Parking Lot Morons

[cmyx6go]

Originally Posted by Samurai of 2day

Unfortunately, we will always have to deal with parking lot morons. I've realized that we Car Enthusiasts are a rare breed, even though it seems like we are many.

While we go to great lengths to preserve the longevity of our cars' beauty and performance abilities, most people simply do not hold the same value to what they perceive to be a mere object.

Even when I park my bike, I ensure not only is it positioned protectively, but also courteously to others.

Yet we get a bad rap.... I know the BMW assholes exist but the stereotype sucks.

[vreihen16]

Originally Posted by cmyx6go

Yet we get a bad rap.... I know the BMW assholes exist but the stereotype sucks.

Stereotype? I found this screen grab of a new BMW driver "how to park" orientation PowerPoint last week:



(OK, it's from the end of the current USA "BMW Summer On" sales campaign TV/streaming commercial, but the bad parking example with a BMW logo attached is too much to pass on even as a BMW owner.....)

[cmyx6go]

Originally Posted by vreihen16

Stereotype? I found this screen grab of a new BMW driver "how to park" orientation PowerPoint last week:

Attachment 3243466

(OK, it's from the end of the current USA "BMW Summer On" sales campaign TV/streaming commercial, but the bad parking example with a BMW logo attached is too much to pass on even as a BMW owner.....)

They're electric, what do you expect? LOL!

[Car-Addicted]

Originally Posted by cmyx6go

Yet we get a bad rap.... I know the BMW assholes exist but the stereotype sucks.

It's not the BMW guys around here that park like that, it is definitely the Corvette guys! . I think it's in their sales agreement?

[///d]

Originally Posted by Car-Addicted

It's not the BMW guys around here that park like that, it is definitely the Corvette guys! . I think it's in their sales agreement?

to be fair most are probably old and can't see straight enough to park anyways

[Alfisti]

Originally Posted by AlpineBoost

I think this confirms the theory as to why people park near us at the far end of the parking lot. Folks are not using the lines, you can clearly see they have positioned their car between yours and the one two spots over, as in right in the middle, so they are using the surrounding cars to line themselves up, not the lines.

This answers a lot of questions.

[tranquility]

^Yup, that and herd mentality, some ppl just wanna be near other ppl (read: vehicles) lol.

[tranquility]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

I think this confirms the theory as to why people park near us at the far end of the parking lot. Folks are not using the lines, you can clearly see they have positioned their car between yours and the one two spots over, as in right in the middle, so they are using the surrounding cars to line themselves up, not the lines.

This answers a lot of questions.

Yup, I dunno if I mentioned this here or elsewhere, but was I in a virtually-empty lot, just chilling in my car and this lady, I kid you not, drove into a spot and started adjusting for a good 5 minutes, all the while I was wondering what the heck was going on, she has all that space! Then she did the scary unthinkable, parked right next to me! Obviously, couldn't line up her car to save her life. Needless to say, I moved to another spot as soon as she left.

[vreihen16]

Originally Posted by cmyx6go

They're electric, what do you expect? LOL!

Here's another one from this ad campaign, with gas cars and without the fake prop EV charging station. Still bad parking, and apparently also blocking the pedestrian walkway onto the beach.....




.

[vreihen16]

I wish that they showed them from the back side, so that we wouldn't have to see those *huge* grilles.....

[tranquility]

Originally Posted by AlpineBoost

This afternoon I opened the garage and as the light came in I instantly realized there was a small dent on the front passenger door of our brand new Kona N. It had to have happened at the Braves game last night but I parked hugged up against a curb just like in my pics above. I was pretty pissed at first because it's been 8+ years with my BMW without a ding on it and here it is 1 month in with this car and it's already got a blemish. I immediately searched for PDR on Google Maps and found a dude with 5 stars that's 4 miles away from me. Shot him a text with a pic of the damage and he stopped by within 2 hours on his way home. Took him probably 5 minutes to massage the dent out and there's literally no trace of it. Charged $75 after quoting $100-$150 in the text. Some people suck, other people are awesome.

Those guys are miracle workers, some pos did that to me, I suspect it was from a bum after I refused to give him a handout when I was parked on a street, big freaking dent above the rear wheel well like the guy kneed it. Good as new after the repair shop was done w it.

[Buug959]

Hard evidence of a parking fail.

[kscarrol]

From a few years ago but even Honda drivers are not immune…

[CTinline-six]

Originally Posted by Llarry

I'm now a bit ashamed to admit it, but 25 years or so ago, I returned to my BMW to find that some moron had parked one of those early '70s Cadillac two-door coupes (with a separate ZIP code for each damn door) reeeally close to me. I keyed him.

Yeah that's pretty shitty to damage someone's car because they park close to you.

We're an angry bunch in this thread.

Most people are just clueless and don't park near you intentionally, there are those assholes out there, but many people are just out to lunch. I watched a lady try to park in a spot in the parking garage for about 3 minutes today before she gave up... she had a Toyota Corolla.

[UncleWede]

Last night I pulled into a spot at the restaurant. Got out, looked at the line on driver side, seemed kind of far. Walked around front and I was over the line on passenger side.

INSTEAD of shrugging and heading in to get pizza, I got back in the car and parked in the middle of the lines.


In my defense, it was the wife's big-assed Highlander, and I backed into the spot so she could drive straight out later with no issue of impending collision with incoming vehicles.

[Maynard]

If I'm in my commuter Honda and I see a spot open next to a nice car, especially somebody parking like we all do, looking for cover, then I will often park next to them to give them cover. Not if the lot is sparse and they are 10 rows from the next car, but I'll do this if it is busy enough that it's likely somebody will take the spot. I figure better to have me there (guaranteed no damage) even if it makes 'em nervous. And if I'm in one of the BMWs, I will prefer to be next to something that looks like the owners care as much as I do.

And I definitely restart and correct if I'm off - even in an empty lot I feel a wave of shame...

[Lady Jane]

[Buug959]

Originally Posted by Lady Jane

Attachment 3244966

Wow! This guy just needs to be towed away and his vehicle "lost" somewhere in an impound yard.

[tcphoto]

I hope that someone parked next to the minivan before he/she returned.

[dradernh]

All of this is why my DD is the wife's MT Mazda 3. While it has virtually the same exterior dimensions as my M240i, it drives and parks noticeably smaller.

The real reason I use it, of course, is that I don't care what happens to it the way I would if the BMW was being abused in the parking lot wars.

I park the MZ3 in the far corners of supermarket/mall parking lots like I would the BMW. That's just common sense and force of habit.

Ironically, after 9 years of ownership, the Mazda has sustained not a single parking lot ding. Had the DD been a BMW, I feel certain I wouldn't be able to say that.

[freakystyly]

What do you do.

You are waiting in the parking lot for someone. You see a large SUV pull up beside you with not enough space. A few seconds later a thump and your car shakes mildly.

[Car-Addicted]

The eternal parking lot question: Why are all parking lots sloped so that runaway shopping carts will run in to your car no matter where you park?