Car parks. Why so hard.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by Honest Gaza

I would also like to get into the minds of others to see why they make these choices...but would find it difficult initiating the conversation like you did. Not saying you were rude, but raising the question with them probably took her by surprise.

Perhaps next time she parks it will jog her memory and she'll question why she does it and park somewhere else?

[Beastie]

Looking at those cars, I'd say they parked where they did because it's an easy 'straight in' park.

[commodorenutt]

Originally Posted by .:4:.

.....Both my mum and her boyfriend have disability tags. Mums is for my mid 90 year old grandparents, her boyfriends is for his wife who has been a vegatable (im not being rude) who hasnt left 24/7 care in years.
Mum and her boyfriend boast about how convenient disabled parking is. That really gets up my goat, as think of say a person who is independent but paralysed from the waist down so needs the wider parking space to facilitate sorting out their wheelchair situation, has to park in a normal spot, no one beside them. They come back to their car and there is a car close beside them.
Anyhow, my gripe is misuse of disabled parking permits.

Since my wife "acquired" a physical disability, and has a permit, it has really opened my eyes to this.

You are 100% correct about the need to open the door wider. I often have to move out of the spot to let my elderly in-laws get in the car (and my FG is a real pain for them, compared to the Caprice they have).

I could not possibly count the times I haven't been able to park in a blue spot, because some school mum has a "i'll jjust be a minute" errand to run, and CBF'd parking elsewhere. It rubs it in worse when they literally jog/run into where they want to go. Several times I've double-parked across them, and let my wife take 60-90 seconds to get out, get crutches organised etc, all whilst they rev their engine and honk the horn......

The other gripe I have echoes your one - entitled brats using Mum/Dad/Grandma's pass without them even being in the car. If I'm out with my wife, and I pull up somewhere, where she's staying in the car, I don't even dream about using a blue spot.

Mind you, I still have the pass on the windscreen, and one night picking up Thai at the bolwing club, I parked in the spot next to the blue one. When I came back out, a Karen was abusing my wife (still in the car) for NOT parking in the blue spot, because she wanted my spot....

At the local shops I see P-platers with passes in the window, often times with the card showing the photo ID of the elderly person, and the young P-plater is the only one in the car. It's usually repeat offenders too. I laughed so hard one day when the council ranger was arguing with the young girl over the fine for parking in the blue spot, without the registered pass holder being in the car. She claimed because she was dropping Grandma's phone into the repair kiosk, she could use Grandma's pass.....

And lastly, I'll recount a fantastic thing that happened with my cousin. He has a prosthetic left leg from the thigh down. You wouldn't know it by looking at him standing still, sitting down, or driving a car. When he walks it becomes obvious. He also likes to wear shorts, which makes it even more visually obvious.

One day we went out to the local club for lunch, and as parking is normally tight, we all went in his 4WD. There were literally 10 empty blue spots at the RSL. He parked in one, with the pass clearly on display. As we started to get out, this belligerent middle-aged a-hole starts carrying on about him parking in a spot reserved for "someone who went to war and got his legs blown off" and other similar stories. His wife is getting out of the passenger side, and he starts on her. Several times she tried to stop him carrying on, but he yelled over her. My cousin got out from the driver's side, and stood there. A-hole started on him. He waited for a breather and asked "finished yet?" and the clown started back up. So my cousin asked him to come closer. The guy had a puzzled look on his face, and hadn't seen my cousin pulling his prosthetic off his stump. My cousin called out for him to come closer, and the a-hole asked why. He held up his leg and said "so I can shove this down your throat you fool." No apology, nothing, just mumbled angrily and swore as he wandered off towards the taxi rank.

We laughed about it with other family over lunch, and my Aunt told me it happens to him all the time - at least once a month someone abuses him because he doesn't "look" disabled enough.

My cousin is like my wife & I. We won't park in the spot unless necessary. He can walk 5km in a day without a problem, but if he gets a blister on his stump, 50m of walking is agony. Same with my wife. Some days she can't go far, but on good days, she's off. People are quick to judge without seeing the facts.

I know of one young guy who has a pass, because he has an acquired brain injury. Nothing physically obvious about him unless you talk to him, and even then you only notice minor speech issues. But when he walks, he nearly falls over every few steps, because his balance is rooted. He can still drive a car fine though. He gets a few laughs when he tells people he's always drunk but never blows over the limit.

[Vesper Martini]

Originally Posted by grep

Looking at those cars, I'd say they parked where they did because it's an easy 'straight in' park.

and those people never reverse park

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by commodorenutt

I know of one young guy who has a pass, because he has an acquired brain injury. Nothing physically obvious about him unless you talk to him, and even then you only notice minor speech issues. But when he walks, he nearly falls over every few steps, because his balance is rooted. He can still drive a car fine though. He gets a few laughs when he tells people he's always drunk but never blows over the limit.

Thats the same as ambulatory wheelchair users - they cop **** flat out because they're in wheelchairs, but sometimes they'll get out of them and walk for short distances if they feel up to it and when someone sees thats usually when they open their mouths and put their 2 cents in about them not being 'disabled'.

Imagine being enough of a flog to have a crack at someone you think isn't disabled because you see them walking 'fine' and they have a disabled parking permit sticker on their car

[.:4:.]

Originally Posted by commodorenutt

Since my wife "acquired" a physical disability, and has a permit, it has really opened my eyes to this.

You are 100% correct about the need to open the door wider. I often have to move out of the spot to let my elderly in-laws get in the car (and my FG is a real pain for them, compared to the Caprice they have).

I could not possibly count the times I haven't been able to park in a blue spot, because some school mum has a "i'll jjust be a minute" errand to run, and CBF'd parking elsewhere. It rubs it in worse when they literally jog/run into where they want to go. Several times I've double-parked across them, and let my wife take 60-90 seconds to get out, get crutches organised etc, all whilst they rev their engine and honk the horn......

The other gripe I have echoes your one - entitled brats using Mum/Dad/Grandma's pass without them even being in the car. If I'm out with my wife, and I pull up somewhere, where she's staying in the car, I don't even dream about using a blue spot.

Mind you, I still have the pass on the windscreen, and one night picking up Thai at the bolwing club, I parked in the spot next to the blue one. When I came back out, a Karen was abusing my wife (still in the car) for NOT parking in the blue spot, because she wanted my spot....

At the local shops I see P-platers with passes in the window, often times with the card showing the photo ID of the elderly person, and the young P-plater is the only one in the car. It's usually repeat offenders too. I laughed so hard one day when the council ranger was arguing with the young girl over the fine for parking in the blue spot, without the registered pass holder being in the car. She claimed because she was dropping Grandma's phone into the repair kiosk, she could use Grandma's pass.....

And lastly, I'll recount a fantastic thing that happened with my cousin. He has a prosthetic left leg from the thigh down. You wouldn't know it by looking at him standing still, sitting down, or driving a car. When he walks it becomes obvious. He also likes to wear shorts, which makes it even more visually obvious.

One day we went out to the local club for lunch, and as parking is normally tight, we all went in his 4WD. There were literally 10 empty blue spots at the RSL. He parked in one, with the pass clearly on display. As we started to get out, this belligerent middle-aged a-hole starts carrying on about him parking in a spot reserved for "someone who went to war and got his legs blown off" and other similar stories. His wife is getting out of the passenger side, and he starts on her. Several times she tried to stop him carrying on, but he yelled over her. My cousin got out from the driver's side, and stood there. A-hole started on him. He waited for a breather and asked "finished yet?" and the clown started back up. So my cousin asked him to come closer. The guy had a puzzled look on his face, and hadn't seen my cousin pulling his prosthetic off his stump. My cousin called out for him to come closer, and the a-hole asked why. He held up his leg and said "so I can shove this down your throat you fool." No apology, nothing, just mumbled angrily and swore as he wandered off towards the taxi rank.

We laughed about it with other family over lunch, and my Aunt told me it happens to him all the time - at least once a month someone abuses him because he doesn't "look" disabled enough.

My cousin is like my wife & I. We won't park in the spot unless necessary. He can walk 5km in a day without a problem, but if he gets a blister on his stump, 50m of walking is agony. Same with my wife. Some days she can't go far, but on good days, she's off. People are quick to judge without seeing the facts.

I know of one young guy who has a pass, because he has an acquired brain injury. Nothing physically obvious about him unless you talk to him, and even then you only notice minor speech issues. But when he walks, he nearly falls over every few steps, because his balance is rooted. He can still drive a car fine though. He gets a few laughs when he tells people he's always drunk but never blows over the limit.

Just to fill in the gaps of my last post, neither my mum or her boyfriend have a disability or medical condition to warrent a disabled parking permit. I love my mum, but on this one she is being both selfish and pig ignorant.

[commodorenutt]

I gathered that, but didn't want to point it out ;)

[rare ss]

Originally Posted by commodorenutt

And lastly, I'll recount a fantastic thing that happened with my cousin. He has a prosthetic left leg from the thigh down. You wouldn't know it by looking at him standing still, sitting down, or driving a car. When he walks it becomes obvious. He also likes to wear shorts, which makes it even more visually obvious.

One day we went out to the local club for lunch, and as parking is normally tight, we all went in his 4WD. There were literally 10 empty blue spots at the RSL. He parked in one, with the pass clearly on display. As we started to get out, this belligerent middle-aged a-hole starts carrying on about him parking in a spot reserved for "someone who went to war and got his legs blown off" and other similar stories. His wife is getting out of the passenger side, and he starts on her. Several times she tried to stop him carrying on, but he yelled over her. My cousin got out from the driver's side, and stood there. A-hole started on him. He waited for a breather and asked "finished yet?" and the clown started back up. So my cousin asked him to come closer. The guy had a puzzled look on his face, and hadn't seen my cousin pulling his prosthetic off his stump. My cousin called out for him to come closer, and the a-hole asked why. He held up his leg and said "so I can shove this down your throat you fool." No apology, nothing, just mumbled angrily and swore as he wandered off towards the taxi rank.

We laughed about it with other family over lunch, and my Aunt told me it happens to him all the time - at least once a month someone abuses him because he doesn't "look" disabled enough.

That's gold, I has a similar story..

We were working onsite at a remote mining camp and carparking at camp was a premium, this particular point in time was still in the project phase so there was 1000's of extra contractors onsite madly finishing off the Plant to hand over the project so you've have to walk about 2 kms from the car park to your room

Anyway.. there were a number of disabled car parks very close to the camp office admin area which would get taken over my the site services sparkies/plumbers as they arranged this as a special deal as they were on call so they "needed" parking close to camp, so right or wrong they got the OK to park in these disabled parking

One night after a long swing (we were doing 14hrs door to door as we had supervisor handovers before prestart) I grabbed a lift with the site OEM Dealer rep from Hitachi (great bloke) just happened to have lost his lower leg and wore a prosthetic leg

So we pull up in the golden parking spot around the same time old mate was getting out of his car next to us and decided to give us a hard time for parking there as it was NPI's allocated spot for call outs etc. rahh rahh rahhh

Craig whips off his foot and gave him a wave.. "yep sure, no worries mate"

Poor old plumber didn't know where to look or what to say, was funny af

[CyberWasp]

There is a you tube channel of people with large Jeeps that go looking for people parked outside the lines, and park right on them but inside the lines beside.
They film the reaction of the person who returns and can not get into their car by normal means.

[JasonACT]

Having been nearly run off the road this morning, by a foreign plater, cheapskate NSW chitt dweller working in the ACT... who ended up in my RH lane just before the round-about when I slammed on the brakes due to their ignorance, when they were then too embarrassed to actually turn right (and when I had already let the car in front of them enter my lane)...

I'm really so not interested in carpark incidents, where I've had one car in the past 9 years leave a mark on my door, which was removed with some nice autoglym polish.

All morning (getting ready for work) I had a radiohead song going through my mind... And the bad feeling from the song readying me for an idiot ruining my day...

[Vesper Martini]

Originally Posted by CyberWasp

There is a you tube channel of people with large Jeeps that go looking for people parked outside the lines, and park right on them but inside the lines beside.
They film the reaction of the person who returns and can not get into their car by normal means.


image

300ZX would be one of those cars I consider difficult to get in/out of. doesn't excuse parking in 2 bays though

[In Focus]

Sounds like the true reason for this phenomenon is still a "need to know" situation.

I think some of these people must be at war with themselves: the instinct to "park as close to the entrance as possible" is in conflict with the instinct to "park next to somebody else's lonely car".

[DoreSlamR]

Originally Posted by Vesper Martini

and those people never reverse park

What’s funny is that reverse parking is easier if you ask me.

[FlipXW]

Originally Posted by DoreSlamR

What’s funny is that reverse parking is easier if you ask me.

Pretty much necessary if you drive a dual cab or a van imo. Definitely 1000 times easier to reverse my Ranger into a spot rather than drive in. Especially with cars either side.

[jstanovic]

Originally Posted by FlipXW

Pretty much necessary if you drive a dual cab or a van imo. Definitely 1000 times easier to reverse my Ranger into a spot rather than drive in. Especially with cars either side.

Agree 100%, can't remember the last time I parked in forwards...

[commodorenutt]

It's also a lot safer - you know what's around before you back in, and you can see better when leaving.

It's inconvenient when there's no gap down the middle of the rows to get to the boot though. Fortunately the 2 local shopping centres I go to both have sections of carpark where a footpath or walkway runs between rows, making it easy to load in the groceries when you're backed in.

[Vesper Martini]

Originally Posted by FlipXW

Pretty much necessary if you drive a dual cab or a van imo. Definitely 1000 times easier to reverse my Ranger into a spot rather than drive in. Especially with cars either side.

Another Bunnings story, bloke in a Colorado, obviously wanted to park facing out, so drove over the center curb to do so. made a nasty bang when it bottomed out as it bounced over..

[commodorenutt]

Originally Posted by Vesper Martini

Another Bunnings story, bloke in a Colorado, obviously wanted to park facing out, so drove over the center curb to do so. made a nasty bang when it bottomed out as it bounced over..

Neighbour's kid did the same, years ago, but in a Camira. Split the sump and left a 50m oil trail before it stopped.

Her excuse was she couldn't see well enough to reverse out of the spot.

[Honest Gaza]

Originally Posted by DoreSlamR

What’s funny is that reverse parking is easier if you ask me.

Yes, if based on skills as a driver. Not always easiest if based on the patience of other drivers in a shopping centre.

When a shopping centre is busy, other drivers can often make it difficult to reverse in as they sit right up your backside. In this case, it is often easier to go in front first. The bonus of this, is you usually have no trouble reversing out as there will be someone who wants your spot when it is time to leave...and they will give you the required distance.

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by Honest Gaza

Yes, if based on skills as a driver. Not always easiest if based on the patience of other drivers in a shopping centre.

Never have trouble with tailgaters when reversing in, they see the reverse lights come on and the backup buzzer going off and a big alloy truck tray heading their way, can't get out of the way quick enough.

[DJR-351]

Originally Posted by Vesper Martini

Another Bunnings story, bloke in a Colorado, obviously wanted to park facing out, so drove over the center curb to do so. made a nasty bang when it bottomed out as it bounced over..

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2271220153095673

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by DJR-351

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2271220153095673

Reminds me of my stupid mate, buying a nice Silver Eagle coach (for a motorhome conversion we did) first drive upto my place he takes a wrong turn ending up a dirt deadend but instead of backing out he decides to do a 60 point turn.
Backs clean over a grass covered tree stump tearing the sump out of a beautiful rebuilt 8V92.
Nice one, took a fair bit of JBweld to get him home.

[Ben73]

Originally Posted by DoreSlamR

What’s funny is that reverse parking is easier if you ask me.

I had an argument with someone over this once. They said reverse parking is selfish because it takes longer to do. That was their one and only argument. They couldn't even think of a second reason.

I said
1. Anyone who knows how to drive can do it quickly,
2. It's safer because you know the spot is clear however reversing out into a row of traffic is forever changing. Sometimes it's clear sometimes it's not.
3. If someone with a larger car parks next to you, reversing blind slowly into the row of moving traffic probably will hold people up for longer since you have to be very careful.

They couldn't comprehend any of those points. I'm sure they are still raging to the day when someone reverses in.

[DoreSlamR]

Originally Posted by Ben73

I had an argument with someone over this once. They said reverse parking is selfish because it takes longer to do. That was their one and only argument. They couldn't even think of a second reason.

I said
1. Anyone who knows how to drive can do it quickly,
2. It's safer because you know the spot is clear however reversing out into a row of traffic is forever changing. Sometimes it's clear sometimes it's not.
3. If someone with a larger car parks next to you, reversing blind slowly into the row of moving traffic probably will hold people up for longer since you have to be very careful.

They couldn't comprehend any of those points. I'm sure they are still raging to the day when someone reverses in.

Sounds like he’s projecting his lack of abilities onto everyone else.

I don’t know why people are scared of reversing?

[Tonz]

Originally Posted by DoreSlamR

Sounds like he’s projecting his lack of abilities onto everyone else.

I don’t know why people are scared of reversing?

because we take pleasure in watching their stupidity and we get a good laugh from it.

[mondeomatureguy]

Hi Guy's
I always reverse into a parking spot never drive in and i find reversing not a problem myself.
I went to our local shopping Centre yesterday and after parking my car i was walking up to the Centre and something caught my eye.

It was a P Plater driving into a car parking spot. It was mean of me laughing but i couldnt help it.
I watched this girl trying to drive into this spot for ten minutes. She had plenty of space on both sides of her car but didnt know how to park her car.

There was another young girl in the passangers side and she wasn't much help, so in the end i went up to her car and helped her into the spot by saying " go straight in now straighten your wheels go forward and your in".

I then asked her " don't they teach you how to park when you get your Drivers Licence? i got no answer.

As i was in the shopping Centre i was wondering " how the hell is she going to reverse her car out of that spot?

Glade i didn't park next to her

[Para045]

Originally Posted by naddis01

To be fair, in the first pic, you parked next to the lazy persons park where they just drive straight in. So that is unsurprising honestly.

I think this is a big one as so many people just can't be arsed driving even a little further round a corner than neccessary The needing a guide I believe is true of newer drivers though

Originally Posted by mondeomatureguy

Hi Guy's
I always reverse into a parking spot never drive in and i find reversing not a problem myself.

+1 For years I drove a 78 or 79 F100 and they pretty much dictated reversing in all the time as the turning circle and no power steering meant they were a nightmare to try and drive straight in

I got so used to revesing my F trucks that I almost never drive straight in these days in my Falcon unless ther is no choice

[.:4:.]

A few years ago my then work put us in company cars through a safe drivers course. Only as to not single out the 1 young bloke who had 7 crashes in 12 months. Anyhow, the young bloke fronted in in his van, i reversed in in my ute and the old bloke fronted in in his van.
The first question the instructor asked was to the young bloke. Why did he front in. His answer was he normally doesnt however he had to load up so needed to lift the tailgate. That was an acceptable answer. I got asked why i backed in. My answer was i have no rear view so its easier to pull out when i can see traffic. When asked why front in, the old bloke said because thats how he always parks.
Those courses are comical at best, but the instructor then says if you dont reverse in you will back over a child leaving the spot and they will die.
Even funnier, a few months later the old bloke did reverse into a pedestrian in a car park. When the boss quieried him over the incident as his van has a reversing camera. His defence was he took it out because the van has mirrors. Needless to say that excuse didnt float.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Para045

I think this is a big one as so many people just can't be arsed driving even a little further round a corner than neccessary The needing a guide I believe is true of newer drivers though




+1 For years I drove a 78 or 79 F100 and they pretty much dictated reversing in all the time as the turning circle and no power steering meant they were a nightmare to try and drive straight in

I got so used to revesing my F trucks that I almost never drive straight in these days in my Falcon unless ther is no choice

I took my 1980s F100 to the shopping centre right before Christmas once - NEVER AGAIN.

Go to reverse into the car parking spot, no power steering and no one wanted to give me room to come back because they were all up my ***

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by .:4:.

Those courses are comical at best, but the instructor then says if you dont reverse in you will back over a child leaving the spot and they will die.
Even funnier, a few months later the old bloke did reverse into a pedestrian in a car park.

The amount of times I've seen drivers and pedestrians who decide they want to walk/drive behind a truck reversing into a supermarket dock gets me.
There's a beauty here where the semi's have swing around blocking the whole road, before doing a offside backup into the Woolies dock.
Its a stupid design which I'm surprised got through the local council in the first place.