Etiquette for parking disputes

[free4now]

not rocket science but this is serious. this is parking war.



circling or, um, stalling is just a matter of music chairs. good luck with that. but waiting at the end of an aisle is no claim to every spot that might open up from one end of the parking lot to the other.

trump goes to the stalker, not to the lurker. they're on recon; you're just in ambush. the lurker waits for any spot but the stalker goes after a specific stall, his rights to the space empowered by the narrow scope of his targeting. you might get lucky by blanketing the entire lot but a sharp shooter will take you out everytime.

That doesn't sound like etiquette, sounds like anarchy, whoever gets there first wins . But maybe this was my mistake, to believe that etiquette would have relevance on a community college campus.O0 Maybe this is one of those wars where "the only way win is not to play".

One problem with the stalker approach is that if you follow someone too closely you usually won't be in a good position to actually take the spot itself. What actually happened to me the other day was that stalker-guy couldn't get into the spot he stalked because he had actually overshot and would have needed to back up to get into the head-in spot.

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

overshoot, not a problem, i would have just backed in. stalking is the same as calling dibs or shotgun. it may not be chivalrous, but it is de rigueur.

 

[harley]

How about getting a sign saying something like "reserved for tow vehicle" or whatever seems meaningful, buy a post for a couple bucks, and come in on Labor Day to install it? Pick a good spot, and it will be yours for the duration.

 

[dex]

How about getting a sign saying something like "reserved for tow vehicle" or whatever seems meaningful, buy a post for a couple bucks, and come in on Labor Day to install it? Pick a good spot, and it will be yours for the duration.

Or get a fake fire hydrant.

 

[LRS]

The last time I drove on campus, I witnessed two cars race to a parking spot and crash. Then I watched the drivers get out and start a screaming match. Before it got to fisticuffs, I split. Now I take the bus (free!) and relax on my way to work. I don't have to yell at anyone. I recommend it!

 

[Nords]

Maybe you should consider taking a parking course at the Kathy Bates Driving School...

For those of you who haven't even seen Kathy naked yet, look up the clips for the movie "Fried Green Tomatoes"...

That doesn't sound like etiquette, sounds like anarchy, whoever gets there first wins . But maybe this was my mistake, to believe that etiquette would have relevance on a community college campus.O0 Maybe this is one of those wars where "the only way win is not to play".
One problem with the stalker approach is that if you follow someone too closely you usually won't be in a good position to actually take the spot itself. What actually happened to me the other day was that stalker-guy couldn't get into the spot he stalked because he had actually overshot and would have needed to back up to get into the head-in spot.

Lemme get this straight.

You're keenly focused on trying to determine the best method to "win" the game, only to walk away from your victory leaving behind a frustrated loser with your unguarded asset that could cost thousands of dollars to repair? Sounds pretty Pyrrhic to me.

I think you need to find a new game. Like others have suggested it might be a good idea to park off-campus and bike/bus the rest of the way.

 

[Bestwifeever]

Hire "thefed" to handle all those situations for you........

That's EXACTLY what I thought (or, "hope you're not waiting for the same space thefed is"!)....

 

[CuppaJoe]

This situation would be a great opportunity for a cab driver to offer to escort the circlers to a nearby place that he knows has safe parking and drive them one by one right up to the classroom door.

Free4Now, did you get into your preferred class?

 

[thefed]

i'd side with the guy following the person to their car though i don't have any real logic to it, just the stalker in me. perhaps it could be argued that they put more effort into it than you did as they were being active and you were just passively waiting for something to possibly open up. tough to prove if the guy was walking between cars and not directly down an aisle though.

...if you're going to follow someone to their car (and i've done this) ...

what amazing eyesight and presumption (even if correct) to know precisely if,when, or where the 'stalker' began following the person in question...

I'm glad to know though that you admit to having a little 'stalker' in ya. your post re-affirms my suspicions posted in an earlier thread!

(sorry...you set yourself up for that one....)

bottom line is there IS no etiquette. i hope this post was made 'tongue in cheek' whoever has the cajonas to inch their way into the spot right under the nose of their competitor wins. dont want to risk flat tire or a 'keying' then move on.simple as that


I've never been in a parking space fight but I do have an amazing road rage story to tell at a later date....well,3 actually

 

[Notmuchlonger]

Use napalm next time. Trust me it works.

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

what amazing eyesight and presumption (even if correct) to know precisely if,when, or where the 'stalker' began following the person in question...

dewd, nice try using my own words from another post against me here but it isn't presumption; it is deduction. i didn't pull this crap out of thin air. it is the stalker who would not have known for how long the lurker was in wait, nor in wait for which spot. it is the op who admits that he knew the other guy was stalking that specific parking spot owner's stall per:

What actually happened to me the other day was that stalker-guy couldn't get into the spot he stalked because he had actually overshot and would have needed to back up to get into the head-in spot.

so essentially, his knowing and the other guy's not knowing not only puts the onus of chivalry on the op but instead he came out of ambush to take advantage of the other guy overshooting the parking spot and he admits to it. the only thing he does not admit to is culpability.

to sum, had the stalker offered the parking space owner a ride, that spot would have been his, no questions asked. had the stalker asked permission to stalk, that spot would still have been his and the parking space owner would have assured that fact were there a question in the lurker's mind. therefore, had the lurker known the stalker was stalking that particular spot, which he admits to, as that spot would have been the stalker's had he driven the owner to the spot, or followed the owner with permission to the spot, the situation as it happened pretty much lays for the stalker perfectly good claim to that spot.

the only claim the lurker has to that spot is that "i've been waiting here in for 10 minutes and therefore i have claim to any single spot of all the many spots that might open up from one side of the parking lot to the other in this aisle no matter how fast or who i have to hit or cut off of tick off to get there. horsepoop.

as to whether or not i take any of this seriously, sweetie pie, as someone way more eloquent than i ever could have put it: "life is too important to take seriously." pay me enough and i'll work up a good argument for the lurker. meanwhile, i just got in from a very fun night out. drunk as a skunk. i'll read this again tomorrow and see if it makes any sense.

 

[summer2007]

I'm out in public a lot and I've probably interacted with more objectionable people than the average person so I think I can help on this one.

I have not been in a fight in maybe 18 years or so.....and if I wanted a fight I have opportunities quite frequently to be in them.

I just want to run down the risks of getting into confrontations as I see it.

I could beat someone up and end up in jail or sued.

I could get hurt or killed. I knew a guy that had a sawed off shotgun under his front seat of his car. If he did a little to much meth that day well I might be on the other end of that thing.

And here is one that people might not think of. In this sick world we live in our standard of ethics and common decency doesn't seem to think there is anything wrong with making false accusations. What I'm saying is it seems to me that like one in a trillion false accusations is ever prosecuted so that to me makes them LEGAL! What I'm getting at is you might tick someone off and end up in prison or sued for doing nothing more that ticking someone off. And on there end even if it's proven they lied..oh well better luck next time! I could go on and on with this one but I won't.


I had parking problems at college also.

My advice is like some of the previous posters.

I do a lot of walking and I'm not afraid to walk a good distance if it avoids hassle.

So if you can walk all the way there do it if not park as close as you can without having any parking disputes and don't even open the door to any more headaches!

Good luck and I know how you feel!

Jim

 

[Donzo]

Another good argument for a motorcyle/scooter - there is always good parking for bikes at college parking lots.
I would try hard to stay away from "fights" about parking spots. You could be arguing with a real nut job on the edge -- and even if you do get the spot....your car is a target....from that point on. The guy may not have his revenge that day because he will be the suspect -- maybe one rainy day 6 weeks from now he sees your car in the lot and.......?