Tuesday 16 March 2010: Can anyone...
.... who drives one of these cars actually park them properly? Now I know the standard of parking in Edinburgh is pretty poor, but the incidences of Discos or X5s or XC90s or Warriors or Navaras doing it just seem disproportionately large. Kind of like the vehicles themselves.
And it wasn't just manoeuvring into place. It was like that when I left the office building for a lunchtime wander, and it was like that when I got back half an hour later. I feel almost old-fashioned in comparison opening the door and checking I'm in line before I turn the engine off.
But hey, why would you want to give a damn about anyone else? Maybe they would if you had to by two tickets for encroaching on two spaces. If the car is too big for you to drive properly or to park properly or for you to really understand where the ends of it are in order to drive safely GET SOMETHING SMALLER! Oh. But then you wouldn't look quite so important would you?
I guess at least this one has the sense to look a bit dirty, hinting (despite the road tyres) at having been off-road. Sadly there aren't mud spatters, that's just a collection of stoor from being too lazy to wash it. But then the people you're trying to impress aren't really going to be able to tell the difference...
"Did you see Nigel's car? He appears to have mud on it."
"Really, I wonder how? Perhaps there has been a diversion put in place through a field between his house and the school for dropping off little Angus and Alicia?"
"Maybe. It is over half a mile he has to drive them in the mornings of course."
Just another example of the general malaise of our society not giving a damn about having a detrimental effect on others. I know it's just a poorly parked car. And I know a small car has managed to fit beside it. But it's a hassle factor that can be eliminated with about 10 seconds thought and action. For more examples see the words of Saturday's blip.
More than once here I've turned to the wisdom of Bill and Ted. It's simple. Be excellent to each other.
Comments
Duuuuuude! guitar riff:-)
If not for people with this sort of "wisdom" what would those of us (pointer outer's) have to point out and rant about?
hmmm's and nod"s.;-)
Can they get a ticket for this sort of thing?
I'm so happy you write and rant the way you do.
Makes me feel like I'm not the only one.
~ tantemoe
Hum, interesting. I own an almost identical vehicle and meet with these feelings towards them regularly. We do use ours off road every day as a work necessity and tow with it a great deal too so get a bit annoyed by every one assuming it is a Chelsea tractor!
But I can totally understand why they do.
Unfortunately most people who drive them do so for aesthetic rather than practical reason, cant park them and do give us all a bad name!
The traction control on the new discovery's means that the tyres they come with normally suffice unless you are doing very serious off roading. The first thing my husband normally dose when we get a new 4x4 is changes the tyres be he has kept the standard one on our latest Discovery and its in and out to the fields and up the track no problem (so far!)
P.S I see lots of very badly parked small cars too! ;-)
~ plum
It appears as though this is a worldwide problem. People here in Texas can park no better. However, that vehicle is small by comparison. Here in Texas, being, of course, Texans, people insist on driving the largest thing deemed street-legal. Try to park next to a Hummer or a Ford Excursion, neither of which fit properly within a standard parking space. The driver of your featured vehicle is simply an arse and has no better sense.
~ MesYeux
And....breathe :)
Absolutely agree, mind; I've had to use similar vehicles for work, off road, but there's simply no need for them in town. None!
~ DaveH
Ask and you shall be given: I ask for a rant, and here it is.
Selfish parking is, well, selfish. I drive a big saloon car (old as the hills, but big) and I'm rubbish at parking. I wouldn't dream of leaving my car like this - I'd expect a ticket if not a key scratch down the side. In Edinburgh I can't believe it hasn't got a ticket already.
~ SooB
Calm down dear !
~ andyc2010
This is one of my REAL annoyances. I know I drive a small car but even when I drove my Explorer, I still knew not to park like a tosser. My mum and I were actually coming out shops the other day and pointed and laughed at some idiot who had parked diagonally across two spaces. They walked back just as we were actually standing in front of it weeing ourselves with laughter which just made us laugh harder. The woman gave us a filthy look but I actually just walked away saying 'what bloody fools'. I honestly hope she heard me.
~ sweetpotatosky
It would take 1/2 minute to reverse and straighten up. Don't want to generalise but sometimes its just lazyness.
~ gblrps
I know how easy it is to head off on one of those rants, although I've been trying to ween myself off them. An older version of me was firmly of the opinion that to drive a car like this one needed at the very least an empathy bypass. Of course, as we can see from Plum not everyone is like that.
~ stewartbremner
I love your rant. These beasts should not be allowed to clutter up town, particularly when they take up two expensive spaces. I say two parking tickets.
~ magpie
