do you *have* to get the closest parking spot? (1 Viewer)

[MarkHastings]

Agreed Josh. I don't see why people think I have an "ego" because I am willing to "protect" a $40,000 car (as long as I don't break any rules or laws).

It's the people who park over 2 spaces that are the ones I would consider having the "ego"...i.e. These people feel they are superior to others and are allowed to break the rules. There is no rule against me parking in a far away spot.

And why see it as a bad thing? Why not see it as "one less car to fill up the close spots, making more room up front"?


And also, as the owner of an "expensive" car and previous owner of a "cheap" car I can say that I am MORE careful with my expensive car than I was with my cheap car. If I was opening my car door with my cheap car, I wasn't too careful because I gave 2 sh*ts about it, but when I open the door to my expensive car, you bet your ass I am VERY careful. This is more fact than not. So if I don't want to park next to an "old/beat up" car because I feel the owner might not be as careful as I would be, then I wouldn't see this as "egotism", I'd see it as "Playing the odds".

The more you play the odds, the better chance you have of keeping you car "safe".

 

[Josh Lowe]

It's the people who park over 2 spaces that are the ones I would consider having the "ego"...i.e. These people feel they are superior to others and are allowed to break the rules. There is no rule against me parking in a far away spot.

Correct. People who deliberately take up more than one spot are asking for trouble, no matter how far out they park. There's a difference between being considerate and being egotistical that Mike A. seems to be unwilling to recognize.

 

[Yee-Ming]

If they are going to outlaw cellphone and car use they should also outlaw eating, shaving, reading, putting on makeup, taking care of the kid in the back seat, flipping through cd's and everything else people do while driving that is just as dangerous and sometimes more so.

Actually, I would think that's a good idea. I suppose it's just that with cellphones being so ubiquitous here, they decided to do something about it. And in the case of cellphones, one hand is almost continuously "out of action", being "stuck" to your ear for the entire period of the conversation, whereas in cases like, say, eating, you take a bite and your hand with the goodies can still sort-of help out in holding the wheel etc.

 

[MarkHastings]

you take a bite and your hand with the goodies can still sort-of help out in holding the wheel etc.

The main thing with banning cell phones has more to do with focus than a free hand, when you're eating, your focus is mainly on the road...Most people who talk on cell phones are SO into the convesation that they have no idea what's going on in front of them. :rolleyes

 

[Ted Lee]

required hands-free for cell phones is a good idea. but i don't agree with a total cell phone ban. the problem isn't with the technology, it's with the people using it.

like mark said, the problem is people who use cell phones stop paying attention to their driving. just recently i had to pass a driver doing like 40 on the freeway. when i looked over she had her head down and was trying to dial (or do something) with her cell phone. i couldn't help but roll my eyes.

 

[Dewitte]

Back to the time taken to leave a parking spot issue...

So what if someone takes a little longer leaving? If someone doesn't have children or packages and takes a little longer leaving, what's the big deal? Perhaps that person was emotionally distraught over something occurring while shopping, giving themselves an insulin injection or pissing in a bottle. No one should ever be forced to vacate a parking spot when there are plenty of available spots just so they can park closer to the door. There's no way of knowing whether the reason for taking more time than usual is legitimate or not (taking medication versus taking a nap), but we've been conditioned by annoyance not to give people the benefit of the doubt.

De

 

[MikeAlletto]

Most people who talk on cell phones are SO into the convesation that they have no idea what's going on in front of them.

Yeah, thats the problem. People don't know how to drive and talk at the same time. Yes it is possible to do it safely its just that most people don't know how to. Its the same people who talk loudly in public on the cell phone and pick it up when they should have it turned off.

 

[MarkHastings]

So what if someone takes a little longer leaving?

I think it wasn't how long a person takes as much as it is the people who purposely take longer so as to make the person (who is sitting there waiting for your spot) wait even longer. I do it to annoy the other person. I know it'd be easier to just leave and let that person take my spot, but as I stated before, I don't like when people sit there because I feel pressured into leaving ASAP. That's why I sit there longer. If they want to sit and wait (instead of taking a farther away spot), they can wait.

 

[Josh Lowe]

Dude that discussion is so last week...try and keep up.

OK, Mssr. Bonaparte.

 

[Yee-Ming]

Its no different than someone driving stick. One hand on the wheel, the other on the shift

What about someone talking on the cellphone AND driving a manual? As someone who owns a manual car, trust me, it's not doable...

But just because you're driving an auto doesn't mean you can afford to have one hand out of commission the entire time either; changing gears is an occasional thing, once the gear change is done the hand is free again to hold the wheel. Not the same analogy.

I agree that in some part the issue is a driver's ability to hold a conversation whilst still being able to drive safely. Hence when I took driving lessons all those years ago, the instructor was, as I got better at it, conversing with me whilst I drove, and he explained the reason was so I'd get used to it and not freeze up if the tester talked to me during the test.

But having a hand completely unavailable for driving the entire time you're talking takes the risk factor to a much, much higher level.

 

[MarkHastings]

But having a hand completely unavailable for driving the entire time you're talking takes the risk factor to a much, much higher level.

My friend will smoke (using one hand) and talk on the phone (with the other hand) at the same time It scares the CRAP out of me! How the hell you can drive, smoke, talk on the phone, and pay attention to the other idiot drivers all at the same time!!!

 

[Mike__D]

changing gears is an occasional thing, once the gear change is done the hand is free again to hold the wheel. Not the same analogy.

I agree. Poor analogy. Most people that know how to drive a manual also know you should never rest your hand on the stick, as it will cause premature wear and tear on the transmission.

Mike D.

 

[John Spencer]

I park in the back of the lot because it means less time driving. I hate driving. Being around other people hurtling around in a ton of metal jut scares the bejeezus out of me. So I park as soon as I can, then walk down the middle of the spaces where possible. Then, when I'm done it takes less time to get out of the lot and back toward home.

 

[Ryan Wright]

i totally back you holding your ground, but do you think this was a good idea - especially considering you had your family with you?

the only reason i say that is because of the last alteraction i had (the pulling over, getting out and yelling at eachother manouver) with that guy who almost hit me backing up. after it was all said and done, i thought about how much real danger i could have been in. what if the guy was a total psycho and shot me or something?

Problem for him - I shoot back.

Yes, I think about that sort of thing. But I'm not going to let someone run me off the road just because I'm afraid of what he might do. If someone were to pull out a gun, I'd let my wife dial 911 and drive as fast and mad as I could. Worst case, if I can't get away, I'll be happy to return fire. And chances are good I have better aim than him.

 

[MarkHastings]

And chances are good I have better aim than him

Ryan, you kill me! And I didn't even cut you off


I laugh because this just happened to me too on Fri. night. There was only about a half a car length between the car in front of me and my car and this a-hole forces his way in...cutting me off (I had to slam on the breaks) and when I beeped at him, he flipped me off. I was mad, but I didn't do anything about it because I knew that one day he'll cross the WRONG driver and end up with a bullet in his skull (I HOPE! I HOPE! I HOPE!)

 

[Ted Lee]

note to self: don't piss off ryan...