Pet Peeve: Bad Parking

[JRMichler]

Once upon a time, my father parked in the last legal spot next to a fire hydrant. Then some idiot parked him in by parking in front of a fire hydrant. Dad was driving a Suburban (5 kids, he needed it). He eased forward, shifted into reverse, and floored it. Put the idiot in the middle of the intersection with a leaking radiator. Not even a scratch on the Suburban.

[Cobb]

I use to parallel park near an equipment dealer for 5 years and I did every ticketable offense from watching parking wars.

I would park farther than 2 ft from the curb.
Park with one side up on curb.
Park on corner of block.
Park at very edge or beginning of block.
Parked facing on coming traffic.

Lastly I parked in the driveway to one of the many bays our shop had a POS truck that will be out of service for months and blocked the sidewalk.

Still, how does a "No Standing Zone" mean no parking?!?!?!?!

[Xist]

I used to have a problem with people parking behind me. Had I driven a big truck, I could have driven over the curb--or backed over the car.

I always wondered, I keep a floor jack in my trunk, I like using it way more than the spare tire jack, plus the handle makes a much better club.

If I put the jack under the right spot, could I lift up the back end of their car and push it out of my way?

[Cobb]

To parallel park in tight spots I use to back in, set parking brake, cock my wheels to the curb, pop the clutch in first gear and scoot the front end over to the curb.

[sheepdog 44]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqhUeDTAyYs

[order99]

Like Cowmeat, I also have a Ford Festiva. I have also noticed that any neighboring spots almost always get filled by cars who think that those painted lines are for OTHER people, and park at any angle they like.,,,having the Festiva, this is not usually a major issue and I let it slide.

Eight months ago however, I return to my faithful pony and find two SUVs, each parked so far over the line that I had less than 5" clearance on both driver and passenger sides. I was...not happy.

I was even less happy when I had to open my hatch,lower the back seat and slither into the driver's side (while not a giant, I am neither petite nor abnormally thin enough for this to be EASY). I then started up the car and gently pulled out-and while I considered trading paint with the inconsiderate cretins, I had just applied a fresh coat of Valspar International Harvester Red and wanted it to last a few years, so I resisted tempation...

Instead, I took a length of towing chain out of my 'might need this' box, wrapped it securely around the back axles of both SUVs and double-locked each end. And then I left.

In retrospect I may have overreacted just a touch. That chain had come from Granddad's tractor and had pulled stumps that would have laughed at dynamite, and I really can't find its like anymore...

[cowmeat]

Lol, if it wasn't for the weight factor, I'd add a tow-chain to my trunk too . . .

Inconsiderate, dumb-ass hillbillies are everywhere (especially in NC and FL), so just remember that although we are way outnumbered here, if we refuse to fight the war is already lost

Nice work!

[t vago]

Originally Posted by order99

In retrospect I may have overreacted just a touch. That chain had come from Granddad's tractor and had pulled stumps that would have laughed at dynamite, and I really can't find its like anymore...

Yah, I'd probably say so.

Harbor Freight sells valve core removal tools, for removing the cores out of wheel valve stems, that would have gotten the point across just as well. Of course, a cheapie pair of vise grips would probably have worked, too.

[War_Wagon]

When we first opened our shop, it took a few months before we could get "Reserved Parking" painted on the 8 spots in front that were part of our lease. So we just kindly asked people to move when we saw them parking there, as we really needed the space. Once the paint went down it was open season. There was some clod that would back in his brand new S500 and usually take up almost 2 spots on Saturday evenings as he went in to butcher the lastest Asian Top 40 songs at the karaoke bar next door. I was particularly grumpy that night before going home, and it said in giant letters "Reserved for Azure", so I got the keys for our rental Expedition, and our rental Tahoe, put them both in 4wd, nosed one in on each side of the Mercedes so there was about 2 inches to spare between the sides, pulled up to the curb and cranked the front wheels full lock to one side. So there was no way a tow truck could hook up our stuff and drag it out of the way without putting the front wheels on dollies or else they would have dragged the locked up front wheels into the sides of the Mercedes due to the angle they were on, and they couldn't put dollies on the front because they were too close to the curb! Then I went home for Saturday night. We were closed Sunday.

Monday, the Merc was gone! To this day I think the only way the guy got that thing out of there was Mercedes like that have a function that lets you open your sunroof and windows with the remote before you start the car. I am pretty wiry and there's no way I could have gotten in through the windows, so I guess he must have opened the roof from outside, then climbed over his new $100k car, gone in through the sunroof, and actually driven it out. Ya, he never parked in front of our shop again, and order was temporarily restored to the parking universe (well as much as it can be in Richmond, anyway!).

[Xist]

What if you purchase a can of Slime and use the valve stem tool on a can of Great Stuff?