What kind of idiot walks down the middle of the parking lot aisle.....

[njmom47]

Ok, I don't walk down the middle of the aisle, but I DO drive a silver Dodge Caravan. There's usually about 62 other vans that look like mine in the parking lot, and I do occasionally forget in which row I've parked, so....

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Ugh, I hate that!

Another parking lot peeve is when someone knows that you're waiting to take their spot, but they decide to take their sweet time leaving. One time in particular I knew someone was doing it just to be a jerk, so I pulled right behind them & just sat there so they couldn't leave.

Meh, do that to me & you'll get one of 2 reactions:

1) assuming I'm in no hurry, which is typically the case, I'll mill around for a couple minutes then pretend I "forgot" something and I'll walk back to the store.

2) I'm in a hurry so you get to play "chicken" with the steel bumper on my truck.

 

[HM]

I had a weird thing happen in a parking lot a couple days ago. I was going for a space that would keep my windshield facing away from the sun so I wouldn't get a hot seat. It was really far away from the front of the store and there were a few open spaces closer. I was just about to turn into it and saw a lady driving up the aisle from the other direction, so waited to see what she was going to do since I'd have to turn in front of her. She passes the closer-to-the-store spots and pulls right into the one I was going to use. I ended up pulling ahead and getting one of the closer spots. Its rare that someone doesn't try to get the closest space they can. And then of course my seat was in the sun. And yep, it was hot when I came out.

 

[Julylady]

Count me as another one who walks down the center of the parking aisle. I worry about cars backing out and hitting me. I also often forget what aisle I am parked in, particularly at the supermarket where I go often. I try to park in the same general vicinity so I have a pretty good idea where my car is. Sometimes I have to push my panic button on my key fob to find my car!

Also, one of my pet peeves is people who stalk me as I return to my car, or wait for me to unload and pull out. Where I shop, there is plenty of parking, you just need to walk. I am NOT going to hurry so that you can park faster. If you retaliated by blocking me in, I would probably leave my car and get Security.

My biggest peeve is at our Costco. Many drivers there sit in their cars waiting for people in the driving lane right at the front entrance. The way the traffic pattern is set up, they block traffic from both entering and leaving the parking lot when they do this. It just baffles me that they sit there oblivious to fact that they are detaining 10-15 other cars from parking or leaving. Worse, they just don't care.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Ok, I don't walk down the middle of the aisle, but I DO drive a silver Dodge Caravan. There's usually about 62 other vans that look like mine in the parking lot, and I do occasionally forget in which row I've parked, so....

This is the other reason I park way away from the store. I'm always in the same aisle (usually the same spot LOL) every time I shop. Obviously only works places I go to frequently, but I never have to think about where I'm parked

 

[ronandannette]

I had a weird thing happen in a parking lot a couple days ago. I was going for a space that would keep my windshield facing away from the sun so I wouldn't get a hot seat. It was really far away from the front of the store and there were a few open spaces closer. I was just about to turn into it and saw a lady driving up the aisle from the other direction, so waited to see what she was going to do since I'd have to turn in front of her. She passes the closer-to-the-store spots and pulls right into the one I was going to use. I ended up pulling ahead and getting one of the closer spots. Its rare that someone doesn't try to get the closest space they can. And then of course my seat was in the sun. And yep, it was hot when I came out.

How is that weird? She likely had the same idea as you. (And may have expected that you were on your way to a closer one as well.)

What irks me sometimes is when you approach a spot that also has an empty one adjacent to it and are just ready to pull in only to find another vehicle barrelling towards you from the other side as they pull through the two spots so they can park facing outwards. I've had a few close calls that way as it's pretty hard to see the vehicle coming if there are cars parked on both sides of the spot.

 

[nene0182]

Ok, I don't walk down the middle of the aisle, but I DO drive a silver Dodge Caravan. There's usually about 62 other vans that look like mine in the parking lot, and I do occasionally forget in which row I've parked, so....

I work in a building with about 100 people, there are 6 cars that are exactly the same as mine. We even bought them all at the same time and had the same dealer plates for awhile (must have been an overstock of this color/make) Of course we all seem to park in the same area so I have no idea which one is mine half of the time until I get right up to them and realize I'm trying to open the door of someone else's.

 

[HM]

How is that weird? She likely had the same idea as you. (And may have expected that you were on your way to a closer one as well.)

What irks me sometimes is when you approach a spot that also has an empty one adjacent to it and are just ready to pull in only to find another vehicle barrelling towards you from the other side as they pull through the two spots so they can park facing outwards. I've had a few close calls that way as it's pretty hard to see the vehicle coming if there are cars parked on both sides of the spot.

I suppose that's true. It's just never happened before that far down the row and there actually was a spot facing that same direction three spaces from the end of the row and she passed it by (I didn't take it afterwards because I didn't see it until I parked on the other side of the aisle).

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I agree. I was having a nice, relaxing morning until I started reading this thread, then I could feel the tension setting in.

If someone's not leaving their car right away, and/or doesn't signal they're leaving, just move on. Why let it get you upset?

And of course, I've done most of these things, too, but I also really try to work on spreading kindness more so when I can. Think of the difference - tension that leaves you feeling stressed and angry vs. endorphins that leave you feeling relaxed and happy. Which should it be?

Why the heck are parking lots so stress producing? Maybe it's just an extension of the stressful drive? Driving has gotten so awful...

I'm going to put out a challenge to everyone reading this thread, myself included. For the next WEEK, instead of getting angry in parking lots, let's all do what we can to be nice to someone else there instead. Not stalk them for their spot; give a wave and a smile if we're not leaving right away; move on if someone's annoying you; think of your grandmother if someone's walking down the middle of the aisle, etc. And then when we're leaving the garage, let's hold the door for someone or offer directions if they look lost. What do you say - anyone up for it?

I don't know, that sounds like a LOT of work. Getting mad is such much easier

 

[HM]

I decided that a long time ago, Pea-n-me. As long as there are spaces anywhere in a lot, I'm happy. I'd love those ones under the big tree by my office when it's 95 outside, but if they are not available then so be it. I'll park somewhere else and not get upset about it.

I would, though, like to teach some people how to park in the lines. I've seen more than the usual share of people over the lines lately. Maybe spaces need to be drawn a bit bigger?

 

[cluvsdisney]

The space stalking conversation reminds of this scene at the supermarket a couple of weeks ago. There was a lady trying to get a spot in this particular aisle. She was really in the way and every time someone tried to pull out, she had to roll up or back a couple of spaces to let them out. And I'm not exactly sure how it happened, but she didn't get one of the 4 spots that became available while I was walking back to my car. Meanwhile, there was an empty space in the next aisle that was no closer or further than the ones she kept missing. It was so weird. I don't know where she ended up parking.

If someone is waiting for my spot, I don't mess around nor do I rush. I go about my business and it really serves me no purpose to dawdle and show them whose spot this is. I would just be wasting my own time being spiteful.

 

[Acklander]

If someone is waiting for my spot, I don't mess around nor do I rush. I go about my business and it really serves me no purpose to dawdle and show them whose spot this is. I would just be wasting my own time being spiteful.

This. Seems kind of passive-aggressive to purposely drag things out because someone else wants a spot.

 

[Squirlz]

I always park far away from everybody and walk. I'm usually in the store faster than the people driving around or waiting for a closer spot. Even when I was on crutches for 2 weeks. Walking is good for you.

 

[Flamingeaux]

DW and I walked down the middle of a parking line aisle once. We were walking into the traffic so if someone was going down the aisle they would be coming at us from the front and we would move to the side. Behind us somebody was going the wrong way so we were slowing him down. To let us know he was there he didn't beep he revved his engine. We moved off to the side and his wife started yelling at us. Naturally we yelled back that they going the wrong way.

The thing that bothers me is the people who go for their morning walk and they walk in the street instead of using the sidewalk.

 

[minniecarousel]

DH & I laugh when we're leaving a ballgame. It's a wide aisle and people very often walk right down the middle. We have a hybrid and peds have a hard time hearing us behind them. I only get ticked off when my team lost!

 

[kmb584]

Ugh, I hate that!

Another parking lot peeve is when someone knows that you're waiting to take their spot, but they decide to take their sweet time leaving. One time in particular I knew someone was doing it just to be a jerk, so I pulled right behind them & just sat there so they couldn't leave.

How did you know this person was doing it just to "be a jerk"? There are a hundred different things that the person could have been doing that had zero to do with you. Hell, if it had been me in the car that you were blocking I probably would have called the cops.

 

[apirateslifeforme]

LOL... I just embarrassed my daughter yesterday when we were coming out of Target and a guy in an SUV sailed right through that stop sign without even slowing down. I screamed "stop sign" at him. Didn't do anything but it made me feel a little better. That bothers me almost as much as people on their cell phones while driving.

A few years ago - going into our Target - my mom was in the middle of the crosswalk when a huge SUV came barreling around the corner. I was dawdling behind (we had parked WAY the heck out, as I want to park and get in and out of the store). The driver didn't even slow down; she laid on the horn and (her window was open) screamed "Get the **** out of my way!" She missed my mother by mere inches. I yelled "Pedestrian in the crosswalk" and she flipped me off. Great example for the 2 kids I saw in her backseat. As we got to the doors, she was in the front aisle, honking and screaming that she wanted that space

As far as space stalkers...another time (at the same Target), my uncle had driven and parked in the 2nd row. I went into Target to do my shopping while he and my cousin elsewhere and asked me to pick them up "in a few hours." I finished my shopping and as it was too early to get them, I decided to do a few other errands before I picked them up. As I was loading the car, I had 2 cars, one from each side, approach. Both of them sat there with their signals on for my space. I thought, "This is going to be interesting," got in the car, and tried to pull out, using my signal to indicate which direction I wanted to go. Well, the car from the opposite side must have felt triumphant, because they pulled right up. However, the other car wasn't going to let them get it, so they pulled up and blocked me from making the turn out of the space. Okay...I backed up into the space, turned the wheel, attempted to make a tighter turn in the same direction. But then both drivers pulled up even more. This went on about 3-4 times total, to the point where all I could do was pull straight forward (and even if my front end hit the cars in the next aisle, the back end would still be in the spot) so I backed up into the spot, got out, said, "You're both pulled up so far that I can't get out, so go find somewhere else to park" and went to find my uncle and cousin. Yes, it was witchy of me, but the only way I'd have been able to get out was to hit and/or drive OVER someone.

My DH has the opposite problem...he always parks far out, but if there are too many open spots, he can't decide where to go. He once parked in 4 different spots before I yelled at him that this spot is fine, can we just get our shopping done?

 

[minnie mum]

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What kind of idiot walks down the middle of the parking lot aisle.....

...the kind of idiot who gets all the way to the end and realizes she's actually parked on the next row over.

Maybe she was just having a moment, forgetting which lane she parked in, but for gosh sakes have a brain fart while walking on the SIDE of the aisle not in the middle.

If someone feels that they must walk down the middle of the aisle, they shouldn't get their shorts in a knot when I beep my horn at them as I follow behind them.

I have no problem with people who don't vacate their parking spots soon enough to please the person hunting for a space. They could have a hundred and one reasons why they aren't leaving quickly.

 

[mtchurchmonica]

I have no problem with people who don't vacate their parking spots soon enough to please the person hunting for a space. They could have a hundred and one reasons why they aren't leaving quickly.

Yes, maybe a person got sick and tired of meandering the aisle of Home Depot with one's son so she goes back to the car to read her Kindle instead.

 

[acebatonfan]

I only have one pet peeve about parking lots. It always seems that my local Walmart is filled with people who refuse to walk the 20-50 feet to the nearest cart return and instead prop their carts on the curb.

Half of the time, the cart is propped in a way where nobody can park in that spot unless someone gets out of the car and moves the cart. I am also afraid that a strong wind could push the cart off the curb and causes it to go flying into the road or hit someone's car.