Some people shouldn't drive.

[ArenaBoy]

My parents live in a neighborhood that has several blindspots. A couple of turns and some hills that make it tricky. The roads are also made narrow due to people parking on the side of the road. The area is relatively isolated, so traffic is practically non-existent

The other day, I was leaving my parents house. About halfway through the area, I see a car that's on my side of the road and about to hit me head on. I swerved out of the way and honked my horn. What annoys me about this is that the road was wide open, no one was parked on the side, and yet this person was under the mindset that we were in England and not in the US and nearly hit me.

I'm lucky that nothing bad happened after that, but that neighborhood will be the death of me.

[LillFilly]

This reminds me of people who drive on the wrong side of the row in a parking lot. I always stop and STARE at them, while they motion frantically for me to move. Uh, no. This is my side!

[spookysonata]

What is it about parking lots? Why do people think the road rules don't apply if you're in a lot?

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Some People on ludes shouldn't drive.

Thread title edited for my amusement.

[sparx]

What is it about parking lots? Why do people think the road rules don't apply if you're in a lot?

At least in England, any lines or signs in a car park (if owned by a private company like a supermarket or something) do not mean anything in road traffic law. You can go the wrong way up a one way section if you really wanted to! (I do quite often... but only when I can see the other end is clear, it saves a good half mile round trip round the entire car park!)

[Rapscallion]

At least in England, any lines or signs in a car park (if owned by a private company like a supermarket or something) do not mean anything in road traffic law. You can go the wrong way up a one way section if you really wanted to! (I do quite often... but only when I can see the other end is clear, it saves a good half mile round trip round the entire car park!)

Your mileage may vary in other jurisdictions. However, signs in a private car park can indicate that your vehicle will be clamped/towed if they don't like you/you have stayed too long etc. Worth bearing in mind.

Rapscallion

[Chromatix]

Yes, I think it's only the Highway Code signs and markings which don't have legal effect unless they've gone through a certain legal procedure. Private owners usually don't go through them.

[roothorick]

What is it about parking lots? Why do people think the road rules don't apply if you're in a lot?

They don't. Parking lots are (with the exception of municipal buildings) private property, and the owner of said property sets the rules on their parking lot. Violations of said rules can be punished under the usual trespassing and etc. statutes. (The same applies to privately owned roads!) Even for municipal buildings, the standard road rules are not directly applied to their parking lots; the presiding municipality usually has a special set of ordinances just for the lots. Either way, said rules or ordinances tend to be a lot laxer than the laws on city streets.

[Magpie]

They don't.

Legally they don't, but driving following the basic rules of the road is still expected by other drivers. And here's the catch: while it's legal to not stop at a parking lot stop sign/line, if there is an accident, and you didn't stop at that line, you are going to be found at fault. So if the lot is completely empty, there's no real reason to follow the rules of the road. But if anyone else is there, there's still a lot of legal incentive to follow them.

[roothorick]

while it's legal to not stop at a parking lot stop sign/line

Actually, legally, that's an open question, IIRC. You could argue all day about property owner's intent in placing the stop sign and what the punishment would be, if any, under the relevant statutes. It's still "safe", in that cops won't bother as they don't want to deal with the clusterfuck.