I totally got cut off for a parking space

[#2ontheway]

I honestly don't know if this has ever happened to me before. Happened last night and I am still reeling. Hopefully by posting about it I can bring my blood pressure down!!

I live in a small town. Last night was taking the kids to dinner. There was a parking spot (parallel parking) on the street on the other side of the restaurant. I pulled in to a parking lot (a small private lot) right behind the space, stopped, looked behind me and then started to back out so I could park in the space. At that moment a black pickup truck came around the corner, pulled up next to the car in front of the space, and started to back into it.

I was so flabbergasted. The guy clearly knew what I was doing and basically just butted in front of me. I laid on my horn, then opened my window. He stuck his head out and said, well you can't do a u-turn in the street! I was so shocked! I actually didn't do a u-turn and didn't think anything I did was illegal or unsafe. And anyway, he absolutely knew I was prepping to park there. But he continued to back in and parked. I then pulled up next to him and opened my passenger window and yelled, where are your manners????? and then drove away, heart pounding.

So awesome that my kids got to witness me basically losing my sh!t in front of this jerk. And it's not like parking here is THAT hard to find... I found another space a block up... but I of course wanted to avoid crossing streets with my kids and now had to cross a busyish intersection to get back to the restaurant.

When we walked back down to the restaurant I saw him get out of his truck. There was another guy with him - they were both probably 60ish - and they had a few small dogs with them. It looked like they were just taking the dogs for a walk. I can't figure out why this parking spot was so important to him. I really wanted to take a pic of his license, but for what... I didn't know. But I was nervous he was going to come into the restaurant. And really, it's a small town... it wouldn't surprise me to have mutual connections. People just don't act like this around here!

Okay. Vent over.

[jal]

Not to belittle your vent... but are you sure the other driver knew you were taking the spot?

When you started with the fact that this was a parallel parking spot, I initially assumed that you "pulled up next to the car in front of the space, and started to back into it" when the other driver cut you off by pulled head-first into the parking spot. But that's not what happened. Instead, you described the other driver as following the typical procedure to parallel parking and cut YOU off in the process. I must admit that without a picture, I don't totally understand the situation. But the fact that the other driver was following the typical parallel parking procedure makes me wonder if this isn't a case where Hanlon's razor would apply: "Don't attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by ignorance/stupidity".

[Mikey0709]

I can't help buy think....ahhhh to live in a small town......

maybe these guys were new to town?

I probably get cut off a few times a week.... and i don't DARE yell or get angry anymore since a friend just had to testify over someone pulling a gun on them in a parking lot. I'm not even IN the city, just a suburb, but i'm so much more relaxed about it now that i have kids.

Can't tell you how often i have to drive around or circle for 10-15 minutes before finding a spot.

It's frustrating, but definitely have learned to pick my battles....

[#2ontheway]

Not to belittle your vent... but are you sure the other driver knew you were taking the spot?

When you started with the fact that this was a parallel parking spot, I initially assumed that you "pulled up next to the car in front of the space, and started to back into it" when the other driver cut you off by pulled head-first into the parking spot. But that's not what happened. Instead, you described the other driver as following the typical procedure to parallel parking and cut YOU off in the process. I must admit that without a picture, I don't totally understand the situation. But the fact that the other driver was following the typical parallel parking procedure makes me wonder if this isn't a case where Hanlon's razor would apply: "Don't attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by ignorance/stupidity".

He definitely knew I was parking there. It was a parallel parking space but directly behind it was the entrance to the small parking lot... I had pulled in there and was probably about halfway backed out and was going to drive directly into the space. He drove around the back of my car and pulled up to the car in front. Actually what he did was arguably a bit more unsafe, since he had to veer into the oncoming lane to get around me. I was very sure he knew what I was doing. And especially since he proceeded to park there after I beeped him and he said you can't do a u-turn... he had decided he was claiming that spot!

I'm a pretty low-key person and don't usually get rattled by other people but this really got to me. I think because it was so blatant and because we live in a town where it never happens (if I was in a big city I think it wouldn't have fazed me at all!).

Glad to have a space to vent and yes I'm glad I didn't get shot...

[HannaAddict]

It isn't legal under our code to pull into a lot and back out like that. So I can see why someone driving normally and lined up correctly to parallel park wouldn't want to wait for someone to dart into a private lot and back out to try and take a spot. That doesn't seem very safe either. Glad the altercation didn't get more heated. Parking is frustrating to be sure.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[#2ontheway]

It isn't legal under our code to pull into a lot and back out like that.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I don't know if we have a local code on point but in this small town this is pretty customary and not unsafe. Not a move I would pull off in L.A. of course!

[TwinFoxes]

I don't get why you pulled into the parking lot. I'm really trying to figure that out. I wish I had a diagram. What you describe sounds unusual, and what the truck did sounds like normal parallel parking. I thought it was going to be a situation in a crowded parking lot where you were waiting and someone just zipped on in.

I'm sorry it was so upsetting. Getting into altercations while driving is scary.

[HannaAddict]

I don't know if we have a local code on point but in this small town this is pretty customary and not unsafe. Not a move I would pull off in L.A. of course!

Most places do, rarely cited but bet something is on the books. Glad it worked out and you were able to park safely.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[California]

Seriously? You ladies are nitpicking her driving in a bitching post? You are making me giggle.
If he had to pull around you to get into the space, it sounds to me like he definitely made the riskier move. He made himself look like a jacka$$ in front of a friend- bet the other guy was very uncomfortable with the situation! Too bad it wasn't a wife. She would have given him an earful. Though who knows, maybe it was his DH and he heard about it later :-)

[HannaAddict]

I guess the way I have seen this scenario actually happen is someone driving along on the correct side of the street approaching a parallel parking spot and another driver on the opposite side of the street turns across and either (a) does a U turn or (b) as the OP described pulls into a parking lot half way - not to park but to then reverse into the roadway in an attempt to get to the spot first. I look at this on my phone so didn't really register it as BP. And going around the car that is reversing out of a lot (probably one you are supposed to pull out of after parking in it) if there are no other cars seems fine since the car leaving the lot should be yielding to traffic already out on the road versus they having to stop for them to leave. Even the car is pulling out vs reversing, the person leaving the lot doesn't have the right of way. Parking it a knife fight sometimes, I get it, but sadly when a spot is on the opposite side of the street it can be dicey to get it if someone else is on that side and driving right up to it. It sounded like he thought she was trying to ace him out from across the street. I do agree with you that my IRL descriptions/possible scenarios is nit picky!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk