I hate when people do that, but I also see their point. It's a several hundred thousand dollar car (Carrera GT it looks like?) and too many asshats don't give a damn about treating your property with respect and think nothing of bumping into your car, brushing up against it with potential to scratch it (metal buttons, coat zippers, watches, rings, et cetera), and don't giva a sevond though to opening their door into your car car, causing all sorts of dents and scratches. Despite my best efforts to keep my car pristine and park at the back of the lot away from other cars, some asshole with a piece of shit car parks next to me and manages to damage my car.

Nothing makes me happier than parking Right Up Next To Them when people do this. Esp since I have a minivan with sliding doors, and don't even need to leave myself room to open my door. It's a CAR, Bunny Girl. If you need it pristine, keep it in a museum.

Just because it is a car doesn't mean it should be scratched and dented by inconsiderate assholes! I paid good money for my car and take care of it. Why should I have that ruined because someone else can't be bothered with the basic courtesy of paying attention to what they are doing with their car doors. If they don't care about their car and how it looks, fine, but don't think it's fine to do that to someone else's car. It's property damage!

Now, I don't think it's acceptable for that car to be hogging two spots like that, but I can understand why they felt the need to.

Really, you thinking it's funny to park "right up against" other cars is completely obnoxious and immature and shows you have little, if any, consideration for others as evidenced by you saying you can still get in and out with your sliding door, meaning you park so close to them that doors cannot be opened. How the hell do you expect the person in the other car to be able to get in? Silly me, you don't want them to be able to! Why do you think it's so wrong of someone to park away from other cars to avoid the chance of damage?

BunnyGirl, I can understand the desire to park the car that way, but I can understand the desire to do a lot of selfish, petty things. That doesn't mean I condone the action, or think the person is any less of a jerk for doing it. Cars in parking lots will get dinged and scratched. You can count on it. And the damage will be overwhelmingly accidental. If the potential for damage is that worrisome, take the Elantra to the shopping center instead of the Porsche. Or, as you indicated, park away from the crowd.

By the way, Momof4, how do you park right up next to a parking lot hog without straddling the lines yourself? Sounds like you'd wind up doing the same thing the other driver was doing.

Amy's headline says it all.

BunnyGirl: nicks and dents are a car's fate in this world, whether by their owner's hand or another's. Getting over them is a good plan. Taking two handicapped spots like that Porsche's owner did won't prevent them; in fact, I'd submit doing so invites them. Most people want to avoid dinging a Porsche with a door, lest they face an owner's wrath, something they probably don't consider with a Honda. But a car-owner's fears don't justify being a dick and snagging two spaces, especially handicapped spaces

BunnyGirl - I understand wanting to protect that nice car. But if you feel the need to take two spaces (or four), go to the FAR END OF THE LOT, and take a couple of spaces up against a curb where no-one wants to park anyway.

Parking up front is asking for a ticket (this driver deserves two - one for each space). It's also asking for others to behave as badly to you as you've behaved to them.

Also parking spaces are hardly large enough as it is to begin with, stores are responsible for the coat button scraches on cars not the guy who has to waddle sideways out from between the cars becasue the isnt enough room to park and get out easily

Sorry, but this guy should either find parking in Siberia or stay home the day after Christmas if his car can't be safely parked without taking up two spaces. I care about my car, too, don't you? I try to keep it nice. But, it's one parking space to a car, buttwads. Unless you park out in the outer limits of the parking lot where only sheep graze.

I agree with your view, except when the car is essentially functional art or could be found in a museum. For example, if I saw a fully-restored Model-T parked that way I'd (1) understand, and (2) likely go over and look at it. I'd approach it as if the owner had put it on display for the public. A modern-day Porsche just doesn't cut it.

I find it very irritating to see a potential empty space ahead,and after putting on my turning signal, and actually starting to turn in, I discover that a motorcycle, or very small car is occupying the space. They've pulled forward as much as possible, I guess for protection.
That won't do much good if an enthusiastic or dim-witted driver careens in before seeing your car.

A couple of smart cars needs to come in and park on either side of him.

He doesn't need to stay at home, Amy. He just needs to hop in the beater if he doesn't want dings in the "nice" car.

Hmmm...as somebody who drives a 1,900 lb car (2004 Honda Insight), I would say part of your problem is the verb -- "careening" -- as a mode of driving when parking.

On the rare occasions I drive, I park at the ass end of the lot on purpose. It means I don't have to deal with the people trying to score the closest spot possible, and I get out of the lot faster. Not getting dinged is a nice bonus.

Amy, believe me, I'm not a "careener". I use he term because I see it everyday in parking lots, which many read as DrivelikeHellanddoasyouwant.
I'm very careful, am more afraid in pl's than on 4 lane roads. Not Guilty! of that

This is exactly the jerk that will wonder why someone keys his car

At one point in my life (before the kids took up so much time), I had preprinted notes I would leave in my car for such occasions, that I would put on these offenders windscreens. The note read something like "The rules are there for all of us, jackass. No exceptions. I don't care how nice you think your car is, it's not near as nice as common courtesy."

I'm sure those folks rolled their eyes and tossed my note on the ground, but at least I feel I said something.

I once saw someone taking up SIX spots with their brand new pickup truck. Parking diagonally with three on each side. Now he was on the ass-end of the parking lot and it was nowhere near crowded, but still - SIX damn parking spots.

Years ago I came out of the crappy K-Mart in my little town to discover a work of art parked next to me. It was a Rolls Royce, a 1950 or so Silver Wraith, pristine. They were parked between my lovely Daihatsu and an old pickup. If that car rated one ordinary parking space, the Porsche does too.

Like Monica, I tend to park out from the entrance and walk in. Less hassle with the folks jockeying for a close in spot and easy to leave the lot afterwards. More exercise too.

The problem here is that the guy parked up front. If you want to take up multiple spots, there's no problem at all with that and you can do so without causing anyone else a moment's trouble. You simply drive to the very back corner of the lot and park there. I've done it when driving a brand new car during it's first week. It's only douche's like this who wish to have their cake and eat it too that cause a problem.

Honda Insight!
would say part of your problem is the verb -- "careening

My kind of car - I've always had small cars,the smallest of Honda and Toyota more recently.
That's why I'm not a careener. I don't have a chance against those MF'n big ass suvs.
I drive like a damn granny.

This entire blog is nothing but COMPLAIN COMPLAIN COMPLAIN, no humor just bitch and moan. Yeah Yeah I know, go someplace else.

I have a 2001 Dodge Ram Club Cab with the long bed and a tow hitch. The total length is about 12 feet (3.5M). It used to be my daily driver. I would generally double park lengthwise (no choice) -- I would be about as far forward but my butt would still extend into the space behind me. I would be in a single lane width wise. I would also be parked four-five spaces from the nearest next car in BFE.

I come out of the store 15-20 minutes later and I'd have everyone parked next to me.

This would happen year round at grocery stores and wally world at 6:30 in the evening. This irritates me to no end.

I agree with the people who say if you don't want your car dinged, park way in the back.

I wonder if anyone called to have that car towed. I don't know about parking lot rules in California, but the Porshe is taking up two handicapped spaces, so, even if there is a blue tag, I'd think it's still a violation of the handicapped parking laws (worth at least a ticket). That's what I would have done. Especially since it was one of the busiest shopping days of the year and the jackass was taking up two spaces right up front.

Speaking of parking lots and busy shopping days, my new (used) car was hit in the lot while I was working on Black Friday two years ago. It looked like a car across and one space over from me on the passenger side decided to pull through and bashed my front end in pretty good. I guess all the caffeine it took to get up at four in the morning to go wait in line for two hours at Mac Authority made the driver too jittery to hold the pen to at least write down his insurance information for me.

@ monkey shines at September 3, 2010 7:49 PM

Thanks for the laugh.

Nothing makes my day more than somebody bitching, moaning and complaining about other people's bitches, moans and complaints.

I always park at the far back of the lot away from everyone whenever possible, and I don't take up more than one space. What irritates me to no end is when someone then goes out of their way to do what momof4 said, i.e. to park right against my car. And considering how far back I park and there being a ton of open spaces all around me, they have done it on purpose to be a smartass knowing the person parking that far away has done it to avoid being next to other cars. On more than one occasion I have come out to find an old clunker parked over the line into my parking space and me being unable to open my door to get in, and on one occasion unable to even squeeze sideways between both vehicles, and I'm a very thin person. I've had to get in through the passenger door and try to crawl over the center console and stick shifter in the front of a small-ish sports car. This is no easy task!

Another thing I can't stand in parking lots is when a very oversized truck with dual whhels, extended cab, bed, et cetera, parks in the smaller compact car spots and hangs over all the lines and blocks the aisles at the same time. Really, what about that type of vehicle conveys compact?

The ones that piss me off are the showboating ricers who decide to park diagonally and take up 4 spaces with their gaudy pieces of shit.

If it were legal, I'd smash every window and light in them.

Hey, you wanted me to notice you!

People like this should park in the back of the lot. Is it just me, or is that car parked in a handicap spot too? If I had seen this car while I was in a bad mood I would want to key the paint job. What I would actually do though is get out my handy little roll of big yellow stickers that say "you are illegally parked" and stick one on their window.