Mar 13, 2006 6:01:36 PM
- MHakkinen
- Pilot
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- Loc: SoCal-freeway shooting capital
- Posts: 381, Gallery
- Registered on: Feb 15, 2005
- Reply to: 1080iAddict
Re: Parking - How do you park your baby?
Quote:
1080iAddict said:
I've been reading this thread with interest. Here is my story.
When I go to my gym, I always park far away from the entrance at the top row of cars for the reasons described in this thread. Typically there are many open spots up there and nobody parks in the spaces immediately next to my 997. Other nice cars, other p-cars, etc. park up there too.
So one night on a weekend I get to the gym late. There is almost nobody in the lot - maybe 30 or so cars - so parking where I usually park would leave literally 50 spaces open between my car and the next car. So I decide to park closer. I leave 10 spaces between myself and the next car. The gym closes in 2 hours so I make a judgment call that a sudden rush of gym rats will not happen given the timing.
I work out and go to the parking lot 1.5 hours later and you can guess what I see. A crapbox 80's piece of %$#@ is parked right next to me - on the passenger side - right up on the paint line and there are 9 spaces open between our 2 cars to the left and 49 spaces open to the right. The crapbox has no hubcap on one wheel. My jaw is somewhat open as I see this as I walk toward the car. When I get closer, sure enough I see there is a 50's year old 'bag lady' woman inside that car. I usually open the passenger side door to place my gym bag in the car but she is way too close. I try to get her attention subtly to let her know I am there so as to be careful, in a way that would not be obnoxious whereas she did nothing technically 'wrong' yet other than park like an [censored].
She does not look up. So I decide to get the hell out of there asap. As I am about to open my driver side door, she opens her door and as she is getting out sure enough she moderately 'taps' my passenger door with her door. I immediately yell "hey...hey...hey" just like that and she looks at me and says 'sorry' and almost does it again as she continues to get out. I immediately walk over to see if there is a ding. She says "I really try to be careful" and on the tip of my tounge I am about to say "well, b!tch i think you are full of %$#@ because if that were true you would not be parked next to my arse" but I stay silent (because for all I know she is a member of the gym and she'll see my car again - - if I am too rude I would invite the 'key' one day). I see there is no ding at all (thankfully) and say "HAVE A NICE DAY MA'AM" quite sternly and she looks at me and repeats "sorry" and I repeat my phrase again as I bite my tounge. I then drive to a brighter spot to again look for a ding and find nothing.
Still, its unreal - - people really do seek you out and park as close as possible, either purposefully or through sheer ignorance.
Addict, I feel your pain brother. That type of senario I've seen too many times, and I'm paranoid because of it.
Back when I had my '93 RX-7 I went to this small shopping center about an hour before closing. There is a main lot, an underground lot, and for those willing to walk, there's a third lot with about 100 spaces, two rows facing opposite each other, 99 of which were empty at that time. The one and only vehicle parked in that lot was a late 60's station wagon in reasonable condition, looked to me like a restoration project and the owner also wanted a 'safe' place to park. I parked about four spaces away, on the opposite row. I remember walking away telling myself "I chose wisely...."
Low and behold I return to my baby only to find the other vehicle has left, and center section of my tailights (dark clear plastic section) are in peices on the ground
I figured out because of where the lot's exit was located, and how the spaces were angled, he backed out and turned his car the wrong way to get to the exit quicker instead of looping around to the exit the right way. In doing so, it lined him up perfectly with the back of my RX-7. Did he leave a note to say he was sorry, here's the insurance policy number? Of course not.
That was about ten years ago, but it still pisses me off like it happened yesterday. I have to admit that I unwittingly remind myself of that experience each and everytime I look to park my 997
