A van person

[protege]

I've dealt with this in two forms. I've seen the idiots that takes up X number of spaces with their cars, I've seen the person straddling a 4-square shape of spaces with their car before.

I've done that...but only once. Why? Well, I had the 'other' car out, and was out cruising last summer. As I'm leaving South Park (no Kenny killing, unfortunately), I couldn't resist getting the car in a photo with the remains of the old Montour RR company store. Even though that building has been heavily remodeled, the old "Champion Stores" sign is still on the back. Anyway, I maneuvered the car in such a way that it was straddling several spaces. The rest of the parking lot (used by the Port Authority...as their Library, PA light-rail stop) was empty...so nobody cared

[LadyAndreca]

One of the vehicles I learned to drive with was a full-sized Dodge Ram Wagon. That's one of THESE (Wikipedia picture, sfw). And you know what? They fit just FINE in a normal parking spot. Maybe you have to back and fill once if you have to make a tight corner or there's a large car in the spot next to you. But if I can fit one of those in, there's NO excuse for not getting a minivan or SUV in a spot...

[Andara Bledin]

Maybe you have to back and fill once if you have to make a tight corner or there's a large car in the spot next to you. But if I can fit one of those in, there's NO excuse for not getting a minivan or SUV in a spot...

Not all parking spots are created equal. I've been in spots (not marked compact) that wouldn't fit your van.

But there are some people who just shouldn't have large vehicles until they learn how to figure out where the hell their bumpers are.

^-.-^

[Kogarashi]

I've been in spots (not marked compact) that wouldn't fit your van.

Sounds like our post office's lot. Long spaces, but so narrow that if it's busy and you just happen to find a free space, good luck getting out of your car.

[Chromatix]

My dad was very fond of fitting his car into tight parking spots - often ones which nobody else would bother to take.

At the university where he worked, he effectively had his very own spot, behind a welded-open gate. Somehow he never had any particular difficulty squeezing even a Renault 12 Estate - not a small car by any means - through the remaining gap. (Some may recognise it better as the Dacia 1300.)

Later he repeated the process with a tiny Seat Terra van. Because that was considerably smaller than the Renault 12, he went ahead and squeezed it into places other people literally *couldn't* park.

[wolfie]

Maybe you have to back and fill once if you have to make a tight corner or there's a large car in the spot next to you. But if I can fit one of those in, there's NO excuse for not getting a minivan or SUV in a spot...

You probably wouldn't have any trouble getting the Ram Wagon into a spot beside a large car, but you'd be encouraged to go to the other (4-wheeler) lot. "Large car" refers to a conventional (long hood, non-aerocab, air cleaners hanging off the side, chrome all over) highway tractor.

[LadyAndreca]

I dunno, I never met a parking spot I couldn't get that van into...but then, I was a skinny little thing back then and didn't need to get the door open all the way to get out. It could also be that I had the sense not to try spaces that were too tight, so I don't have any memories of failing. It's been eight or nine years since my parents sold it.

Edit: Also, I just meant 'large car' as in 'a car that is large, not leaving much room to maneuver in your space, such as a wide car, SUV, minivan, or another van' rather than 'an 18-wheeler'. While we did occasionally park in the trucker parking at rest stops, that was usually so we could pull out the collapsable picnic table on long trips and eat in the parking space.

[Indigo]

I happened to see an asshole parking job on the road next to my college. Someone had deliberately parallel parked in front of a driveway opening on a narrow street and pretty much blocked in the two cars that were in the driveway. Somebody had glued a sheet of paper to their windshield (where it wouldn't interfere with visibility while driving) and it said "Look at me! I'm an asshole who can't park!" with a smiley face pointing towards the driver seat. I was laughing the whole way back to my dorm.

[blas]

I hate when I park at the mall or any big department store's parking lot, and then as time goes on and people come and go, when I come out to leave, an extended cab pickup truck or huge SUV is parked next to me, and they park completely parallel to my car and don't pull up at all, so I have to cross my fingers on my one hand as I go in reverse and just hope and pray to gosh that NO ONE is coming and clips my car before I get a chance to see.