Why do people have to park next to you?

[Ciao Mickey]

Did you ever go into a huge empty parking lot, park in a spot that's the farthest away from everything, come out and there's a freaking car parked on top of you? Meanwhile, there's still hundreds of other spots available all around where they could have parked?

This happened to me yesterday. There were tons of empty spaces and this person has to park right next to me. So close that I couldn't get in my other door. This was at an off time so I know when I went into the store, lots of people didn't come and go while I was there, and that's why this person parked the car next to me.

Did this ever happen to you when you go to the beach? The whole beach can be empty and a person will put their chair, towel, blanket right there pratically on top of you. You have the whole beach to yourself and you have to be on top of us?

How about in an empty movie theater? A person will plop down directly in front of you (and they are usually 7 feet tall with big hair) when they have the whole row to themself. Can't you sit one seat over so you don't block the person that's behind you's view? (Thank God for stadium seating in the newer theaters.)

Why do people do this? Are they lonely?

 

[Saphire]

Did this ever happen to you when you go to the beach? The whole beach can be empty and a person will put their chair, towel, blanket right there pratically on top of you. You have the whole beach to yourself and you have to be on top of us?
Why do people do this? Are they lonely?

Our family has a running joke about this because it always happens to us at the beach! We are usually first to be there, really early, and inevitably someone will set us right next to us! We laugh about it but it does make me wonder...why? Can anyone tell me why??? (yeah, I like my personal space).

 

[chesirechik]

It's the herd mentality.

It happens to me all the time and it drives me crazy!

 

[apirateslifeforme]

Or when you're the only person in the bathroom with a million other stalls, and they take the one right next to you...while they're talking on the phone...

 

[AllyandJack]

This happens to me in public restrooms - especially when I worked in a big office.

There are 10 stalls. I'm the only one in there. Why, why, why does the next person feel the need to use the stall right next to me?!?

I seem to have a magnet on me when I use a public restroom.

 

[my4kids]

Did you ever go into a huge empty parking lot, park in a spot that's the farthest away from everything, come out and there's a freaking car parked on top of you? Meanwhile, there's still hundreds of other spots available all around where they could have parked?

This happened to me yesterday. There were tons of empty spaces and this person has to park right next to me. So close that I couldn't get in my other door. This was at an off time so I know when I went into the store, lots of people didn't come and go while I was there, and that's why this person parked the car next to me.

Did this ever happen to you when you go to the beach? The whole beach can be empty and a person will put their chair, towel, blanket right there pratically on top of you. You have the whole beach to yourself and you have to be on top of us?

How about in an empty movie theater? A person will plop down directly in front of you (and they are usually 7 feet tall with big hair) when they have the whole row to themself. Can't you sit one seat over so you don't block the person that's behind you's view? (Thank God for stadium seating in the newer theaters.)

Why do people do this? Are they lonely?

The beach thing, I don't get. But the car thing I do. My husband is one of those people that parks on the other side of the parking lot so that noone will "dink" his door. I sort of get a chuckle out of parking right next to one of those cars bacause I know how it makes DH crazy, and I get a sick little chuckle out of doing it to others. It is legal. I'm not doing anything wrong. I just like to imagine the look on the retentive persons face when they come out and see my car. Silly I know. But it still makes me giggle.

 

[oxfordcircus]

There are 10 stalls. I'm the only one in there. Why, why, why does the next person feel the need to use the stall right next to me?!?

I seem to have a magnet on me when I use a public restroom.

You ladies should be thankful for your stalls.

 

[Pixiedust34]

I don't know. We have a brand new car (less than 400 miles!) and I've been parking in isolation when possible, toward the back of the lot all by my little self. Then I return to my car, and half the time there is someone smack next to me. There are, like, five or more free spaces all around me in different directions, and someone still parks right next to me. Dh and I can't figure out why someone would park there. If they want to do the isolation thing, then they could park a few spaces over. If they want to park next to someone, then there are plenty of spaces closer to the store they can use. I just don't get it.

One thing that bugs me about this is that I drive a small car and it's hard to see pulling out of spaces. One of the reasons I park by myself is because it's safer for me to pull out if I can see better. But, Murphy's Law says that a big SUV or truck will go right beside our car, limiting my view when pulling out of a space. There was a recent thread about this (people in smaller cars feeling invisible in parking lots) on the Dis.

I have to say that I'm amazed that my Nemo antenna topper is still there. We put it on the car shortly after we bought it and I hope it doesn't get stolen.

 

[malibuconlee]

I'll play devils advocate. How far out are you parking? Could it be out in the boonies where the employees HAVE to park? Maybe you have the closest spot and they want the next closest spot. It usually went something like we had to park past the 2nd light pole way back when I worked retail.

 

[sugarpie]

Well, maybe you could wrap your car in bubble wrap next time you're forced to park in a parking lot. Just kidding.

 

[Fitswimmer]

same thing happens at the pool. There could only be 2 of us in the locker room and we will be rightnexttoeachother.

 

[Pixiedust34]

I'll play devils advocate. How far out are you parking? Could it be out in the boonies where the employees HAVE to park? Maybe you have the closest spot and they want the next closest spot. It usually went something like we had to park past the 2nd light pole way back when I worked retail.

Hmmmmm....that's a thought, but in most places, I don't think so. One of the places where this happens the most is the supermarket, and I'm pretty sure that employee parking is at the far side of the store and not the back of the lot where I go. At other places, I'm not sure. I don't think that area would be empty when I got there if employees would be parked there already. That's a good theory, though. I guess we're just people magnets. : )

 

[twinklebug]

same thing happens at the pool. There could only be 2 of us in the locker room and we will be rightnexttoeachother.

Which is worse than the parking situation as 9 times out of 10 that person next to you strips down to their nothingness right there & without a thought to others.

Now as to the people who park out in the middle of nowhere... I get a chuckle as I know they've parked out there to protect their cars from dings and dents and you'll always see a stray cart (not mine - I use the corrals!) flying in the direction of their car.

 

[CJBaby]

About the parking thing: It used to drive me crazy too, but I have a theory. They see a nice car, parked far away, and they figure if they park next to you, you're not going to ding their car.

At the beach and the movies? Clueless and annoying!! One time my husband actually blurted out "are you kidding?" When this group of people sat RIGHT in front of us in an empty, huge theater. They were so clueless!

 

[OceanAnnie]

Did you ever go into a huge empty parking lot, park in a spot that's the farthest away from everything, come out and there's a freaking car parked on top of you? Meanwhile, there's still hundreds of other spots available all around where they could have parked?

Yes, it happens to me. Ugh. I usually park way to the side of wherever I'm going and out a bit. Nowhere anyone would seemingly want to park. I mean it's a hike! Recently, I had this huge white van parked right beside me. I noticed it as I was leaving, didn't think much of it. A day or so later I go to the other side of the vehicle for something and theres a ding on the door and a long swatch of white paint. I get steamed whenever I think of it. DH said it will buff out, but geesh! Why park so close?! There's a ton of spaces closer to the store. There was only one store on the lot and in the lot I was in nowhereville. I was only there for a quick thing. In and out. Ugh.

If the purpose was the same as mine, to keep their vehicle looking nice you'd think they'd be a little more careful!

It really gets my goat!

 

[famofsix]

This happened to me last night. DH went to get Chinese food. I am waiting in the car with the kids. A car comes up and parks in front of us....huge parking lot no other cars....and he chooses to sit there looking at us. CREEPY

 

[Ariel Wanna-be]

Did you ever go into a huge empty parking lot, park in a spot that's the farthest away from everything, come out and there's a freaking car parked on top of you? Meanwhile, there's still hundreds of other spots available all around where they could have parked?

This happened to me yesterday. There were tons of empty spaces and this person has to park right next to me. So close that I couldn't get in my other door. This was at an off time so I know when I went into the store, lots of people didn't come and go while I was there, and that's why this person parked the car next to me.

Did this ever happen to you when you go to the beach? The whole beach can be empty and a person will put their chair, towel, blanket right there pratically on top of you. You have the whole beach to yourself and you have to be on top of us?

How about in an empty movie theater? A person will plop down directly in front of you (and they are usually 7 feet tall with big hair) when they have the whole row to themself. Can't you sit one seat over so you don't block the person that's behind you's view? (Thank God for stadium seating in the newer theaters.)

Why do people do this? Are they lonely?

lol, I so could have written this post. The "herd mentality" thing is my #1 absolute pet peeve of all time. It doesn't matter if I'm in an empty theater, parking lot, Disney bus, etc. someone will inevitably sit/stand/park "rightnext" to me. I just want to yell "GET AWAY FROM ME!"

Geez. Maybe it's my glamorous movie-star-like aura that I project. People want to be near me in hopes that it will rub off of them.

 

[lecach]

Happened to us at a restaurant on Monday night. It was 8:30, there was only one other table in the entire restaurant. I picked a booth a good distance from this first family. When I come back from the bathroom there is someone in the booth right next to us. This was a huge restaurant (Fuddruckers) where you pick your own table. WHY with all those empty tables did they have to sit right next to us? I always will try to find a table or parking space or whatever away from other people. And if I enter a bathroom and someone is in a stall I would never pick the one right next to them unless its the only one. I just dont get it.......

 

[MUFFYCAT]

The parking lot doesn't bother me. Only if someone is right next to me on a empty beach or in a movie theatre.

 

[poohandwendy]

The beach thing, I don't get. But the car thing I do. My husband is one of those people that parks on the other side of the parking lot so that noone will "dink" his door. I sort of get a chuckle out of parking right next to one of those cars bacause I know how it makes DH crazy, and I get a sick little chuckle out of doing it to others. It is legal. I'm not doing anything wrong. I just like to imagine the look on the retentive persons face when they come out and see my car. Silly I know. But it still makes me giggle.

Wow. You go out of your way to irk total strangers? That is really passive aggressive.