I See Rude People: Hoggy Parkers
I can't move your car with my glare when you've parked squarely in the middle of a two-space spot (in a neighborhood with very scarce parking), but I will leave you a shaming note:

I See Rude People: Hoggy Parkers
I can't move your car with my glare when you've parked squarely in the middle of a two-space spot (in a neighborhood with very scarce parking), but I will leave you a shaming note:





How about a can of striping paint, and paint the line right where it lies on the pavement, right over their vehicle.
Maybe they would get the hint (but probably not).
Hey, these lines and arrows on the pavement? They're for EVERYBODY, jerkweed.
DrCos at January 8, 2013 3:45 AM
Amy Alkon
https://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2013/01/i-see-rude-peop-10.html#comment-3545926">comment from DrCosI don't want to mess up the streets (and it's probably illegal to) just because somebody parks badly. I love my neighborhood -- it's pretty. I think a shaming note gets the point across better, and it doesn't involve getting paint on my books.
PS As I point out in I See Rude People, people who park hoggily are stealing from the rest of us, taking more than their fair share.
It takes a bit of care to pull up and take only one of the two spaces -- maybe five seconds more of a person's time. This means that another driver won't be forced to drive around looking for a space for five minutes -- or more. When you're coming home to get on the phone with somebody at a certain time, or you have kids in your car, five minutes -- or 20, as it can sometimes take -- is a long and bad time.
Amy Alkon
at January 8, 2013 5:30 AM
I also live in a neighborhood where parking is pretty tight, Ive left the shaming note when people take up more than one spot. I also have a problem with people parking in a spot that's too small for their vehicle and the entire front end of their car is in my driveway, making it difficult for me to park or get out of my driveway. Those drivers get 1 note asking them to be mindful of my driveway, the next note is a warning that I will call parking control and finally, they receive a ticket for their rudeness. A few weeks ago I came home very late and someone actually had the nerve to park in my driveway, in my only assigned parking spot. Had it been earlier in the evening, instead of 1 am, I would have had the car towed. I was out walking my dog early the next morning when I caught the driver rushing to move her car. I started out nice enough. Then when she tried to feign ignorance of how parking works in the neighborhood (she lives here), then I got nasty and told her she knew better, she's lived here long enough and next time I would have her car towed. Her boyfriend came over later after I had gone to work to apologize. My daughter told him his girlfriend was rude and inconsiderate to take someone's parking spot.
sara at January 8, 2013 5:43 AM
Amy Alkon
https://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2013/01/i-see-rude-peop-10.html#comment-3545958">comment from saraI love that you leave a shaming note, sara!
A lady with a giant Mercedes she apparently didn't drive well was parking here, hitting all of our cars (and actually parked ON my neighbor's bumper -- I have photos of that somewhere). When she parked in the red quite a bit, we called Parking Violations pronto to make sure they didn't miss ticketing her. With people who act more neighborly, as long as you aren't blocking fire truck access to my somewhat narrow street, if you need to unload stuff, etc., I'm not going to do anything or call anyone. It's not about being a stickler for the rules, it's about seeing that those who give the rest of us a bad day through their inconsideration have one of their own.
Amy Alkon
at January 8, 2013 6:07 AM
Oh, God, Amy, I almost dropped you a note about this just last night...
In the last year my neighborhood has gone from large single-family homes to a sort of Westwood, with about five or six college-age people in most of the houses. Parking has gotten tighter but not impossible.
I came home last night to find someone parked in my driveway. Not just blocking it -- parked in it. I considered a tow, but then decided just to park behind the person and make it his or her problem.
Half an hour later my doorbell began ringing -- more and more frantically. I was eating dinner and didn't want to be disturbed. Eventually I heard noise outside and saw my neighbors moving their cars next door so the person could pull up into his driveway, make an awkward backup, and finally leave. It was like a Jenga puzzle.
I would have felt bad but I suspect the person was visiting that neighbor. By the way, the car was a white Pontiac with the Texas plates G VIBE.
Kevin at January 8, 2013 8:54 AM
Amy Alkon
https://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2013/01/i-see-rude-peop-10.html#comment-3546131">comment from KevinLove that, Kevin - although you can get tickets in LA for parking in the "apron" of the driveway if you extend that far.
Amy Alkon
at January 8, 2013 9:35 AM
The cun#y upstairs tenant I used to live underneath was one of the most despicably entitled people I'd ever met. After coming home late from a date one night and not finding parking, she decided that she would just park in my next door neighbor's driveway (who she didn't know and who I was friendly with.) I found out about it when I received a text in the morning from my friendly neighbor asking whether or not I knew whose car it was that was parked in her driveway.
Of course, I knew whose car it was. I just replied back to my neighbor that I didn't know and to have that car towed. I watched gleefully as that bitch tenant ran barefoot down the street yelling after the tow truck while it was hauling away her car.
What was really unbelievable about this person was that after getting her car back, she demanded that the landlord pay for her towing fees.
prawn toe at January 8, 2013 10:09 AM
Sometimes they park that way because they needed to park and another car was parked that way and so ruined the adjacent spaces.
Just saying.
carol at January 8, 2013 1:23 PM
@carol - I would believe that, if I hadn't been sitting in my front yard watching people park in my driveway and run into their homes, while trying to avoid making eye contact with me. Sometimes, people are just big, inconsiderate jerks.
sara at January 8, 2013 4:05 PM
I suggest peeing on their door handles
lujlp at January 8, 2013 4:44 PM
I suggest peeing on their door handles
BWAHahahaaa! Spanks, looj, now I gotta clean merlot off my monitor!!
Flynne at January 8, 2013 5:08 PM
Peeing on their A/c vent (on top of the hood by the wipers) makes for some seriously unpleasant scents when the a/c or heater gets kicked on...
Never did it but I had a friend who lived in Berkeley and parking there is scarce. The violator would get one warning note. After that, he would pee on that vent. Never had any repeat offenders after that. Just sayin'.
feebie at January 8, 2013 6:47 PM
I generally never park in a downtown or curbside situation, let alone tight parking. So I don't have to deal with that.
So this is my semi-off topic to this:
The one that I always run into, when I drive my pickup, that irritates the fuck out of me. I have my full size pickup with an extended cab, full size bed, and a ball hitch on the back. The length of the truck is longer than a standard space in a parking lot. So I would park a few spaces out from the last cart return rack with about three empty spaces beside me. I can't do anything about extending into the spot to the rear.
I come out of the store 30-45 minutes later and find vehicles parked close enough I can barely get the doors open on either side. This has happened more than once at different store. How the hell have I pissed them off?
Jim P. at January 8, 2013 7:11 PM
I live in a downtown complex with a parking garage with relatively small parking spaces. I see a lot of these idiots with behemoth SUVs that think they can just take two spaces and the rest of us can suck it. I love that the management has a random schedule of going around and putting those bitch-to-get-off orange stickers on people's cars - but I think I may print up some "because you parked like an entitlement-minded asshole" signs myself.
Daghain at January 8, 2013 8:31 PM
I dunno. There's something about shaming behavior like this that makes me want to double down and try to take up FOUR parking places next time.
I'm not sure why.
Lamont Cranston at January 9, 2013 7:21 AM
Jim P - " I have my full size pickup with an extended cab, full size bed, and a ball hitch on the back. How the hell have I pissed them off?"
By spending YOUR money the way YOU see fit: on a large vehicle that does not get the socially approved level of gas mileage. You are inherently evil, and entitled to be treated like dirt.
I drive a 15 passenger van with a Triton V-10, so I've seen this behavior from the local hippies. Just that you OWN a large vehicle is offensive to them.
Lamont Cranston at January 9, 2013 7:26 AM
"Peeing on their A/c vent (on top of the hood by the wipers) makes for some seriously unpleasant scents when the a/c or heater gets kicked on..."
What's the point of this type of retaliation if the offender can't connect it with the trespass?
Insufficient Poison at January 9, 2013 8:23 AM
Once I realized Obama, Gore, and Charles Manson were telepathically instructing hippies to block my car doors I fought back by refusing to bathe and by urinating in my own car seat.
Who's the winner NOW, Greenpeace?! HA!
Gog_Magog_Carpet_Reclaimers at January 9, 2013 5:45 PM
A valve stem removal tool helps to solve this problem.
ParatrooperJJ at January 10, 2013 9:57 AM
I use "I park like an idiot" bumper stickers. They don't mar paint so I feel free to place them wherever they're most visible. The hard part is deciding if I want them to be easily seen by everyone while the car is parked or to stay on the car as long as possible before the owner notices. Just internet search to find the stickers.
Comment Monster at January 11, 2013 12:20 PM
Amy Alkon
https://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2013/01/i-see-rude-peop-10.html#comment-3549904">comment from Comment MonsterThose are good, but I favor the handwritten note with the angry handwriting.
Amy Alkon
at January 11, 2013 12:32 PM
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