Tenaj Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 Still mad about this . . . maybe I cool off if I type it all out :) When I'm driving our 15 passenger van I am very careful about where I park. I don't like to back it out of parking spots mainly because I'm always terrified of the possibility of not being able to see a small child who is right behind me. So, at the grocery store, I always park way out away from other cars and pull through the parking spot so I can pull straight out. Yesterday was busy at our local store so I parked further out than I usually do. There were at least 5 or 6 completely empty spots between me and the next cars. I pulled forward through the parking spot. When I came out, with my grocery cart heaped more than usual because of extra Easter basket stuff, an SUV had parked behind me, right on my bumper which means I couldn't open the back of my van! Grrrr! I had no kids with me so no one to watch the groceries while I pulled forward. I stacked everything in through the side door which is a pain in the butt. What I can't understand is why? There were still 6 completely empty spaces between my van and the next cars. The rest of the row beyond my van was completely empty. It's not like it was more convenient for them to park right behind my van. I try not to assume the worst about people, but I really think they did it on purpose. It's probably a good thing for me that they didn't come back to their vehicle while I was still there :) My oldest ds said I should have surrounded their vehicle with shopping carts - the thought made me smile but I would never have the guts to do it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 That happens to me often. I don't have a van, but my trunk opens up in such a way that if someone is parked too close, I can't open it. Drives me batty. And it is rarely warranted that someone parks that close because there is usually plenty of parking space. People do a lot of inconsiderate things on the road! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 :grouphug: What a hassle for you. I don't know if I would assume it was deliberate. I sometimes park rather randomly, and sometimes like to park behind someone just so I don't have to check to see if I am too far back from, or over, the line. (I hate parking my Suburban.) I doubt I would park so close to the back of a van so the doors couldn't be opened, but if I was preoccupied enough, I might - and there would be no malicious intent. Just preoccupation and cluelessness. However I bet next time I am parking I will be more observant thanks to your post! 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daria Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 I'm sorry that that happened, but I don't really understand why you couldn't pull forward and load the groceries. 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pamela H in Texas Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 I drive a 12 passenger and intentionally try to park where someone can't park to my right so I can get the kids in and out. But sometimes that isn't possible. So I choose wisely when parking next to someone or in a spot away from other cars. Almost always, when I come out, someone new is parked too close to my right side. I'm POSITIVE that people aren't just trying to mess with me (though it can seem like it when it is a small vehicle, there are several other closer parking spots, etc). I just want to ask, "so I have a 12 passenger vehicle full of carseats, you couldn't GUESS that maybe you'd want to park a little further over or in a different spot altogether?" I guess I just think that other people wouldn't want us banging our side doors into their vehicles, but it almost seems the opposite, that most people who park near us must want us to slam our doors into them. ETA: I never park where someone can park behind me if I need in my back doors. We don't usually use that space for groceries or whatever but for the stroller or home depot stuff (dirt, plants, etc). But I just assume people will park in a way that will make it unusable. ETA2: Daria, we could move in a way to do what we need to do. But leaving $200 of stuff (or more importantly, our children) in the parking lot is uncomfy to say the least. Additionally, to move up or back we have to block, at least partially, the part where people are going to try to drive, putting other people out if they are going to try to drive through that area. I *hate* drawing attention to myself, frustrating others, etc. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tenaj Posted April 3, 2015 Author Share Posted April 3, 2015 I drive a 15pax also... Next time, pull forward only halfway into the front spot, leaving half of the van remaining in the back spot. That renders the back spot unusable, and no one will park in it. I would not feel guilty about taking up more than my fair share in parking spaces if I were parked far away from everyone else and there were plenty of other spaces available. But I feel your pain! I think part of the problem was that my rear-end was hanging over into the back parking spot which usually deters anyone from parking there. I purposefully don't pull all the way through and take part of that back spot to keep someone from using it but this person decided that it was the best spot in the parking lot anyway - LOL! His/Her backend was hanging into the driving lane and he was parked at an angle because he couldn't get all the way into the spot behind me. It was just weird. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tenaj Posted April 3, 2015 Author Share Posted April 3, 2015 I'm sorry that that happened, but I don't really understand why you couldn't pull forward and load the groceries. If one of my middle or older kids had been with me, I would have done this but I didn't feel comfortable leaving my grocery cart sitting while I jumped into the van and pulled forward. As someone else said, to pull forward enough, my front end would have been in the driving lane a bit so I probably would have wanted to pull into a different spot which would have left my cart sitting looking abandoned. Thinking about it now, I could have done that but at the time I was flustered and just wanted to leave and was annoyed at the whole situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daria Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 ETA2: Daria, we could move in a way to do what we need to do. But leaving $200 of stuff (or more importantly, our children) in the parking lot is uncomfy to say the least. Additionally, to move up or back we have to block, at least partially, the part where people are going to try to drive, putting other people out if they are going to try to drive through that area. I *hate* drawing attention to myself, frustrating others, etc. I can absolutely imagine circumstances when it wouldn't work. But in this case, with no kids involved and an empty part of the parking lot, I don't see a risk. For someone to get to the groceries before I could get out of the driver's seat, it sound like they'd need to sprint across the parking lot. Of course it's possible there would be someone so intent on stealing the groceries that I wouldn't be able to stop them but that could happen while I was loading the groceries too. I agree that it seems like a bizarre choice of parking space for the person behind you. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hikin' Mama Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 While that would definitely be annoying, I wouldn't assume it was deliberate. Just like I don't assume that all people who leave their carts in the parking lot are lazy. I'm always taking carts back into the store on my way in (and actually rather enjoy it). I still don't understand why so many of them get left out in the parking lot, though. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 While that would definitely be annoying, I wouldn't assume it was deliberate. :iagree: It's much more likely that they just weren't thinking. People do the dumbest stuff in parking lots. I almost feel safer on the highway! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK_Mom4 Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 We just sold our 15 passenger van, but I drove one for 15 years. After too many times getting blocked, I always parked in the last row of the parking lot, pulled half-way thru two spaces at the grocery store. People are just rude. When we were dealing with wheelchairs and walkers and such, I even had people squeeze their car between the two handicap spaces at the front of the store.so that we couldn't even load a wheelchair into the van. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 I'm sorry, it sounds frustrating. FWIW, I don't think anyone did it on purpose, to annoy you. I think they just didn't *think.* Guilty of not thinking here. :) Until this board, I never considered that 15 or 12 passenger vans might be family vehicles. We don't see many of them here, and if we do, they are usually clearly labelled as transportation for churches or daycares, and not usually in grocery or store parking lots. I just might not have thought of it. Thanks to you (and this board), I'm aware of not parking around them now. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kalypso Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 I think the person was just clueless and did not even think about why you were parked like you were. I drove a 15 passenger van for a few years and could never understand the people who would park really close to the side with the double doors that opened out. I would intentionally park over the line and they would squeeze in anyway. It definitely made it hard to get kids out without hitting other cars. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 I have been sitting in my car at the grocery store and been hit by a car door or a cart three differnt times in about 2 months time. So weird. Each time I jumped out to look for damage and there was none.....they were all old people....make s me wonder how many times my car gets hit when I am inside shopping. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsuga Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 I am sorry that happened to you. I never owned a large car--my "boat" was a corolla--or a hatchback and things like how they open are seriously a mystery to me. I also park near other cars not to be an ass but because I save the wide open spots for larger cars. I really think that it is possible to be ignorant about the ways of big cars. I can only think about so many other things besides driving while driving, but I will be mindful of this in the future. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daria Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 If one of my middle or older kids had been with me, I would have done this but I didn't feel comfortable leaving my grocery cart sitting while I jumped into the van and pulled forward. As someone else said, to pull forward enough, my front end would have been in the driving lane a bit so I probably would have wanted to pull into a different spot which would have left my cart sitting looking abandoned. Thinking about it now, I could have done that but at the time I was flustered and just wanted to leave and was annoyed at the whole situation. I had already started posting when you wrote this. Don't want you to think that my reply below was questioning this post. The part about the driving lane makes sense. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsuga Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 Also... I am shocked that so many people have an intimate knowledge of vans. Please consider that those who don't own a van may never have owned one. I know many things but "how every make and model of car opens and closes" has just never come up on my list of things to study. Some people really, truly do not know how your car works. Sometimes those vans have stickers. I always leave extra space. But if you park somewhere next to an empty spot, as a lifelong taker of transport and driver of small cars, I promise I am not hating on you when I take whichever spot is available. As for parking over the line... I park my car there. As a good deed. My thought process: "oh dear. They couldn't get their big van in. Now there's just one less spot. Well, I can fit! Good thing I have this tiny car. Now more the bigger cars can take the more open spaces." Squeeze nimble self out of car feeling like I have done my part for van driver and other big car. I think if you have a wide berth, a bumper sticker informing people would be helpful. 24 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 I woud not assume it was deliberate. It would never have occurred to me that a van like this needs to be loaded from the back. The driver may have assumed you have a side door in which to load, which many smaller vans have. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8circles Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 Honestly, never having driven such a large vehicle, I've never given any thought to the issues with parking around one. I think you're over thinking other people's motives. I'm fairly certain there aren't people who park close to you to purposely frustrate you. Sorry you had a frustrating situation. 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 Also... I am shocked that so many people have an intimate knowledge of vans. Please consider that those who don't own a van may never have owned one. I know many things but "how every make and model of car opens and closes" has just never come up on my list of things to study. Some people really, truly do not know how your car works. Maybe this reflects my ignorance about large vans, but don't get why it's so inconvenient and a PITB to load groceries using a side door instead of the back. I actually prefer doing that in my mini-van. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlsdMama Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 My sympathies. We've been driving the big ones for nine years and there's nothjng like having to park a mile away and park with five little kids under the age of 7, lol. Our lives are going to be so crazy easy in 15 years!!! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 I only have a twelve passenger can, but yes, I have had the same thing happen! I have a big cooler in the trunk space because I live so far from the grocery store, so not being able to get to the trunk space is a serious inconvenience, especially since I almost certainly have all of the children with me, and they take up the room in the middle of the van. Yesterday, I pulled into a space and pulled forward, and when I came out of the grocery store, I found that someone had pulled in behind me -- in a fifteen seater! (Thankfully, the driver was just leaving as I was approaching with my cart, but really, I thiught a driver of a fifteen seater would know better!) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 I am sorry, I doubt it was done on purpose. FWIW, I like to pull through also and I don't have a van. I have a Mazda5. I frequently have to pull up my car by a foot or so to load my groceries due to someone parking closely. Usually, it is because I didn't pull through far enough and the other car was just trying to get its' rear end out of the driving space. I am not saying you did that, just what has happened to me. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoobie Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 I wouldn't have thought about leaving room for the back doors to open either. To do that would mean skipping the space entirely, which if it were the next spot on the left side, I would've pulled into automatically. I have no idea why I prefer parking on the left, but... At any rate, I can't imagine someone would do it deliberately to inconvenience you. I wouldn't have. If I need to load/unload the back of my minivan, I don't pull through spaces. It wouldn't be the properly parked car behind me's fault if I changed my mind and bought toilet paper and needed to open the back. I puffy heart my backup camera. They can be installed aftermarket now--maybe that would make parking lots easier for you? :) 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 I feel your pain! I'm hugely pregnant right now. I was at the store and came out to find someone had parked in their parking spot way too close to our minivan. I could get the door open a little, but I couldn't get into the car... the opening was just way too narrow. I was sooooooo annoyed. I wound up having to climb in through the passenger side door, climb over the center console, and manuever myself into my seat very carefully. The whole thing took a ton of energy and felt awful. Even a guy came over to see if I need help once he realized what was going on (that was so sweet). I have no idea why people do stuff like that... they were just too lazy to park properly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wabi Sabi Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 ETA2: Daria, we could move in a way to do what we need to do. But leaving $200 of stuff (or more importantly, our children) in the parking lot is uncomfy to say the least. Additionally, to move up or back we have to block, at least partially, the part where people are going to try to drive, putting other people out if they are going to try to drive through that area. I *hate* drawing attention to myself, frustrating others, etc. What on earth could possibly happen to a cart full of groceries in the time it takes you to pull forward 5 feet? 22 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 I wouldn't assume it was on purpose. I park in the back of parking lots to avoid door dings. Parking behind someone, instead of beside them, could have been on purpose to avoid car door/shopping cart damage. I don't over analyze why every person parks where and how they do in parking lots. I used to drive an extended cab van for work to transport handicapped people. The lift was on the side. Due to that experience, I am more likely to give someone two empty spots to the side door, just in case that is where the lift is. I am not going to take time to look in the van to see if there is a lift and where it is.Vans with a lift in the back have a sticker saying so, so I would notice a sticker. It would just be habit for me to park to the back, not the side. I used to do the grocery shopping for the entire group home every week (2 full carts weekly) and I never used the back door to load/unload groceries. So, with me, having personal experience of driving a van, I wouldn't have thought to reserve the spot behind your van. If this is a reoccurring, frustrating problem for you, them maybe you should get a traffic cone to put behind your van to reserve the spot or put a large sign on your back door. Next time, park in the center of the two spots so there is not room in front of or behind you for someone to park. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wabi Sabi Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 I think the person was just clueless and did not even think about why you were parked like you were. I drove a 15 passenger van for a few years and could never understand the people who would park really close to the side with the double doors that opened out. I would intentionally park over the line and they would squeeze in anyway. It definitely made it hard to get kids out without hitting other cars. When I see cars parked over the line I just assume that they are terrible parkers. Intentionally taking two spaces seems rude to me, and FWIW, I've owned several large vans/trucks with doors that opened outwards. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoobie Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 I'm hugely pregnant right now. I was at the store and came out to find someone had parked in their parking spot way too close to our minivan. I could get the door open a little, but I couldn't get into the car... the opening was just way too narrow. I was sooooooo annoyed. I wound up having to climb in through the passenger side door, climb over the center console, and manuever myself into my seat very carefully. The whole thing took a ton of energy and felt awful. Even a guy came over to see if I need help once he realized what was going on (that was so sweet). I have no idea why people do stuff like that... they were just too lazy to park properly. Someone did that the week before my third was due. He parked over the line in the doctor's office deck. I had to climb in and maneuver over the console. I was in so much pain, but it was July and a million degrees and the two older kids were with me and had waited three freaking hours for the appointment. The doctor's office building is attached to the hospital, and people park in that deck to save a couple bucks or if they get transferred straight to the hospital... In other words, probably not running in and out. I finally get in the drivers' seat. The big kids are cheering and clapping. And the 400 year old man comes out and gets in his car and doesn't even look before backing out, hits a car in the row behind him, and peels out. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 Someone did that the week before my third was due. He parked over the line in the doctor's office deck. I had to climb in and maneuver over the console. I was in so much pain, but it was July and a million degrees and the two older kids were with me and had waited three freaking hours for the appointment. The doctor's office building is attached to the hospital, and people park in that deck to save a couple bucks or if they get transferred straight to the hospital... In other words, probably not running in and out. I finally get in the drivers' seat. The big kids are cheering and clapping. And the 400 year old man comes out and gets in his car and doesn't even look before backing out, hits a car in the row behind him, and peels out. WHAT?!?!?! OMGosh, that is so crazy :driving: I was so frustrated that day. It was cold and drizzling and I had a toddler to load into the van (of course on the inaccessible side) and three older kids. Sooooo annoying! I would have been just as angry had it been the middle of July and hot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 Parking issues . . . one of the reasons I do my grocery shopping at 8:00 a.m. ;) Yeah, I know those of you with young kids can't really do that, at least not easily. But I love it. Just me and a handful of other shoppers have the store (and the parking lot!) to ourselves. And I like to think I'm making the store (and the parking lot!) a little less crowded for those of you who do your shopping later in the day. ;) 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plink Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 I doubt anyone out there maliciously targets owners of 15 passenger vans. That just seems silly. I am sorry you were inconvenienced OP. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 If one of my middle or older kids had been with me, I would have done this but I didn't feel comfortable leaving my grocery cart sitting while I jumped into the van and pulled forward. As someone else said, to pull forward enough, my front end would have been in the driving lane a bit so I probably would have wanted to pull into a different spot which would have left my cart sitting looking abandoned. Thinking about it now, I could have done that but at the time I was flustered and just wanted to leave and was annoyed at the whole situation. Oh hell I would have been so annoyed I would have pulled my damn car in a diagonal position with the front sticking into the street and took my sweet ass time loading it. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy101 Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 I share your pain. Many times. I know it's not deliberate. Ignorance and thoughtlessness rarely is. Still highly annoying and aggravating though. I've had people park so close they HAD to know there was no way I could even get to my door, much less open it and get in. THAT is just being jerks Imnsho. And yeah, there is usually plenty of space to park better bc I always park far out and on the edge too. On the passenger side doors, I suspect most people just don't think bc they are used to sliding doors. But really there's no excuse for the back or driver door. If your front bumper or passenger door is so close to my rear bumper or driver door that my scrawny 10 year old can't get between them - then it's obvious no adult can access those doors either. ETA: wrt parking jerks, I doubt they are targeting big vans. I suspect they are jerks in general and do the same thing sedans or any other car. ETA2: Tho it still get rather ticked when they park so close on the passenger side that there is no way I can carry the carseat between the cars, much less get the door open and the baby in the van. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ms.Ivy Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 I have a 15 passenger, too, and my problem is people parking so close to the passenger side that we can't open the doors all the way. I have no idea how these people get out of their own cars, since I don't think they can open their own driver's side doors all the way . Baffling! The first week I had my van, I parked at the doctor's office in the outermost edges of the parking lot. There were several empty spaces around my van. I had newborn twins in carrier seats, along with four other kids. I came out after the appointment, and some idiots had parked so close to my van on both sides that I couldn't get the doors doors open far enough to get the car seats into the van. So I had to leave my babies and kids (the oldest was 6) on the sidewalk while I completely backed the van out of the parking space and then load up the kids. After that, I started taking up two spaces in any parking lot with spaces narrow enough for that to happen. I got a lot of dirty looks for doing that, but I had 7 people for two spaces. So our person-per-space ratio was still pretty good ;-) 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 People are strange. When I go into a public bathroom with many empty stalls and someone else comes in, about 90% of the time they will pick a stall right next to mine. There can be 6 stalls available not next to mine, but they come in and pee right next to me. Drives me nuts. I stopped in a parkinglot in the middle of the day to nurse my screaming, hungry son. I wanted a bit of privacy. I parked waaaaaay at the bottom of the lot where there were literally dozens upon dozens of empty spots. There I was in my driver seat nursing, and a woman pulled up right next to my driver's side, facing me, so we were side by side, to make a phone call. Why? Why did she pull up right next to me?! I was pretty much uncovered because I *thought* I would be alone. (This was a very lonely parking lot and I was faaaar from anyone else.) Some people just like to be really close to all the other people, whether peeing or talking on their phones in their cars. I don't understand it. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 Parking issues . . . one of the reasons I do my grocery shopping at 8:00 a.m. ;) Yeah, I know those of you with young kids can't really do that, at least not easily. But I love it. Just me and a handful of other shoppers have the store (and the parking lot!) to ourselves. And I like to think I'm making the store (and the parking lot!) a little less crowded for those of you who do your shopping later in the day. ;) Bless you -- that's sweet! I normally shop with all five children and the big van as part of our weekly day out. But this week because of dental appointments and the big kids' class, we couldn't shop on our usual day. So I went all by myself the evening before. Left all the kids home with DH and took DH's tiny commuter car. It was so fast to shop and easy to park! 8 am is never going to happen for me, but 8 pm -- that was nice. :) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tenaj Posted April 3, 2015 Author Share Posted April 3, 2015 Maybe this reflects my ignorance about large vans, but don't get why it's so inconvenient and a PITB to load groceries using a side door instead of the back. I actually prefer doing that in my mini-van. We have an extended back on our van so I have lots of room back there. I had already made two stops at two different grocery stores and had those items in the back so I was planning to have the last load join them back there so that all the groceries were in the same spot. It's a large flat area without any seats/car seats. Much easier to deal with than parceling out the 12 or more bags and boxes I had in the cart between the seats in the van. I don't mind either when I have a few bags but this was a major shopping trip :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tenaj Posted April 3, 2015 Author Share Posted April 3, 2015 People are strange. When I go into a public bathroom with many empty stalls and someone else comes in, about 90% of the time they will pick a stall right next to mine. There can be 6 stalls available not next to mine, but they come in and pee right next to me. Drives me nuts. I stopped in a parkinglot in the middle of the day to nurse my screaming, hungry son. I wanted a bit of privacy. I parked waaaaaay at the bottom of the lot where there were literally dozens upon dozens of empty spots. There I was in my driver seat nursing, and a woman pulled up right next to my driver's side, facing me, so we were side by side, to make a phone call. Why? Why did she pull up right next to me?! I was pretty much uncovered because I *thought* I would be alone. (This was a very lonely parking lot and I was faaaar from anyone else.) Some people just like to be really close to all the other people, whether peeing or talking on their phones in their cars. I don't understand it. Your post just cracked me up. You're right. I have had the exact same thing happen when I'm nursing babies. It's like there's a magnetic pull going on! Maybe the SUV was lonely and my big white van looked friendly :) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HRAAB Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 If I pull through so the rear of my van is directly against the space behind me and someone pulls in behind me, I can't open the back door. So I don't pull through. I realize your van is long, but why not pull up just far enough so your rear end is out of the way of cars driving through. That way, no one can pull in behind. In either case you've basically taken up part of the other spot, but if someone did pull in front of your van, it wouldn't prevent you from opening your rear doors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsuga Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 I don't understand why it's ignorant not to know about other people's cars. I don't understand why it is rude to park in an empty parking spot. It's not like you own it just because you have a huge car. Gaggle of kidlets or not... Why is it my job to think about anything other than parking within the lines? How is that rude? I live with a small car (we have four kids) for better or for worse. When you get a huge car, you mud know parking will be hard, right? Or was the thought process, "Now I have a huge car so I get two spaces and to judge anyone who dares park near me!" That is not nice. I accept that so could be more aware but just having a Nissan and parking in the lines without analyzing someone else's unstated loading needs is not rude or inconsiderate. How the heck am I supposed to know? And for those of you "punishing" the rest of the parking lot by taking your time... Not because you need it (we all need more time to load some days) but to make a point... Wow, thanks. Not like the other 50 people in the store have lives, needs, children, commitments, obligations. Just assume you're the one with needs and make us jerks wait because we can't afford to drive a huge car. Wow. Most of us are just trying to get in and out of the store the best we can. We are not bad people for not putting your car issues at the center of our thought processes. Not directed at OP who clearly did not deliberately try to punish anyone for the supposed misdeed of not knowing her car issues. 24 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy101 Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 It has nothing to do really with having a big van. I actually agree about that. I would not park so close to someone they couldn't access the doors of their vehicle. It wouldn't matter to me what kind of vehicle either of us has. To give no consideration at all to others is pretty much the definition of thoughtless and rude. Of course I think about more than just getting between the lines. Is there enough room to comfortably open all the doors to get in and out? Will I be causing an obstruction to others? There's more to driving and to parking than just staying between the lines. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firefly Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 Well, I have a MINI and have a similar issue, so I feel your pain! When I pull through up to the end of the space, it leaves a good 1/3 to 1/4 of the space behind me free so that I can get groceries into the hatchback. Many times I've come out and someone not realizing how small my car is has pulled up right to my bumper, well into my parking space. Ah well. Conversely when I had my old Volvo wagon, I never pulled through, so I would have space to get my groceries in the back. Once I had an old man who was in the car behind me get out as I was exiting my car and scold me for not pulling through (he intended to park behind me). It really wasn't any of his business to begin with- is he the Parking Lot Police?? But I said, "I need to be able to open the back". He seemed chagrined and walked away but, really.... people are just weird. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 I'm sorry it was inconvenient for you, but I really doubt that the person who parked behind you did it to make your life miserable. As someone else said, we drive small cars here. My husband has a MINI, and I drive the "big car," which is a Scion xB. I have no experience with 12- and 15-passenger vans and would not automatically think of either one as a family vehicle. If I saw one parked in a lot, I would probably assume it was a commercial or corporate vehicle. It wouldn't occur to me that it might belong to a mom coming out of the store with a cart full of groceries, and even if it did, I wouldn't take the time to think about which doors she might need to open or how the doors on that particular vehicle operate. Honestly, I guess I'd assume that a person who knows she needs to open the rear door of her vehicle to load groceries would park in a way that would make that possible for herself. Even in my little car, for example, I don't pull through to the next space when I know I'll want to open the rear hatch. It sounds like this wasn't the case in your situation, since the lot wasn't especially full. However, if I have any reason to assume that parking might be in short supply and I see a partial space that I know I can fit into with my car, I will often pull in there on purpose, figuring I'll leave the full spaces for folks who need them. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happi duck Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 Getting pinned in happens to all car sizes in all parts of the parking lot. Agreeing with others... It isn't rude or ignorant to legally park in an open parking spot. 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 I drive an Impala, and as long as I park in the lines of my space, my job is done. I'm sorry, but most people just don't have time to analyze the cars on either side and in front to figure out if they're going to need extra loading space. 15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beaniemom Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 I too prefer to pull through but if I know I need to use the back gate of my Explorer I don't pull through. If there is empty space behind me I assume someone will park there and plan accordingly. It's not rude to park in an empty space regardless of how many other cars may or may not be near. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 If you pull all the way through, people will park behind you and probably close to you so their car won't stick out. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 I drive an Impala, and as long as I park in the lines of my space, my job is done. I'm sorry, but most people just don't have time to analyze the cars on either side and in front to figure out if they're going to need extra loading space. :iagree: I drive a "bigger" minivan. I do not really think this is another driver's lack of consideration. I think it's more that standard parking spaces are not designed for bigger vehicles. It's a pain to have a bigger vehicle. I have problems with my vehicle all the time. In particular because I live urban and regularly need to parallel park at meters or try and navigate and park in a ramp (older ramps are the worst). But really, that's the price of driving a bigger vehicle. It wouldn't occur to me to be irritated at other drivers parking legally within the lines. I will say I do find it irritating when large vehicle owners take 3-4 parking spots in a small free lot in a tight area. I'm urban so it's not uncommon to see this where now I'm in a situation where I park 3-4+ blocks away or pay for parking to shop at a local business that advertises free parking. That actually happens pretty frequently around here. Delivery trucks especially do this all the time. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmseB Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 I have to consider more than just being in the lines. If I'm in the lines, but really close on one side, and the other person is in the lines but really close on that same side, I can't get in or out. I actually park based on where the other car is, and not solely based on the lines. Which can be really embarrassing when the other car leaves and I'm all crooked in the space. But I only try to squeeze in where I barely fit if there are absolutely no other options because A) I hate trying to navigate my car that way and B) It makes it harder for me to get in and out even if I don't have the kids so, C) I assume it makes it hard for other people around me to get in and out, and D) I don't want door dings which seem more likely if I'm trying to squeeze into a space. I have a minivan, if it matters. ETA: To the title of the thread, I really think it is just considerate not to park too close to other people's vehicles, no matter how they are parked or where. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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