

[hertamaniac]

I have three honks.

One: The light tap, usually when someone has their nose in a phone and has missed the light turning green by a fair bit.
Two: The "standard" honk: the urgent "hey, dude, watch out, you are about to hit something!" that you mention.

I will confess the third is "I think you are a jerk." I try not to use that one, but every once in a while my darker nature gets the better of me.

Using an excessive honk in Florida can invite less than desirable results. The older I get, the more rational I've become in that it's not my responsibility to teach others.

 

[barkley]

not the worse offense by far. Right now, I'm really fed up with the people who park in specially designated spots that are NOT for them. : handicap parking

Store managers should do something, but they just look the other way.

some of the stores around us do something about it. there's a law on the books in our state that allows law enforcement to empower certain 'volunteers' with the limited ability to enforce handicapped parking laws. a couple of the Walmarts near us have private security (very clearly marked vehicles) that continually patrol their lots and they will not hesitate to stop and issue a ticket if they see someone parked illegally in a handicapped spot (they go so far as to photograph the offending vehicle in the spot absent either plates or a placard). $250 first time violation/second and subsequent the fine PLUS 40 hours of community service specifically for a non profit that serves those with disabilities. I've seen people clapping and cheering on security officers putting tickets on violator's vehicles.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

I thinking the honking was the only rude thing going on in the scenario.

I don't have any issues with somebody staking out a parking place as long as they leave room for others to get by.

I am NOT one to do that myself, I will park as far away as it takes to pull all the way through.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

The only time I'll stop and wait for a spot is if every single spot is filled and being able to park literally hinges on someone pulling out. I have never encountered that situation at our Costco. In fact, we go out of our way to use the side entrance to the lot so we can park in the area that usually has less of a crowd.

If spots are limited and you're having to drive around and hunt for an opening, I will go around a vehicle waiting for a spot that's about to free up...assuming there's room to pass. Waiting just creates a gridlock situation in the lot. I wouldn't normally use my horn. I reserve that for people not paying attention to a green light and people driving stupid.

 

[mjkacmom]

I have no advice because I am one of those strange people who HATES crowded parking lots. I always park far far away in the back.Where there is no fighting for spots, no rude hand gestures, and no panic. Just wide open spaces.

I have no desire to deal with all the nonsense of people fighting for spots, honking, walking behind my car when I am trying to back out. I get flustered if someone is waiting for my spot. I will happily walk further to avoid the madness. Especially the madness of Costco on a weekend. DH on the other hand will park as close to the store as humanly possible and not be bothered at all by the chaos. He is the Costco designated driver

It can take an hour just to get into our Costco parking lot with zero empty spaces. I will only go weekdays.

 

[shh]

I never sit and wait for a spot to park if I see someone getting into their car. I just drive on and keep looking for an open space. You don’t know how long it will be between the time someone gets into their car and actually vacates the parking spot. I usually vacate my spot pretty quickly, but occasionally I want to take a minute to cross things off my shopping list if I’m going to another store, or I might blow my nose, get a drink of water, and occasionally I will keep my space while I put in an online food order to pick up and take home. The parking space is mine until I actually leave it. Same for other people too. They don’t have to give up their space until they’re good and ready to.

Agreed on all of this. It's yours for sure until you leave. The problem is when you happen to be the unfortunate soul stuck 2-4+ cars behind someone who IS sitting there waiting for that spot and the line just keeps backing up creating gridlock. And both the person currently in the spot drinking water, texting, whatever.....and the person waiting for that spot....aren't moving. I've been stuck idling and burning gasoline an unbelievably long time with no way to exit and everyone honking - and the kicker - there WERE spots just a few spaces further away. It was so frustrating.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

If done respectfully (leaving room for car to back out, leaving room for cars to pass, car is backing out imminently, blinker on), stopping and waiting is completely acceptable. In fact, if I'm in the car backing out of the space, I love that situation - very easy to back out if cars are stopped waiting for my space. There are some parking lots, if you don't stop and wait for a moment, you might never get a space! Wouldn't shock me if the person who was honking while passing the OP by would have stopped and done the same thing. It's very common, and almost expected during busy shopping times like now. But everyone has their own version of what's acceptable for them and what's acceptable for others.