Discussions

loeog said "I do agree with you.   But if you admit to doing something that could intentionally cause damage to your car and then you claim insurance, you are on the edge of fraud.     Edited by loeog, 2017-11-27 19:45:15"

see what you are getting at, however, this isn't fraud, its just stupidity. All she has admitted to is parking between the lines, rightfully so & you would never be able to prove this is fraud even though there is a reasonable expectation her vehicle might get dinged. The excuse of course would be that in a public lot there is the reasonable expectation this could occur. This would be hard to prove.  
 
Anyway.... as a large truck owner, I do my best to park properly and generally park away from the crowded spots so that I don't get boxed in or get dinged.

Don Brown is right one, I drive a VW Jetta and can park in any lot in Brandon. When I bought my Dodge Ram Mega cab I discovered a change in personality. I once parked between the lines at Walmart. When I came out I could not get out because I as backing into the car in the next row before I could turn. I waited until a vehicle beside me pulled out.  
 
I now either park cornerwise or drive thru so I can get out when I leave. I park toward the back of the lot. Those who bad mouth bigger trucks are only revealing their ignorance.  
 
As to receiver hitches. Yes if the police are bored they can write tickets for them being left in. I make a habit to remove mine as I value my shins

I do not drive a small car, I drive an SUV.  
 
I guess parking between the lines, being able to back out and straighten the vehicle and being able to back out with no problem is as stupid as the people who like to take up two parking spots.  
 
I must wonder why the lady from superstore wants to pay $468 and not go through insurance?

Brenda said "I do not drive a small car, I drive an SUV.     I guess parking between the lines, being able to back out and straighten the vehicle and being able to back out with no problem is as stupid as the people who like to take up two parking spots.     I must wonder why the lady from superstore wants to pay $468 and not go through insurance? "

and SUV isn't the same as a heavy duty truck with a limited turning radius, do you concur?  
I have also had a sedan type vehicle and I bear room to the bigger trucks who require more of a turning radius to park and more importantly exit from their single stall parking spot.  
 
What class of license do you hold? Just curious.

Sorry, no such law in Manitoba, Totally an internet non truth.

Oryx said "    Brenda said "I do not drive a small car, I drive an SUV.     I guess parking between the lines, being able to back out and straighten the vehicle and being able to back out with no problem is as stupid as the people who like to take up two parking spots.     I must wonder why the lady from superstore wants to pay $468 and not go through insurance? " and SUV isn't the same as a heavy duty truck with a limited turning radius, do you concur?   I have also had a sedan type vehicle and I bear room to the bigger trucks who require more of a turning radius to park and more importantly exit from their single stall parking spot.     What class of license do you hold? Just curious. "

I realize an SUV is not the same as a big truck, but I was only stating for the fact I do not have a little car.  
 
As for my license - you can find out.

Brenda said "I do not drive a small car, I drive an SUV.     I guess parking between the lines, being able to back out and straighten the vehicle and being able to back out with no problem is as stupid as the people who like to take up two parking spots.     I must wonder why the lady from superstore wants to pay $468 and not go through insurance? "

Are you really suggesting your SUV is the same size as a truck and has the same parking issues as a truck.

Ok, time to lighten up a bit, think there's to many of us watching the Trump reality show and it's affecting our ability to just share opinions.

Always enjoy your posts Don.

I’m a new mom and had a c-section. We have a car and a truck and I couldn’t physically bend over for weeks afterward to put a car seat in our car so for appointments and groceries I had to drive the truck around. Well I had to sit with my newborn inside a store because some jerk parked so close to me that I couldn’t open the door enough to get the car seat in. Now I guess I did park as close as I could to the store entrance but that was because I wasn’t supposed to be carrying the heavy car seat after my c-section. And no not all stores have the pregnancy or new mom parking and sometimes when they do have them, they are all used as there are only one or two spots. So I know that sometimes you may be frustrated, but please don’t automatically assume that all truck drivers are jerks. I like to say you know I bet they had a good reason they did this.  
 
The next time I went to Walmart I parked so far away I wasn’t close to anybody so I could make sure to get the car seat in and out with no problems. When I came back out there were two carts slammed against my truck. You just can’t win.

I partially blame those ( mainly malls) on reducing the spacing over the years. It was not many years ago there was a good reason for that. From Fort Pinto's to Malibu. Even the early Chyrsler vans with it's sliding door was a waste of parking space if one followed lines. Now it is time for lot owners to give back some space and grow those spots a tad.

that states receivers must be removed when not in use. That is why they're removable. When working as a mechanic I've had to cut them out a few times after truck owner was ticketed for having receiver in when not in use.

My buddy who's a cop and he told me that keeping receiver in is illegal but not for protecting your shins. It takes away the crush zone of your vehicle that puts you and the other party at greater risk of injury during an accident. Party's with the hitch can be ticketed if involved in an accident or if it happens to be a slow day. he said that they have been told to keep a lookout as of late about them. So I guess you may not receive any attention about it, but again you might so drivers beware.

Sometimes people need extra space ...because they need extra space. I can't even believe you would say you did that and with pride! I for one who drive an SUV had someone with your selfish attitude park so tight beside my driver's door that I had to crawl in through my passenger door into my drivers seat. The thing that is most important in this story is that I was recovering from knee surgery. I took the extra room because I needed the extra room. I don't have family in the city, and I'm a single person. So if I don't do it ...it won't get done. It was so incredibly painful to have to get into my vehicle that way that I sat there and cried.  
 
The next time you decide to get a holier than thou attitude about people's parking, take into consideration that there is likely a reason they did that. Not everyone is a jerk on the road. The same with people that are tailgating. I used to think that they were just being jerks until I needed to tailgate someone to get out of my way as I was trying to get to a family emergency at the hospital.  
 
You never know what is going on in people's lives on a daily basis and you'd be best to remember that. Have some compassion for people Brenda and don't think that everything is all about what you think it is!

veloster said "My buddy who's a cop and he told me that keeping receiver in is illegal but not for protecting your shins. It takes away the crush zone of your vehicle that puts you and the other party at greater risk of injury during an accident. Party's with the hitch can be ticketed if involved in an accident or if it happens to be a slow day. he said that they have been told to keep a lookout as of late about them. So I guess you may not receive any attention about it, but again you might so drivers beware. "

Sorry, Not true.

loeog said "    Brenda said "I do not drive a small car, I drive an SUV.     I guess parking between the lines, being able to back out and straighten the vehicle and being able to back out with no problem is as stupid as the people who like to take up two parking spots.     I must wonder why the lady from superstore wants to pay $468 and not go through insurance? " Are you really suggesting your SUV is the same size as a truck and has the same parking issues as a truck. "

If you read my post at 9:04, I said exactly that they were not the same.

Fishin Guy said "I drive a F150. When parking properly my mirrors are directly over the yellow lines. That leaves little to no room when someone parks beside you. At the mall I have come across cars that feel the need to park directly against my door leaving me about 6" of open door space to try and get my fat arse into my truck. I have come back to busted tail lights from someone backing into me then taking off. These vehicles have a turning radius from 46-52 ft to try and park. I usually back into a spot as it gives me more flexible turning radius. Now after experiencing the dicks of Brandon costing me money in deductibles for hit and run, plus the unknown thrill of watching a fat guy trying to squeeze through a 6" door opening, I will always be "that guy". BUT!! I will be that guy at the end of the parking lot taking up 2 spaces. So be it. Since doing that I have had (knock on wood) zero hit and runs, plus have enough room to properly open my door and put groceries inside the vehicle. "

I drive a quad cab dodge diesel and I always make sure there's room for the guy next to me. To be fair I do back into a space when I see a guy parked taking up 2 spaces/parked/parked with his wheel over the yellow line or parked diagonally. I back in so I can get as close to his driver side door while still leaving me room to get out and not inconvenience the guy on the other side of me who took the time and consideration to park like a civilized member of society. Hopefully at some point we can train you to drive your truck as well as the rest of us...perhaps look into buying a canyon or ford ranger?

I leave my receiver hitch in - people steal them in parking lots so I put a bolt through and double nutted it - now it is rusted up and isnt coming out . If you have it removable then what do you do with it . Leaving it in the box loose is even easier for it to be stolen . Storing it in the vehicle cab is dangerous in the event of a roll over or accident . It would more than likely kill you should it hit you. I am not trying to annoy any body - my truck is longer than the parking stalls even without the hitch . I park in a area where there is the least chance of interfering with other drivers . If I am pulling a trailer then I park taking up as many spaces as needed again far away in the Siberia of the parking lot . Same with the motor home - as many spaces as needed. I would be very surprised if there is any law that governed how many spaces you take . I think that the only one that would be concerned would be the mall cop and if it looks like you were there to shop - had bags from barf a lot food store than I dont think that any thing would come from it . I see people driving around and around looking for a parking space next to the door - like super store - whats the point you are going to walk much farther once you get in the store . Walking is good for you to a point .

Big trucks, small cars, vans, mini vans I see it all. There's one reason this happens...They are in their own world, they don't take 5 seconds to think about the other guy at any point in their day, they are parking like donkey's because they don't care.  
 
You got a long wheel base? pull in, back out a bit...pull in again...back up a bit...eventually you can park well inside the lines...If your mirrors extend fold em in...they fold back out easy peasy. I always open my door to make sure theres about 6 inches between my tire and the yellow line...takes 10 seconds.

After reading through the comments, once again, I'm going to refer back to President Trump, and that is do some people get up in the morning with the objective of fighting or inconviencing others.  
Who is more in the wrong, is it the person who pulls into a parking slot disregarding the parking lines, or the person who deliberty tries to inconvienence others. As mentioned above there are things that force people to maybe violate those yellow lines, thing like maybe when the driver pulled into the spot the vehicles on either side where already parked outside of those precious lines, or since we come in all sizes as people, the person could not exit the vehicle without extra space.  
I know that I have obsessive compulsive disorders about certain things in my life, as do most people, but the lines is a parking lot is not one of them.  
I just can't imagine going through life expecting all people living up to my expectations, and going to the effort to punish those who don't.

As a "big truck" driver I always park way in the back away from everyone else and often will take up two spots to make sure that no one parks beside me. No it's not because I'm doing this to take someone else's parking spot. It's because my "big truck" costs about 100 thousand dollars. Now when you spend that kind of money on a vehicle the last thing you want is for someone in a POS 500 dollar vehicle to pull up right beside you and band their door into yours and leave so little room that they have to rub up beside your vehicle to get in and out and scratch the side of your vehicle with their zipper, who knows what else. I will continue and always continue to park away and take up two spots as I am very ocd when it comes to keeping a perfect condition vehicle and I'm not going to let someone ruin that for just parking beside me who doesn't care for 1 second about the condition of their vehicle or others. It's called pride of ownership!!

We drive a big truck and we notice the parking stalls seem to get smaller and smaller. Even if we park with all 4 wheels in between the yellow lines, the box of our truck would still be in another parking stall. If we pull forward enough that we have the box in the lines too, then the nose of our vehicle sticks out in the driving lanes.  
 
I always try and park further back and find a spot I can just drive into and pull up so I don’t have to back out. Seems even when I park at the back of a lot where no one else is around, I always come out with someone parked so close to us, I can’t get in.  
 
I once had to get in on the passenger side and climb over into the driver seat. Having infants in car seats... good luck.  
 
Now that winter is here I notice even if lines are visible on the ground still, no one gives a shit about how or where they park. Everyone just cares about themself

I drove a 2011 Ford F-150 FX4 for about 6 years. Never on that time did I ever feel the need to occupy more than 1 parking spot. Nor did It ever suffer so much as a scratch or a ding from a neighbouring parked vehicle. If I couldn’t find a spot wide enough I just walked a bit further. I find it ironic that people go through extremes to park as close to a mall that they will spend over an hour in WALKING literally miles in. I traded my truck in for a GMC Terrain and a Chevy Spark, now parking spaces are much easier to come by  
 
Just my $0.02

I am really not impressed with the width of some of the parking spaces. I drive a Civic so there should be ample room on both sides of the car. At the mall outside Sport Check I am super aware of how I park so I don't crowd the next vehicle, That area is way too narrow.

I have read through most of the comments until I could feel anxiety sneaking up. I have driven a truck and know the pains of parking in congested areas. I drive a car mid size now so I respect the space required for parking a truck without having a good portion of your vehicle sticking out. When I see a truck or bigger vehicle taking two spots, I kick myself because why didn’t I do that! Lol! Take the space required as I for one know it is not on purpose just makes sense!

Brenda said "    loeog said "    Brenda said "I do not drive a small car, I drive an SUV.     I guess parking between the lines, being able to back out and straighten the vehicle and being able to back out with no problem is as stupid as the people who like to take up two parking spots.     I must wonder why the lady from superstore wants to pay $468 and not go through insurance? " Are you really suggesting your SUV is the same size as a truck and has the same parking issues as a truck. " If you read my post at 9:04, I said exactly that they were not the same. "

no reason to not believe my friend. and if you don't believe it then just keep doing what your doing and maybe just maybe you'll be looking at a ticket in your future. Either way it make's no difference to me. I don't need to prove that my truck can tow or I have things that need to be towed. I also don't need a truck so big that I can't possibly park it to try to prove my penis is big.

veloster said "    Brenda said "    loeog said "    Brenda said "I do not drive a small car, I drive an SUV.     I guess parking between the lines, being able to back out and straighten the vehicle and being able to back out with no problem is as stupid as the people who like to take up two parking spots.     I must wonder why the lady from superstore wants to pay $468 and not go through insurance? " Are you really suggesting your SUV is the same size as a truck and has the same parking issues as a truck. " If you read my post at 9:04, I said exactly that they were not the same. " no reason to not believe my friend. and if you don't believe it then just keep doing what your doing and maybe just maybe you'll be looking at a ticket in your future. Either way it make's no difference to me. I don't need to prove that my truck can tow or I have things that need to be towed. I also don't need a truck so big that I can't possibly park it to try to prove my penis is big. "

Just....... wow......

This thread feels more like an on-line after show of Canada's worst driver. People with poor driving skills justifying their habits and actions by putting the blame on someone else. Really? All of us can be found guilty of being more lazy, selfish and/or ignorant when it comes to everything about our cars. We're supposed to act like Canadians ...not Americans. LOL Can't always be ME, MINE, MORE. It's astounding how much automobiles have changed in over sixty years between then and today. Now, it should be way easier to drive/operate/park a newer vehicle. But our culture & general attitude is much like that of a defiant, spoiled, know-it-all teenager! How was it that our mothers/grand mothers were able to parallel park on a sloped downtown street in a 50's Ford/Chevy/Dodge with a standard transmission and manual steering in the winter? (All while holding a cigarette, mind you)... And yet we can't "keep it within the lines" on a flat, bare parking lot with 360 degree views, parking assist, thinner/lighter/shorter doors and most using automatic trannies? ....We're turning into pathetic children! ...Putting the blame solely on someone/something else is a shameful excuse. You own that vehicle and you wanted that vehicle. Then operate it like you have a bloody hot clue in on what's it's able to do! You bought that damn thing! Then know/learn how to drive it! Do I take my "crew cab" 4X4 truck to the mall for Christmas shopping? No, I know better not to because it too big to easily maneuver in tight spaces. But, if I had to... I would do my best in following the general RESPECT towards others when parking. Just like my parents and grandparents would have back in the day. I drove an mid 70's twenty foot long Pontiac Grand Safari station wagon in the mid 80's as a teen. Parked it on the downtown streets all the time when I shopped, went to the movies and to the bar (way easier to get into them when your only seventeen, LOL). Did I ever pi$$ed & moaned about the available parking, then justifying my crappy park job? No, I did my best in squeezing it in and walked away feeling a little guilty in the way I left it on the street. (not perfectly straight or further away from the curb than six inches --that's the law) That would be the same reasoning in the old Brandon Gallery with all those posts on the lower level. That's what I've got to work with and this is what I have for a vehicle. That's the time to put more than just twenty seconds into positioning that low lying beast of mine with the massive a$$ end and long front nose within the lines without hitting the post or the car on the other side of ya. I did it. Along with everyone else in this town back then. The mall and the K-mart parking lots was absolutely a breeze with that landyacht, even with it's needs of a wide turning radius. It's called "backing up and realigning" one or two times. And when I had my mid 70's Pontiac Trans Am and my early 80's Olds Delta 88 two door, I planned my parking accordingly too. ...Out on the street, the last spot at the far end (so only one car could ever park next to me), or brought out the beater vehicle (may not apply now since insurance for a year was under $400, back then). My TA was my baby, so I know all about preventing dings, but I didn't act/park like a dick to stop them from potentially happening. Pride over what people thought in who I am superseded over my petty needs and what I have (which was a 'kick-a$$ car'). I mentioned the Oldsmobile because like the TA, the doors were massive & heavy and needed three feet just to slink my then scrawny but in/out. But again, it's all about planning and dealing with what I got because that's what I wanted to have. No one should pay a price on what you've decided to have or do. Justifying selfish actions with your personal reasons is still just that. ...Justifying selfish actions! The cars I drove back then where the same type of cars in size the majority had as well and we all dealt with it. But there seems a lot more issues with parking & attitude now then ever before. We're dealing with generally the same assortment of lengths and widths on vehicles. Only just the types of vehicles and their classifications have changed.  
 
So, what happened? Oh! That's right, "the cars got bigger and the spots got smaller", excuse! ...Who bought the car? ...Who wanted all that to compensate for their insecurities? It shouldn't make you feel like a better person if you have to appear like a douchebag towards others with the stuff you have and the things you do. "La-dee-da, my vehicle is shinny and/or new. Better take two spots." Just stick your head out of that bubble of yours and look around the parking lot. There's many cars just as valuable as yours. Lot's of time and money put into some as well. Or "I can't be bothered in straightening it out" attitude. But, because no one really see you or associates you to your car, you do it knowingly that you can get away with it. And because you're still in that isolation bubble, the attitude of "I don't care so neither should you" gets that delusion of self importance reinforced. Justification or not, you're not any different so respect others, show by example and shame those who don't, just like how your mother would've done to you. Because if you act like a child, then you should be treated and spoken to as a child. If you can't back in straight or can't perceive distance, lack spacial judgement or where/how your vehicle is sitting?... PRACTICE! KNOW YOUR CAR! DON'T ACT PATHETIC!  
 
As for the spots themselves... I agree, they're shrinking. But, we're also to blame for that happening. Changing the city guidelines for commercial parking over the years and allowing building variances to be "rubber stamped" is on us. A little while ago I brought up the concerns of the proposed Holiday Inn hotel on 19th street and how the variance asked for a ten percent reduction in parking allowance. It passed. Those spots look tight even in the summer and patrons will have the same grief like everywhere else with new developments -lack of space because we allow it to happen. So that too falls into our laps as our fault for not thinking things through. What kills me is our folks from yesteryear already thought this out long before. We just ignored the obvious and allowed the developers to change the space sizes/numbers anyways, because the cars now are getting smaller from then before and we're driving less. Right??? *sarcasm* Only in the 1980's was that remotely true, but the spots now are even smaller and fewer to those specifications from then. Why? Because we don't care until it matters when we are inconvenienced during that very moment. Typical idiots that we are. Buying automobiles we can't operate properly and allowing developers to change the rules so childish fools of the public can break or ignore them. Wow. So much has changed in sixty years. Pride, respect and accountability has changed meaning for the twenty-first century in the streets and parking lots.  
 
....I hope it doesn't reflect on how we really are towards one another? But, I think we already know that answer.  
 
Just my opinion, I could be wrong.

If the truck wont fit between the lines you need more than one spot. Simple as that. Never park so close to someone else that it causes them a problem. Simple as that. The store owner wants you to park and come in and buy something. So park however you have to and go in and buy something and then leave. EVEN IF YOU NEED FOUR PARKING SPOTS. Simple as that.

don brown said "After reading through the comments, once again, I'm going to refer back to President Trump, and that is do some people get up in the morning with the objective of fighting or inconviencing others.   Who is more in the wrong, is it the person who pulls into a parking slot disregarding the parking lines, or the person who deliberty tries to inconvienence others. As mentioned above there are things that force people to maybe violate those yellow lines, thing like maybe when the driver pulled into the spot the vehicles on either side where already parked outside of those precious lines, or since we come in all sizes as people, the person could not exit the vehicle without extra space.   I know that I have obsessive compulsive disorders about certain things in my life, as do most people, but the lines is a parking lot is not one of them.   I just can't imagine going through life expecting all people living up to my expectations, and going to the effort to punish those who don't. "

Great comment snowman5. I was at Superstore this morning and didnt see any thing to get excited about. I do my best to park properly. Soon it will be snow and ice, and no yellow lines in parking lots. We can all just do our best.  
What will the miserable people find to whine about then?