Parking etiquette, or not

I was parked in a lot and heard honking. A handicapped couple had just loaded groceries and were sitting in their car in a handicapped spot, and another driver - "Impatient Man" - wanted that handicapped parking slot. I watched for a good five minutes as the couple remained parked, and Impatient Man kept honking his horn. Maybe he was really handicapped and unable to walk further than that closest spot? The couple eventually left and Impatient Man pulled in - I waited to see what was with this guy, yet all he had was a slight limp. I came very close to saying something to him but was pretty sure that wouldn't fix anything.

This behavior was new for me, someone demanding an occupied parking space. If it was me, passive aggressiveness - because he insisted - would cause me to just sit there until he gave up no matter how long it took. No excuse for his action; no one has a right to an occupied spot.

Oh wait, even better: Wait until he's putting groceries into his car, and start honking at him - demanding that spot. Pretty sure he'd get mad. Jerk.

Good for the first couple for taking their time. If I didn't have cold food to take home, I would go back in the store.

It reminds me of a story about a man who would get out and pretend to confusedly check his car because the driver behind him honked at a light.

At a typical Walmart, the action around the best handicapped spaces can be quite aggressive and demanding/forward.  

If people get impatient with me like that, I will purposely slow down. I have all the time in the world to make sure you don't. 

I aggressively fight over parking spots.  With my wife who wonders why I park as far away from everyone as possible.

Clearly, he's mentally handicapped.

Entering your car doesn't mean you're leaving your spot. People are just stupid, impatient, and entitled.

Might've been blind, using the horn as a sort of sonar.

I've never been honked at, but I have been known to get back out of my car and go back into the store when there are plenty of open parking spaces yet someone wants to block traffic to wait for mine.

I don't think I've ever seen a backup for handicapped spots, but being a jerk isn't necessarily limited to able bodied people.

Both parties are jerks.

Party A for sitting in the spot after they were done. Done being defined as "put your shopping into the car." Get out of the spot. Go to the back of the lot if you need to adjust your radio, take your insulin, get a BJ, make a call- whatever.

Party B for trying to rush the other party. As everybody above has commented, they don't have to leave, they're just jerks for staying in the spot.

In reply to Brett_Murphy (Agent of Chaos) :

I mostly agree. It's like being behind someone who just finished filling their gas tank, gets in their car, then checks emails, adjusts the radio, or whatever. For some reason though, the handicapped parking spot still seems worse, perhaps because I don't know the handicapped person's personal situation - though the same could be said of the gas station. Heck, the case of tapping the horn when the light goes green and the person ahead just sits there, is similar as well. Ugh, people...

All I ask is that you don't sit in the middle of the aisle blocking traffic while you wait for someone to leave their spot–especially if there are plenty of other spots available.

In reply to Colin Wood :

Oh absolutely - it's way worse during the holiday season. I'm always getting stuck behind someone planted square in the middle of the lane, waiting for a convenient parking spot. They could go find one further away and walk in, getting exercise, and waste less time!

And let's not start in - too late! - on shoppers - usually at Costco - that stop in the middle of the isle, turn their cart sideways, and walk over to a shelf on either side. One time I got so annoyed, when they weren't paying attention, I pushed their cart all the way to the other end of the isle. But I'm over that, really.

"I kept stopping because I thought the honking meant I was running into something".....

In reply to Brett_Murphy (Agent of Chaos) :

Depends on the situation. There's a number of scenarios where couple A isn't necessarily at fault for anything here. Obviously, handicapped plates for a reason. Motor control skills could be an issue. Could have lost keys, could need to do something. Don't know. 

Now if they were sitting there making a tik-tok, absolutely GTFO. Unfortunately for all of us- I don't think we have enough information to make an educated guess as to what happened in this particular instance. The only thing we REALLY know is person B thought person A was taking too long and chose to inform them of his disdain. 

My mom once saw a woman with no placard or visible ailment park in a handicapped space at the bank. My mom (god rest her soul) was in the line behind the woman, to whom she said "Maybe your ass wouldn't be so fat if you'd park where you're supposed to." She was good at dropping the occasional verbal bomb.   

kb58 said:

I was parked in a lot and heard honking. A handicapped couple had just loaded groceries and were sitting in their car in a handicapped spot, and another driver - "Impatient Man" - wanted that handicapped parking slot. I watched for a good five minutes as the couple remained parked, and Impatient Man kept honking his horn. Maybe he was really handicapped and unable to walk further than that closest spot? The couple eventually left and Impatient Man pulled in - I waited to see what was with this guy, yet all he had was a slight limp. I came very close to saying something to him but was pretty sure that wouldn't fix anything.

This behavior was new for me, someone demanding an occupied parking space. If it was me, passive aggressiveness - because he insisted - would cause me to just sit there until he gave up no matter how long it took. No excuse for his action; no one has a right to an occupied spot.

Oh wait, even better: Wait until he's putting groceries into his car, and start honking at him - demanding that spot. Pretty sure he'd get mad. Jerk.

My fiance has RA and can get a handicapped parking placard if she wants. She doesn't want one. She doesn't even have a limp. 

I personally have better things to do then sit and watch someone park to see if they are "handicapped" to someone's standards. 

In reply to kb58 :

Definitely sounds like a jerk but, FWIW, id avoid making judgements on peoples level of handicapped-ness based on what you see. My mother is severely handicapped and cant walk any sort of distance, but you wouldnt know it by looking at her or seeing her walk a few feet. 

In reply to z31maniac :

Seconded

In reply to kb58 :

Oh my god. What is it about costco parking lots that turns people into complete shiny happy people

Yea, I definitely try and select end spots and wider spots.  Sometimes to my own detriment.

A few weeks ago I got an email at work asking the owner of a car with XYZ license plate to move his or her vehicle.  I walked out to see my car nearly underneath a tractor trailer.   Notice, I was parked in an end spot all hugging the outside curb.  Luckily, all was good.  No, I wont park there again with a car I want to keep. 

I'm 99% certain my E30 got at least 1 major door ding while parked at work.  I think my E91 also has a new, significant ding.  ugh.

Fair enough, I am guilty of being judgmental on what constitutes "handicapped" and will try better.

Robbie (Forum Supporter) said:

Might've been blind, using the horn as a sort of sonar.

Like a mentally handicapped bat.

One of my employees has a HC placard.  He is missing most of a foot from the ankle down.  He walks with a small limp but you would never really realize the extent of his issues.  Anyway, as he put it you are welcome to use his HC placard all it will take is you giving him your foot.  

He carries a blind person's walking stick.  When people get fussy with him he exits the car with his sunglasses and the blind person's stick and starts feeling around the car and then walks off using the stick.   The looks are so funny.  Oh and I have been the passenger for some of this stuff.  

Another time he got out and started walking around his car fast muttering to himself that the voices were telling him to do bad things loud enough so the persons yelling at him for being in the HC spot could hear him.  They got really quiet and started to scatter when he started walking towards them.   Never a dull moment with him.  It is why we usually use his car or take his placard with us when we are going to jobs together.  

The truth of the matter is that while he can walk he can not walk for long distances without being in pain.  LOTS of pain. And it is cumulative as the day goes on so mitigating the distance he has to walk from his car to things is a real quality of life thing for him.