Parking lot etiquette and vent.

[Disneyland1084]

IMO, yes it was rude to stop in the middle of the aisle. I would have honked & gone around as well. As to your "he never waits for a spot" it is very likely that he doesn't. I have never waited for a spot. If a parking lot is that full that there is no spot available, I would just leave because that means the store is crazy busy and that is a big NO for me.

Ok, ok I get it. I was rude.

 

[tinkerbellandpeterpan]

Ok, ok I get it. I was rude.

I'm actually surprised by the responses. In a crowded parking lot when there are no spots open I will certainly wait for someone to pull out. I won't sit if they are still unloading their groceries, but if they are in the car and they are getting ready to back out then sure I will wait.

 

[kyton]

I think rudeness is dependant on a couple of things, were you sort of blocking the lane so it was hard for people to pass you, how long were you sitting there and how long until the parked car exited. I wouldn’t necessarily honk my horn but I may curse under my breath whilst waiting.

 

[amcnj]

It can be a tricky situation. I have seen cars just staying in place with a blinker on but not waiting for a specific car to leave. They are just waiting for any space that happens to open up in that row.

A complaint I have is when a car is backing out of a space, other cars don’t want to wait for that. They zoom by behind them, often also blowing their horn. Meanwhile the poor driver with limited visibility due to cars parked on either side of them, has to slam on their brakes and then try again.

 

[NotUrsula]

I think if the lot is REALLY full, with almost no spaces anywhere, "stalking" people who appear to be leaving is OK, but you do have to keep in mind that you're not the only person combing the lot for an open space. So, stop as far to the right of the aisle as possible while you wait, keep your blinker on, and don't be upset if other people pass you to get by. It should not be necessary for anyone to honk at anyone.

I will go around stopped cars in parking lots, but I do it carefully, scanning for any taillights showing on the nearby parked cars. If I don't see any, I feel it's fine to very slowly pull around the waiting car.

Far worse, IMO, are people who pull up right behind stopped cars in a street parking situation where they are trying to parallel park. I live in the central city of an area with very extensive suburbs, and most of the suburban folks never have to parallel park on their home turf, so the mechanics of parallel parking are not top of mind for them. I cannot begin to count the number of times I have stopped in front of an empty parking space with my blinker on, then looked behind me to start to back in, only to find another car sitting right on my bumper. Very often I've tried putting my arm out of the window to wave them to go around, only to have them ignore it, so I have no choice but to give up and try to find another space.

 

[ronandannette]

Ok, ok I get it. I was rude.

Meh, in the situation you described, either everybody was rude or nobody was. Parking lot frustration is a simple fact of life, IMO and one had best just learn to deal with all the following things without getting bent out of shape:

• Somebody getting in their car and then taking 5 or more minutes to get going
• Somebody stopped and waiting for said car to pull out
• Traffic weaving around said stopped car, or (IMO even worse) traffic backed up unnecessarily instead of going around
• People honking at each other over the actions listed above, and...(a special peeve of mine for good measure)
• People unnecessarily walking in the middle of the driving lane to get to/from their vehicle and the store, preventing the flow of traffic in either direction

 

[Pink Partridge]

Don't get me started on people who sit in their cars after getting in: talking on the phone digging into purses or opening purchases when they see everyone waiting.

That's me!

I take my elderly neighbor to Costco and/or Walmart once a month. I get what I need, and let her have some independence for an hour or so. I go to my car and scroll, call friends and make some work calls until she is done. I have been cursed at by people who want my parking spot, all while doing my good little deed that I hope gets me to heaven one day

 

[Pink Partridge]

my dh would drive you mad. I do very limited driving and none that involves highways/freeways so he drives me to Walmart/Costco and the like. it's not uncommon for him to walk in with me to snag some items he needs and then return to the car to wait for me to finish shopping (he does take care not to turn the car on so it does not appear he's ready to leave our parking spot).

This is me with my neighbor! Same exact stores, too

 

[kymom99]

That's me!

I take my elderly neighbor to Costco and/or Walmart once a month. I get what I need, and let her have some independence for an hour or so. I go to my car and scroll, call friends and make some work calls until she is done. I have been cursed at by people who want my parking spot, all while doing my good little deed that I hope gets me to heaven one day

I take my brother to the store and wait in the car. I also dig in my purse or look through my messages before I leave when shopping myself. Sorry if it makes people mad.

 

[Kooks and Bay Bay]

Sorry but you should not be waiting for the parking space to be free unless the car is actively starting to back out as you approach.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

A complaint I have is when a car is backing out of a space, other cars don’t want to wait for that. They zoom by behind them, often also blowing their horn. Meanwhile the poor driver with limited visibility due to cars parked on either side of them, has to slam on their brakes and then try again.

I kinda see this happen in several different situations.

1) The driver who is backing up is basically incompetent. You are supposed to slowly back up looking back and forth ensuring your path is clear but have you ever seen a driver that seemingly has no idea how to back up out of a spot correctly? I've seen people either back up with no thought or care to whom may be behind them just reverse it fast and I guess they are hoping they are good. Ive seen people take forever and a day to back up usually not turning their wheels enough to effectively back up without having to make multiple passes at it. Truthfully I see this way too often either reversing without care or seemingly not knowing how to back a particular vehicle out of a spot.

2) I agree sometimes you have that driver barreling down the lane and they are the ones who aren't being observant to who is around

3) There's also lack of visibility from the driver who is coming down the lane, driving safely down the lane goes a long way but if you've got a small car parked in between two large cars it can be hard to see a car is beginning to back up. I have a tiny compact car and I try not to pull in to the front line of the parking spot for the purposes of you may not see me especially with how large cars are these days. It's like not seeing a motorcycle parked in a parking spot and you think the spot is empty.

4) Horns aren't always used for expressing impatience or thinking who is right such that what was probably the case for the OP. It's a safety thing as well. If a car is potentially about to hit you or you don't know if they will be paying attention to who is coming honking your horn is used to alert the driver and may help prevent a fender bender.

 

[sam_gordon]

One amusement this thread has given me... earlier this year(?) I started a thread about backing in/pulling into parking spots.

MANY people said they pull in because their backup camera gives them a great view to back out.

Now this thread comes along and people are complaining about being difficult to see.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

One amusement this thread has given me... earlier this year(?) I started a thread about backing in/pulling into parking spots.

MANY people said they pull in because their backup camera gives them a great view to back out.

Now this thread comes along and people are complaining about being difficult to see.

You shouldn't rely on your back up camera, it's a good way for fender benders to happen. Backup cameras are good for seeing people who are walking behind you but they shouldn't be used in lieu of actually looking when you're backing up.

We have back up cameras and 360 cameras that activate when you engage your turn signal but the cameras get dirty or if it's raining they aren't very useful.

 

[anniemae]

I have no advice because I am one of those strange people who HATES crowded parking lots. I always park far far away in the back.Where there is no fighting for spots, no rude hand gestures, and no panic. Just wide open spaces.

I have no desire to deal with all the nonsense of people fighting for spots, honking, walking behind my car when I am trying to back out. I get flustered if someone is waiting for my spot. I will happily walk further to avoid the madness. Especially the madness of Costco on a weekend. DH on the other hand will park as close to the store as humanly possible and not be bothered at all by the chaos. He is the Costco designated driver

 

[disykat]

Anniemae, you are lucky to live somewhere that has open spaces anywhere at this time of year. You are in no way strange to hate the crowds; I'd venture to guess MOST of us like to park where it isn't crowded. Many places, including my suburban community, don't have them. Like I said above, I always park on the far edges where it's empty, but there is simply no such thing as empty in the far edges at this time of year. The areas that usually have no one are packed. The idea that you can "just park in the outskirts and walk a little further" doesn't work. In suburban places like mine, people from rural areas drive in around this time of year. We basically have high traffic and overcrowding on standard off work hours from October through January.

 

[_19disnA]

Generally, when someone honks a horn it isn't to be friendly. With some, it is almost like they are speaking a foreign language and expect everyone else to understand their intent.

 

[shh]

my dh would drive you mad. I do very limited driving and none that involves highways/freeways so he drives me to Walmart/Costco and the like. it's not uncommon for him to walk in with me to snag some items he needs and then return to the car to wait for me to finish shopping (he does take care not to turn the car on so it does not appear he's ready to leave our parking spot).

oh it wouldn't bother me at all if the person just took a second to wave me on or mouth "not leaving" or gave some other visual indication that they weren't departing. I'm talking about people who ARE leaving - not waiting for anyone else - but doing a bunch of nonsense things even though they see others waiting. It's rude and obnoxious.

 

[shh]

Ok, ok I get it. I was rude.

not the worse offense by far. Right now, I'm really fed up with the people who park in specially designated spots that are NOT for them. : handicap parking or curbside pickup/to-go parking. They then proceed to shop in the store tying up those spots for an hour +.

Meanwhile genuinely disabled folks and customers picking up curbside orders have no place to park. Store managers should do something, but they just look the other way.

 

[sam_gordon]

Generally, when someone honks a horn it isn't to be friendly. With some, it is almost like they are speaking a foreign language and expect everyone else to understand their intent.

Eh, I've received, and given, some "friendly" honks. I'd say its probably 60-40 unfriendly to friendly.

 

[shh]

That's me!

I take my elderly neighbor to Costco and/or Walmart once a month. I get what I need, and let her have some independence for an hour or so. I go to my car and scroll, call friends and make some work calls until she is done. I have been cursed at by people who want my parking spot, all while doing my good little deed that I hope gets me to heaven one day

That's totally different though! You aren't leaving - and that's perfectly ok. It's your spot and your right to stay there while she shops or does whatever.

I'm talking about people who ARE leaving, but seem to take pleasure at doing nonsensical things rather than just getting in and backing out... just to make everyone else wait - I think it's passive aggressive.