Tight Squeeze

[CaptainThrifty]

SO we didn't actually see this particular SC. Personally I think we let them off rather easy.

My parents took the wife and I to the local Denny's (hey I don't work there so I'm not worried about repercussions.) for dinner. It was quite enjoyable and as always the workers there are great (I'll have to relate about the one time they had someone not so great though). We leave only to find that my wife can't get into her car because the car to the left was parked so close she couldn't open the door wide enough to get in.

Now I could have simply gotten in and backed the car out for her (we were in separate vehicles), but it occurred to me that this person needed to learn a lesson. Now maybe I was being the SC here, but I'm doubting it. So she went in and asked for the manager to request the owner to come out and move the vehicle. At this point she's not making note of my presence.

She comes out with someone stopping just outside the door. She points to the cars and I realize that she was pointing out to the manager or employee just how close the cars are. They go back in and in a little while she comes back out with someone. They get close and the man is looking at the vehicles and moves between the two cars. I realized that this was one of the managers! He asks for her keys and then moves the car out for her so she can get in (Kudos to the management for such excellent treatment towards my wife). Seems that they did indeed locate the owner and when asked to move the vehicle, the owner responded with a rather rude comment. I did not learn what the comment was at the time of this posting, and I'm not sure that my wife was told what it was.

I did end up leaving a nastygram under their wiper. I think if it had any closer to where I, as rather skinny runt , could not have gotten in, I would have gone in there myself and called the police in front of them. Oh the temptation to have just slammed the car door edge into the side of their car. But I was a good boy!

[prjkt]

Working in shopping centres 5 days a week this would happen to me fairly often... My old car was relatively beaten up so a few more scratches were never an issue, so if someone parked a bit too close to me, well, there may or may not have been silver paint left behind....

Also, for the same reasons as above, I would occasionally park someone in if they couldn't park for sh*t. Luckily the only time I was "caught" my uniform wasn't visible, so I just shrugged and said, "I don't see a problem, I parked right in the middle of the spot, plenty of room between the lines and my car" and walked off.

[An Haddock]

Well, if you were feeling ballsy you could always carry around "tickets" from here:

http://www.youparklikeanasshole.com/

I'd love to leave these on some of the cars that park in front of my store... inevitably some idiot doesn't pull up to the front line of the corner space and instead is back so far that they're IN THE SPACE behind them. I cannot understand the thought process behind that. In some cases they're almost touching the front of the car in the space behind them. You have PLENTY of room in front of you - why don't you pull up to the front line?

[Crossbow]

Well, if you were feeling ballsy you could always carry around "tickets" from here:

http://www.youparklikeanasshole.com/

My wife won't le me visit that site.





For good reason.

[wolfie]

In other words, they're blocking the vehicle on the other side of the right angle? I hope, when the owner of the blocked vehicle wants to leave, there's a Good Samaritain with an F350 and bush bar.

As for OP's case, the restaurant should have a policy of what to do depending on which vehicle is over the line. Car that wants out is over? Tough shit. Other car is over, blocking car that wants out from opening its door? You have a choice - move it or get towed.

BTW, why couldn't OP's wife get in through the passenger door?

[kmariem]

One night I was running late for my shift and, when I parked, I was accidentally VERY close to the car that belonged to the guy I was relieving. I got a phone call from him about 10 minutes after he left, complaining because he'd had to crawl in thru the passenger side. Luckily, he was very understanding (and I was very apologetic), so we just laughed about it!

[prjkt]

Depending on the car (small and/or sports with low a low roof especially) climbing over the centre console/gear stick can be seriously difficult for someone of average or above height, and if dressed to go out for dinner, could be quite impossible.

[Pagan]

In other words, they're blocking the vehicle on the other side of the right angle? I hope, when the owner of the blocked vehicle wants to leave, there's a Good Samaritain with an F350 and bush bar.

There's two spaces like that in our lot right outside my bedroom window. Many is the day that I look out there and one or the other car is trapped. This is why I will not park in that space (that and the one next to it, I can drive straight in and back straight out) and keep telling my dad when they're up here not to park in that space.

BTW, why couldn't OP's wife get in through the passenger door?

She possibly could have, but they were making a point.

...but it occurred to me that this person needed to learn a lesson.

[AccountingDrone]

One time when I lived off West Henrietta Rd in Rochester NY in an apartment complex, I drove a 74 Mustang - you know, when they had a freaking I-beam running through the door. Some stupid jackass in a post 1982 POS made of tinfoil kept slamming his car door into mine. I finally ad it when I was actually sitting in the car, and he opened his door into mine, so I *slammed* my door open and left a crease in his door. You *don't* look over at me, note that I am sitting in my car and still open your door into mine, I will take retribution. Never hit my car with his door again though =)

And I loved my IH scout, if someone parked too close in the summer it didn't matter, I rode with the roof off [would have been nice to have the convertible top for it, but a blue poly tarp worked fine] Mine wasn't as nice as this one, but it is funny driving one without a roof, drives cops nuts because it only has a lap belt.

[Crossbow]

Friend and co-worker had a problem at our old building where someone had parked just over the (driver's side) line, leaving not quite enough space in the last remaining parking space in the lot. He calmly folded in his driver's side mirror and backed in, leaving less than 2 inches between the cars. Mr. I'm-too-important-to-park-correctly was not amused.

And I loved my IH scout, if someone parked too close in the summer it didn't matter, I rode with the roof off [would have been nice to have the convertible top for it, but a blue poly tarp worked fine] Mine wasn't as nice as this one, but it is funny driving one without a roof, drives cops nuts because it only has a lap belt.

Was the body still attached to the frame? Same friend from above had an old IS Scout where the bolts had given out. You think cops don't like just a lap belt? Try driving around with a body that moves independently from the rest of the car.

[wolfie]

What I'd like to see is some jackass in a fancy SUV, who intends to be in the mall for only a short time, parking centered on the line (to keep people from accidentally "dinging" his doors) AND onto the pair of spaces in the next row (foul the spots so nobody backs into him). If the mall has wider-than-normal spaces, driver A parks to jackass' left (but completely in one space), blocking him from opening his driver's side doors. Driver B parks to the right (again, completely in one space), blocking him from opening his passenger side doors. As the cherry on the sundae, driver C in a Smart (or other short hatchback-type) car backs into one of the spaces on the other row that jackass is fouling, blocking him from opening his tailgate. Naturally, drives A, B, and C intend to spend the whole day.

[raudf]

Back when cars were made of steel and not tinfoil, my Dad had a station wagon that he was very proud of, because the paint job was and to quote, "Candy Apple Red and so deep that you could sink your arm into it." Well, Dad parked it in a lot and went inside, leaving Mom sitting in the car. A gaggle of girls in a smaller land yacht parked beside, barely over the line on the station wagon's side of the parking spot, looked over at Mom, giggled and them slammed their door into the station wagon's. Yes, slammed. While looking Mom directly in the eye.

They then giggled again, while looking at Mom, daring her to do something. Mom proceeded to get out of the wagon, walk up to the other car's door and kick it. Once. Ding and major scrapped paint on the station wagon. Huge dent on their car door. She didn't say a word, just glared at them. They gulped, and slinked off. Don't mess with my parents' pride and joy. She also didn't tell Dad about it until they were well away so he couldn't turn around and do something more.

For the record, Mom told me if it had been an accident, she would have just shrugged it off. She doesn't tolerate assholes very well, that's all.

[AccountingDrone]

Friend and co-worker had a problem at our old building where someone had parked just over the (driver's side) line, leaving not quite enough space in the last remaining parking space in the lot. He calmly folded in his driver's side mirror and backed in, leaving less than 2 inches between the cars. Mr. I'm-too-important-to-park-correctly was not amused.



Was the body still attached to the frame? Same friend from above had an old IS Scout where the bolts had given out. You think cops don't like just a lap belt? Try driving around with a body that moves independently from the rest of the car.

Well, it didn't have body issues, nor frame issues until Rob hit a patch of black ice and put it through a new england stone pasture fence, over several trees and between a pair of century old oaks. Then drove it home with no effective radiator nor oil. Pity the engine was still good but the body and frame were whipped =(

[CaptainThrifty]

BTW, why couldn't OP's wife get in through the passenger door?

My wife has knee issues to begin with. Add onto that, that she is a BBW (and isn't ashamed of it, so I'm not in trouble for noting it here.) and slipping across wouldn't be easy in and of itself. But most importantly, there is a center console like contraption between the front seats that would make it an incredible struggle for her.

[50 mission cap]

Depending on the car (small and/or sports with low a low roof especially) climbing over the centre console/gear stick can be seriously difficult for someone of average or above height, and if dressed to go out for dinner, could be quite impossible.

This can be difficult for anyone , but especially the guys. I once slipped on the gear stick attempting this and the results werent pleasant.