Car park bullies

I took my daughter out on the weekend like I do every Saturday. We went to the hardware store and timber yard. We went to the park and she had great fun. She wanted McDonald’s for lunch so we headed to our local shopping centre. The car park is usually very busy on Saturday and is hard to find parking. I finally found someone who was about to leave after searching for 20 minutes. I pulled over and indicated and waited for another 5 minutes. The lady backed her car and went pass me. As soon as she left the spot, a car from behind went straight in to the spot. I just couldn’t believe it. I got out of the car and went to talk to him. I told him that it was my spot as I had waited for 5 minutes.

“Sorry mate, I thought you were waiting for other spot” he said.

I told him that I had a child in the car who wanted to have so lunch badly.

“I can’t go back now. I have already parked the car. I am sorry mate” he added.

I had my hands on my hips starring at him but I didn’t know what to say. I shook my head and went back to my car. I said to him “Don’t say sorry if you are not sorry” and amusingly he replied “I am sorry”. I sighed and left to look for a spot somewhere else.

I have, in many occasions, given up parking spots to elderly drivers in busy shopping centres. I certain do not expect to be treated like that. How much does it take to treat others fairly and respectfully? :mad:

Sad isn't it? When I came up for the show, I was driving along Anzac Parade (or maybe it was Southern Cross Drive, I always get them mixed up). All of a sudden the right lane was full of stopped cars. I went a bit further and there was a big sign saying 'Event Parking, next right parking at Fox Studios'. Bugger I thinks to myself, I need to be in the right hand lane. But do you think any of those prune-faced Sydney-siders would let me in? As I got closer to the intersection, the only thing I could do was stop. I had traffic banking up behind me and still no-one would let me in. I pointed my nose into the gap between two cars and when the traffic started to move, I edged across. Two cars still refused to let me in but the third one stopped so I could come across. The two cars that wouldn't let me in were both driven by women. It was a guy who finally let me in.

What does this say? Speaks a lot about the selfish attitude of most people who live in that place. This is one reason that I do not miss Sydney. How much difference would it have made to their day to let me in? In fact it annoys me so much when I'm up there that my wife often has to restrain me. She's always worried that the guy driving the car that just cut us off might be carrying a gun or a knife. So what are you supposed to do, just let people walk all over you?

I can tell you now that in the case of the parking incident you describe, there would have been a lot more said and it would have been unpleasant. You have more patience and control than I do Wongo.

Stuff a cheeseburger up his muffler and drop a thickshake over his boot (by accident of course). If he questions you say "sorry there was a space there and I filled it" :D

Wongo,
You have every right to feel agrieved. As Darren said you showed admirable control. I guess that you just have to chalk it up to the guy being a richard cranium. Thing is, what goes around comes around and one day he'll do it to somebody who doesn't have your restraint and then he'll probably be picking his teeth up off the carpark floor. :p

Darren, I probably would have let you in but one of my pet hates when I'm driving and I've spent a good few minutes doing the right thing and merging in an orderly fashion, is to have some d1ckhead come up the inside lane past the line of merging cars and expect to be let in. I find that they are usually driving a Merc or a Beemer or something equally expensive, unless it's an FWD.

I love it when the freeway is pretty much full and you are in the right lane doing the speed limit and some cool dude sits up your backside and then starts flicking their lights at you to move out of the way. One time this happened and the leadfoot was itching to go past. I couldnt really move into the other lane but at the first chance he zoomed to the left lane, proceeded to overtake me and as they go past, they turn their head and give you this big long stare that makes them look like monkeys. Anyone as he was gawking away at me, he ran up the butt of the car in front that had slowed down for traffic further up. Only a nudge but enough to damage his front end. I am sure his ego suffered a lot more.

I hope he learnt his lesson (but these types rarely do).

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Originally Posted by craigb

... one of my pet hates when I'm driving ...

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I know what you mean. I suppose I've been guilty of 'failing to see' someone who is trying to do that. It usually happens when the left lane ends and you get a stream of traffic flying down your left flank and trying to push their way in. You just know that they do it every day.

In this case it wouldn't take much intelligence to work out what was going on and the fact that I was holding up a heap of traffic should have been enough for them to say "well, it goes against my nature but I suppose I should let this guy in, he's probably from out of town and obviously doesn't know his asre from his elbow."

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Originally Posted by silentC

I
In this case it wouldn't take much intelligence to work out what was going on and the fact that I was holding up a heap of traffic should have been enough for them to say "well, it goes against my nature but I suppose I should let this guy in, he's probably from out of town and obviously doesn't know his asre from his elbow."

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Fair enough. I was just trying to explain why Sydney drivers can seem less than courteous. ;)

I know, I used to be one!!

What do thay say about reformed smokers? ;)

Years ago when I was slightly younger (22), I drove cabs on the weekends around Melbourne. I cracked the jackpot one wet Friday night (5:30PM) at a big supermarket – pick up Mrs Smith and her groceries going local. Ripper of a job!!!! Tullamarine jobs going left right and centre and I pick the short straw.

As I drove through the carpark to get to the entrance of the supermarket the BMW in front of me suddenly stopped. I didn’t have enough room to go around the BMW and I couldn’t back up because the seven or eight cars behind me were in the same predicament. I got out of the cab and politely asked the elderly gentleman driver if he could move up a couple of feet to let me get clear. He was halfway across a vacant parking spot he had suddenly seen.

His response was “you ars**e taxi drivers you just want to pinch my parking spot, f*** off”. It was at that time I noticed his blue rinsed haired wife sitting in the passenger’s seat. I told him, “ when I first walked up to your car I thought that was a lady as a passenger but after hearing your words she can’t be anything short of a common gutter slutter”

At this point his conservative wife saw my point of the argument and got stuck into her conservative loud mouthed ignorant elderly husband. He moved up, I picked up Mrs Smith and her groceries and the old boy is probably still being nagged. Picking up Mrs Smith and her groceries is a fare I remember 27 years later.

Melbourne drivers are shockers, I have rarely run into problems in Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Hobart – they seem to give you a chance.

- Wood Borer

I have never had the problem that you had Wongo. This may be because I am 6 ft and fairly large looking. I keep in my glove box one of those little tools for removing the valve from tyres. If at sometime somebody were to treat me like that I would be all sweetness to their faces but as soon as they left to go to the shops one or more of their tyres would start hissing due to a complete lack of valve. :)

PS You shouldn't be feeding your daughter that McDonalds junk. :D

Wongo's not a little guy either. Just too polite, I reckon ;)

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Originally Posted by silentC

Wongo's not a little guy either. Just too polite, I reckon ;)

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6 foot 1, the tallest Chinese on this planet! :p

Wongo, you showed admirable restraint (or perhaps just set a good example for the kids). At least you can live comfortably with yourself.

On the matter of Sydney drivrers not letting people in...I used to drive to work through several places where merging was necessary. During the week, there was never a problem, but at weekends, no one would let anyone in. Don't know what the significance of this is.

Once broke down at a busy intersection and despite my best efforts could not start the car. Of course the cars behind started tooting, so I got out and suggested that I would sit and blow their horns for them while they started my car. They soon shut up.

Wongo,

I applaud you, there is no way I would have shown as much restraint, and I'm no where near 6' 1" tall But I have a big bull bar on my four wheel drive :rolleyes:

seriously - bravo for the restraint shown, however feeding your kid Mcjunck? mate what are you thinking. Food cooked buy a fifteen year old and endorsed by a clown - goto be sus.