Wherein I'm Accused of Racism AGAIN + Parking Suck

[LillFilly]

This has been about the third time in as many months. This time my coworker was there. It wasn't as blatant, but the point still came across.

We got a call of a fight in the parking lot. Get there and separate white couple (wc) and black couple + 6 friends (bc) Police arrive and, of course, talk with the people who placed the 911 call, which was wc; during which time bc is yelling that 'of COURSE we're going to talk to THEM first, of COURSE we're going to believe THEIR story because they're white like (you)' etc. Luckily the half-dozen friends cleared out and we were only dealing with the two couples.

wc said they were pulling into a parking space when the bc's car came up and tried to wedge itself into the space first, then began screaming at them, then actually finding another spot and coming back to THREATEN them and chase them around their car! bc said that they got to the spot first, but wc stole it then began screaming at them and that bc 'only got out of their car to talk with them and try and diffuse the situation' when the wc threatened them. Riiight...you return to threatening situation to try and make it better... During this time bc was also complaining that we were violating their rights by asking for their information, we were acting like they were criminals, etc. Whenever we have an incident we get EVERYONE'S information!

In any case, no charges were filed and, since it hadn't become any worse than a verbal argument both parties were free to go. bc was already heading into a store when that store's loss prevention came out and let us know that they'd watched the video and that wc was indeed in the right, because they were already entering the space when bc tried to take it! And that bc had indeed chased the other couple around their car! If I we had known who was in the wrong sooner, we would have made bc leave the property to do their shopping elsewhere. wc were pretty shaken and said that they were just going to go to another mall to avoid running into bc again. I felt bad for them, because THEY were the victims and I think the police were too quick to let everyone walk-off before seeing what the video showed. To be fair we could have asked both couples to leave, but then I'd be worried about them running into each-other on the road, so what ended-up happening was probably for the best.

And all this over a parking space. During the course of the altercation, 5 better parking spaces opened up!

[Opalin]

It really bothers me when people try to pull the race/gender card, since it then devalues when something actually happens.

And seriously? Over a parking space? I mean... this isn't black friday or some equivalent of such is it?

[LillFilly]

? I mean... this isn't black friday or some equivalent of such is it?

Nope, just an otherwise quiet Wednesday.

[KiaKat]

When I was a kid, we had a bizarre incident at the mall, in the parking lot.

In the 80's, there was really only one GOOD mall in my home state. It was about 40 minutes away, but all the best stores were there. One weekend afternoon, mom, my younger sister, and I head down there and find a decent parking spot near one of the anchor stores. We pull into the spot, only to have this crazy woman come up and start banging on the driver's window, with her equally crazy husband standing not terribly far away. Mom rolls it down a tic, only to have the woman start berating her for "taking her spot." To this day, I'm not sure if we inadvertently cut them off, or if they were just being obnoxious.

Having two small kids in the car, mom thought it better to just apologize and go find another spot.

Which she did. We went off, did our shopping, and returned to the car after grabbing a quick dinner at one of the restaurants. It being somewhat dark, mom didn't notice anything weird about the car until she got all of us buckled in and started driving.

All four tires had been slashed. Given that we weren't that far from the original space, our theory has always been that it was the nasty couple that did it. Mom pulled in near Sears, and had them fix the tires, as well as call both our dad, and security to let them know what happened.

Of course, this was all before ubiquitous security cameras, and beyond a basic description, none of us could give enough identifying info about the crazy couple.

Roadrage is bad, mmmkay? Parking lot rage is even worse.

[PepperElf]

wc said they were pulling into a parking space when the bc's car came up and tried to wedge itself into the space first, then began screaming at them, then actually finding another spot and coming back to THREATEN them and chase them around their car! bc said that they got to the spot first, but wc stole it then began screaming at them and that bc 'only got out of their car to talk with them and try and diffuse the situation' when the wc threatened them. Riiight...you return to threatening situation to try and make it better... During this time bc was also complaining that we were violating their rights by asking for their information, we were acting like they were criminals, etc. Whenever we have an incident we get EVERYONE'S information!

sounds a lot like they were trying to use misdirection to put the blame on everyone else

[EricKei]

this isn't black friday or some equivalent of such is it?

I used to work on the state's busiest mall for years, including several Black Fridays...at GameStore (including the launch of the 360...I still have nightmares *shudder*)

One useful tactic I've discovered -- and, of course, YMMV -- is to look for parking garages that have spaces on the very top floor with no roof. People always seem to treat those spots as a last resort, even on a cool, sunny Fall day with no indications of rain or other bad weather...Meaning that people will disregard a spot that is 30 feet from the mall entrance just because it's upstairs and exposed, choosing instead to drive around in the awful BF traffic (I've spent 15+ minutes to go the equivalent of 2 city blocks at times) in order to get a space that's nearly a 5-minute walk from the mall doors, that happens to be on the ground floor. Hello? McFly? ... Am I the only person for whom this makes NO SENSE??

I realize that, if the parking is hopeless, all of the spots will be taken up anyway -- in which case yer screwed no matter what -- but, even on BF, 95% of the time, you'll get a much closer spot if you're willing to just go up a level or two.

[Bronzebow]

I realize that, if the parking is hopeless, all of the spots will be taken up anyway -- in which case yer screwed no matter what -- but, even on BF, 95% of the time, you'll get a much closer spot if you're willing to just go up a level or two.

THANK YOU! I've saved so much time in my life just parking in "the back" and walking the rest of the way. I see it all the time: pull in a driveway with someone else, park, and be in the store before the other person has even hunted down a parking spot.

Plus, you get a little bit extra exercise and air. It's win/win.

[wolfie]

People can be such morons in their quest for a perfect parking spot. A couple incidents that happened to me spring to mind:

I was in a spot around half a dozen spaces from the end of the row nearest the mall. I was just about to pull out when a guy waiting in the aisle backed up, blocking me in. Why did he do this? He saw that someone in the spot closest to the mall was getting into their car, and he didn't want to block THEM in, and therefore keep him from getting his precious space. After a few minutes, they pulled out, and he pulled forward (clearing my exit) - and stopped again. Why did he stop? Because a "hawk" had swooped into the now-open space. He got out of his car and started yelling at the guy who had taken "his" space, ignoring the one that opened up when I left - and which yet another car swooped into after seeing that the (driverless) car in the aisle wasn't going to.

Another time (shortly before Christmas), I was in a spot close to the mall doors. I'd finished my shopping, and wanted to leave - but people intent on their search for a parking space wouldn't let me leave. Didn't they realize that if they let me OUT, there'd be an open space in a highly-desirable location that they could park in?

[veniteangeli]

this isn't black friday or some equivalent of such is it?

Don't you mean African American Friday? I just don't want anyone to pull the race card on you...

[Moosenogger]

People who pull the race card when they know they're clearly in the wrong need to be bitch-slapped by people who have actually experienced deliberate and obvious racism. I'm talking people who lived before the civil rights movement and know how it feels to be told you're less of a person because of your skin color.

[Kristev]

Or still live now and get told (and treated) that they are lesser because of their skin color. Yes, it still happens. A lot.

[Moosenogger]

Or still live now and get told (and treated) that they are lesser because of their skin color. Yes, it still happens. A lot.

I don't want to get into fratching territory, so I'll just say this:

It infuriates me when idiots who know nothing of true, honest-to-goodness, hate-filled racism pull the race card. "Why won't you give me a 50% discount? IS IT BECAUSE I'M BLACK/HISPANIC/CATHOLIC/WHATEVER?!?!" NO, MORON. It's because you're an entitled twat.

The couple in the OP's story were pretty low to try and pull the race card when they knew full-well that they were at fault.

[Dave1982]

We're starting to stray a bit into Fratching here folks. Let's focus on the specific incident and not race issues in general please.