is this wrong of me?

[jarrod]

lately, when i come across a vehicle that's double parked, i've been leaving a note for the driver on the windsheild. it is usually politely worded, like "learn how to park, ****face" or "thanks for taking up two spots at a crowded festival, jerk".

now i don't get all vigilante about it, stalking the outer limits of wal-mart looking for the guy who parked his classic car in two spaces in the far corner of a half-empty lot. i'm talking about the guy who just can't bring himself to buy a van or even a four door car, so he buys some sort of gigantic truck or suv that has never been off road or hauled anything bigger than some groceries then drives it to a crowded mall, concert, or street festival & just decides he needs that added security of two spaces. for god's sake, if you can't park it in one spot, take a different vehicle or get used to walking to the far end of the lot. jethro & the clan don't need to pile into the 4 door long bed F-350 to go shovel buttered baked potatoes & steak with ketchup into their faces at outback. your dad had to suck it up & buy a station wagon, it's damn well good enough for you.

thanks for listening.

jf

 

[Carol]

They still make station wagons?

 

[jarrod]

well i don't know; i wouldn't drive one of those things.

jf

 

[seasoned]

Station wagons, I still remember them. I think they replaced them with SUV's. So your the one putting notes on my windows. I think they need to make parking spaces bigger.

 

[Jade Tigress]

As far as station wagons go....ewwwwww....except for one thing. The Magnum.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

They irritate me too, but I don't bother leaving notes. Too lazy, I guess.

I will say that when I used to travel for a living, I occasionally had trouble in the bay area of California. I rented cars from Hertz all the time, such that they had given me super deluxe status, and I would always get a 'free' upgrade to a much bigger car than my company paid for. It was not unusual for me to be handed the keys to a big Lincoln or a monster SUV. And when your flight gets in at 1 in the morning on a Sunday, believe me, you don't waste time fighting over it, you just take the car and go.

Well, parking lot spots are very tight in that part of California. Land near the coast is at a premium, so parking spots in lots are as tight as they can make them. It was not unusual for me to find myself with my tires directly on top of the white lines on both sides. If someone pulled in to the spots on either side, I could find myself in a situation where I could not get into my car until someone left.

I also got notes on the rental car, accusing me of being unfriendly to the environment, using some of the worst language I've ever seen. My rental cars got key-scratched from time to time, or spat upon on the driver's side window, or the mirrors twisted out of shape, etc.

Once I was trapped at a Fry's electronics in Sunnyvale for several hours, unable to enter my rental car, and when the guy showed up who had me pinned in on the driver's side, he proceeded to lecture me on what an a-hole I was for destroying the environment with my big monster Lincoln, and only ONE person driving it, yet! He wasn't going to move his car for anything until he had finished spewing his venom on me. I finally lit up a cigarette and leaned back to let him get it out of his system - well, when he saw me light up, he REALLY went nuts. Telling me I was giving him cancer, blah, blah, blah. I finally had had enough and got a handful of his shirt collar and convinced him that I could completely remove his ears with the aid of only my small SpiderCo co-pilot knife, and that I was about to, unless he moved his car in the next ten seconds.

It was at this point that I realized how much I hate California. Beautiful state, but it's lunatic residents have ruined it. Lots of good people in California, I have to add, but they really are the minority.

Um, what was the point again? Sorry, I wandered. Oh yeah, parking in two spaces...well, those people are selfish and mean. Unless the spots are so danged narrow that they have no choice, and they're renting the car.

I just let it go.

 

[jarrod]

i feel ya bill. but we're talking kansas here. they account for trucks.

jf

 

[Bill Mattocks]

i feel ya bill. but we're talking kansas here. they account for trucks.

jf

Yeah, I did a lot of work in Overland Park also. Spent about six months living in the Marriott Courtyard there a couple years back. I love Jack Stack. Lots of big parking spots!

 

[elder999]

As far as station wagons go....ewwwwww....except for one thing. The Magnum.

I dunno, I think the '60 Impala Wagon makes a totally sweet hot rod, especially with a '66 572 under the hood.......and talk about a "back seat".....ahhh, youth.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

There was a production 572 ci in 1966? I had no idea.

 

[CoryKS]

I feel your pain, but the phrase "tilting at windmills" comes to mind. You're not going to change their minds, and you're not going their behavior. Either they don't care what you think and will enjoy the fact that they've upset you, or they weren't aware - in which case you've just called some well-intentioned but oblivious person a "****face". Way to pass it on.

 

[theletch1]

The Magnum is a very cool looking car. I'd considered one myself as a family car for awhile. The Nomad stills rocks best for classic hot rod wagons.

As for the folks that drive cars too big to park, well, I drive a '95 Cherokee that's been lifted and has rock sliders sticking out about 7 inches to either side as well as much wider than normal tires on it. Mine goes off road on a regular basis... for both sport and utility... but I have no problem getting it into a standard parking spot. When I try to pull into a spot that is too small for it I just chuckle to myself about folks trying to scrunch themselves into toy cars and find another spot. I have a photo of my Jeep on here somewhere.
Ah, here it is.

 

[LuckyKBoxer]

Damn Bill I really like reading your posts. You regularly remind me of things from the past. I lived in the Bay area with my wife for 4 years before we fled back to semi normal country in San Diego.
I had an outside sales job then and drove a VW GTI, I remember parking in the city in some of the ridiculously tight street spots and would drive my car into the spot at an angle, get out, walk to the back lift the back end up and move it to the curb. It became my preferred way to park, mostly just to see the look on peoples faces. fast forward a number of years and I drive a Ford Expedition now, and can't even begin to ponder parking that in San Francisco, and my Back thanks god I did not own that back then LOL
BTW you have way to much self control in that situation. I unfortunately do not have the ability to do suffer the fools.
AS for the original poster, I can't relate, but see no problem with that. I simply avoid driving to big festivals, or functions. Its much easier to take a trolley, Taxi, Limo, or go hours early to tailgate. /shrug

 

[MA-Caver]

I feel your pain, but the phrase "tilting at windmills" comes to mind. You're not going to change their minds, and you're not going their behavior. Either they don't care what you think and will enjoy the fact that they've upset you, or they weren't aware - in which case you've just called some well-intentioned but oblivious person a "****face". Way to pass it on.

Agreed... it's like taking your bad mood and making sure everyone else is feeling the same way... wars, riots and shooting rampages get started that way sometimes. Haven't you seen Falling Down?

 

[theletch1]

Agreed... it's like taking your bad mood and making sure everyone else is feeling the same way... wars, riots and shooting rampages get started that way sometimes. Haven't you seen Falling Down?

True, but sometimes guys go on shooting rampages because they've not "vented" at all for years. If this keeps us from seeing Jarrod on CNN by allowing him to blow off some harmless steam, then, by all means write away!

 

[elder999]

The . The Nomad stills rocks best for classic hot rod wagons..

Class of its own......

 

[KELLYG]

Jrod,

I have felt the same way. If ya can't park it, ya probably can't drive it either. I drive a small car and come back out to the lot and have a Hummer on one side and an Escallade(sp) on the other. I just back up slow an pray. The thing that annoys me the most is that most people I'd say 80% have no real need for a car that size.

 

[Live True]

If you can't drive it...Don't buy it

Jarrod,
You aren't wrong to feel the way you do, and the notes are fairly harmless way to vent your frustration. Folks that are going to go postal are not really going postal over an offensive note; they have other issues. People who use two spaces in a crowded lot or just so they can be close and not have to walk far are generally aware of what they are doing and simply being selfish...Bill's situation being the exception.

So, check the size of the spaces and if there are other open spots farther out...otherwise, write away.Just don't expect to have any impact other than your own self-satisfaction.

 

[Live True]

I've never been a fan of cars still in the box (siding), but a friend of mine had recently bought a 1994 Buick Roadmaster Estate Wagon. WHAT A BEAST!! My husband and he were going to turn it into a hot rod, and rename it Roadmonster.

Alas, time and funding took it's toll.

 

[theletch1]

The Nomad wagon... as Elder said... a class of its own.