Parking lot lurkers - why do you do it?

[dullard]

I've always wanted to know why people drive up and down parking lots looking for a specific spot to open up when there is a close spot in plain view open and easilly reached.

For example at my university there are two lots basically in the center. One lot is small , ~150 spaces, and always full. One lot right across the street is large, ~400 spaces, and is always empty. I park in the large lot and walk by the smaller lot everyday. I see at least 30 cars sitting and waiting hoping that a student will get out of class and open up a spot. But there are clear open spots right across a non-busy street. On days that I'm early I'll walk into that small lot, stand by a car, and pull out my keys. At least five cars rush in a race to be the first one to me, then I laugh and walk away. Ok I have a cruel streak - but it is all harmless fun. I've seen people late for class since they want to park in that small lot. So why do you lurkers do it?

Another example is grocery store lots. I'm not talking about the people who drop off a friend and just drive around to pick them up - I'm talking about those who will eventually park and enter the building. They drive up and down the isles for 20 minutes just to park 4 spaces closer to the door. Are you just that lazy? These are the same people who will only park in the isle that leads up to the door even though spaces right next to the building are open one isle to either side. Thus they drive up and down and end up parking farther than they needed to. Why do you do this?

 

[bmacd]

i'll take the first open spot i see in a store....i won't wait for somebody to pull out. If it i have to walk, then so be it.

-=bmacd=-

 

[ohtwell]

Because people would rather drive around and waste their gas then walk a little bit further. It's pure stupidity.


: ) Amanda

 

[bmacd]

Amanda: you look different...new sunglasses?

-=bmacd=-

 

[zer0burn]

ppl are lazy

 

[gopunk]

Originally posted by: ohtwell
Because people would rather drive around and waste their gas then walk a little bit further. It's pure stupidity.


: ) Amanda

you mean laziness.

 

[ohtwell]

Originally posted by: bmacd
Amanda: you look different...new sunglasses?

-=bmacd=-

Yep!! How do they look?


: ) Amanda

 

[Dedpuhl]

Well, I did that when I was in school. The Senior/Graduate parking was right next to the engineering department. The next closest parking was across 2 different (and busy) streets. People in Southwest Louisiana drive like maniacs, so I never took a chance.

 

[ohtwell]

Originally posted by: gopunk

Originally posted by: ohtwell
Because people would rather drive around and waste their gas then walk a little bit further. It's pure stupidity.


: ) Amanda

you mean laziness.

That too!


: ) Amanda

 

[StageLeft]

Pure laziness. It makes me f**king mad, because they shouldn't be so lazy. I actually feel disgusted that I'm part of the same race as somebody who would deliberately spend 4 minutes looking for a spot so that they don't have to walk their ever-growing fat ass an extra 8 spots.

I've said this before and I'll say it again: Park the damn car. The walk won't kill you. What will is being such a lazy ass. I have seen people wait for a spot for somebody who is in the middle of unloading a cart of groceries. Christ, just drive the extra few spots. I ALWAYS get into the store before these lazy sloth-like half-humans get there even if they do save a few spots on the way back.

 

[MaxDSP]

Originally posted by: bmacd
i'll take the first open spot i see in a store....i won't wait for somebody to pull out. If it i have to walk, then so be it.

-=bmacd=-

exactly how I feel.

Sometimes, I hate parking too close to school or the store, because as soon as you get near your car, youll have another car waiting for you to come out of the parking space, and if you take too long, they give you a look like "c'mon already. Your turn's over"

 

[Wingznut]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
Pure laziness. It makes me f**king mad, because they shouldn't be so lazy. I actually feel disgusted that I'm part of the same race as somebody who would deliberately spend 4 minutes looking for a spot so that they don't have to walk their ever-growing fat ass an extra 8 spots.

I've said this before and I'll say it again: Park the damn car. The walk won't kill you. What will is being such a lazy ass. I have seen people wait for a spot for somebody who is in the middle of unloading a cart of groceries. Christ, just drive the extra few spots. I ALWAYS get into the store before these lazy sloth-like half-humans get there even if they do save a few spots on the way back.

Ha! Well said.

 

[ggavinmoss]

In parking lot for stores, the gym, the mall, I'll take the first spot I see, usually.

When I was at school, the parking lots were so far apart (and I was usually not on time) so getting a close spot was more of a necessity than anything else.

The thing I don't get is at the gym people doing this. They're there to work out -- why are they saving themselves 100 ft. of walking !? It's maddening.

-geoff

 

[olouie]

vanity is why

 

[notfred]

I hate it when someone gets in thier car to back out, and another car stops bhind them waiting for thier spot, and completely blocks all passing traffic. Then it takes the person that's leaving about 45 minutes to start thier car and back out. Damn annoying slow people, I don't want to sit behind you and the idiot behind you all day. :|

 

[teddymines]

If it's raining or snowing real hard, I might troll for a bit, but limit it to a minute.

My favorite is walking out of a store, observe someone following me, fish out my keys like I'm about to unlock this next car, then slip through 2-3 rows of cars to get to my not-so-close car. The lurker sometimes zips around to follow me, only to find out I keep getting further away!

Evil!

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: notfred
I hate it when someone gets in thier car to back out, and another car stops bhind them waiting for thier spot, and completely blocks all passing traffic. Then it takes the person that's leaving about 45 minutes to start thier car and back out. Damn annoying slow people, I don't want to sit behind you and the idiot behind you all day. :|

That's SO god-damned inconsiderate. That's why I use the horn. There is no excuse for being held up while mr.lazy ass waits for somebody to pull out of their spot.

 

[prodigy]

In a shopping mall, supermarket grocery store, etc I usually take the farthest spot all by my lonesome in the corner so people don't ding my car when they open their door. I don't park diagonally or take up 2 spots though, those people are just asking for it. Exception is when it's -25 degrees windchill and/or snowing, raining.

The campus parking lot is a different story as there are never any spots available, even the furthest ones are always taken so I'm forced to become a "lurker" as you put it.

 

[Amused]

I always park in the boonies. First, my car gets no door dings (It's a 99 and not a single door ding on it), and second, it's not like the walk is bad for me, or anything.

Nine times out of ten those folks wasting half their day driving around and waiting on spots just 10 yards closer to the door are fat, lazy slobs. They rather sit and wait, or drive around and around than walk an extra 30 feet or so. It's pathetic.

 

[Kevin]

I drive around once, if I see an opening, I'll take it. If not, I drive right to the back. Sometimes I just get annoyed and head for the group of open spaces since its more convienant.

On another parking note, atleas you guys have a parking lot. At school, we have to park on the street but there's a lot of "No Parking/Standing Signs" so if you don't get lucky, you have to park about 4 blocks away. Today I get to school somewhat early like 7:35 and still couldn't get anything. I parked 4 spaces closer than I did yesterday when I got to school at 9:15!!!. I don't even see the point anymore, no matter how early you leave, there's always some as-hole who beats you...

 

[Parrotheader]

Whenever I go to a parking lot that I KNOW is going to be crowded (aka ANY Wal-Mart) I deliberately try to park in the least crowded lanes. Even if you get lucky and there's a great spot in one of the primary lanes there's always a TON of pedestrian (not to mention automobile) traffic in those areas which you'll still have to deal with when you're leaving. To me it's usually not worth the hassle. I figure I'm young, I don't mind walking an extra 50 yards or so.

In college, I'd usually only drive when it was raining or REALLY cold. My apartment was just off campus so I could usually get to most classes just as fast (if not faster in some cases) by walking. Biking was the way to go in college though.

EDIT: Oh yeah. I park out there cause I don't want any dings in my car either. I wouldn't want to detract from the existing scratches, gouges and fading paint

 

[Fausto]

It's because people are both lazy and fail to see the big picture.

THE BIG PICTURE: by the time Joe Average Parking Vulture manages to claim a spot close to the entrance of whatever establishment he's going to, I have already parked in the first available spot, walked the extra 200 feet that is somehow so insurmountable, entered the establishment and probably gotten a better seat for the movie.

No door dings is another plus.

It's like people who lay rubber to cut in front of you off a side street (or make a left turn coming at you) when you're the second-to-last car in a line of cars coming down the road. If they had waited the extra 0.004 seconds, they could pull into the road in a liesurely fashion behind you instead of pulling the NASCAR last-lap bit just to be that one extra car length up on the road. I never understand this.

 

[amdskip]

I would rather park further away

 

[Cyberian]

Sometimes I like to just stand in the Wal-Mart parking lot and watch the BlueHairedLadies try to back their '85 Town Cars out of parking spaces.
It can be quite amusing.

 

[dabuddha]

i hate to play devil's advocate here but has anyone considered that maybe the people parking can't walk well? i know its not the case with everyone but when i broke my foot, i refused to get a handicap sticker because i felt there are other people that deserve that spot more than i do. but i agree with you that its stupid when theres a spot closeby.