Author Topic: RANT: Parallel Parkers (Read 2770 times)

si · « **on:** September 03, 2005, 08:46:21 pm »

Downtown yesterday evening, I was a witness to THREE parallel parking ~~accidents~~ err crimes.

I'm not going to suggest anything, but all were women drivers.

All hit cars parked infront/behind. There was little if any damage but I cannot believe these people park this way. Makes me very angry.

The Mighty Duck · « **Reply #1 on:** September 03, 2005, 09:18:24 pm »

I saw a case tried on "People's Court" about just that. The judge went pyshco cause the guy kept on referring to his RAMMING the other car as a "love tap". WTF are these people thinking? Yeah, it's allright to smash into other peoples' cars...

Bullet Blue · « **Reply #2 on:** September 03, 2005, 09:21:43 pm »

Quote from: robarakira on September 03, 2005, 08:46:21 pm

Downtown yesterday evening, I was a witness to THREE parallel parking ~~accidents~~ err crimes.

I'm not going to suggest anything, but all were women drivers.

All hit cars parked infront/behind. There was little if any damage but I cannot believe these people park this way. Makes me very angry.

Not suggesting anything? Sounds like you already did. Who cares what sex the drivers were. It doesn't mean anything. You are just asking for a flame war in that statement. And if it angers you so much, why did you not do something about it? Taking down the plate numbers of the accused, leaving a note for the victims saying you had witnessed the accident.

ovr50 · « **Reply #3 on:** September 03, 2005, 09:51:03 pm »

I think Bullet's suggestion of taking down plate numbers and leaving notes for the "ramees" is about all you could do. One thing you know is none of the three "ramors" could have been deaf as they were parking by ear....

mollie · « **Reply #4 on:** September 03, 2005, 10:26:19 pm »

In many places in Europe the standard method of parallel parking involves parking by touch (i.e. gently bumping the cars in front and behind you)!!

si · « **Reply #5 on:** September 04, 2005, 03:55:54 am »

Quote from: bullit_blue on September 03, 2005, 09:21:43 pm

Quote from: robarakira on September 03, 2005, 08:46:21 pm
Downtown yesterday evening, I was a witness to THREE parallel parking ~~accidents~~ err crimes.

I'm not going to suggest anything, but all were women drivers.

All hit cars parked infront/behind. There was little if any damage but I cannot believe these people park this way. Makes me very angry.

Not suggesting anything? Sounds like you already did. Who cares what sex the drivers were. It doesn't mean anything. You are just asking for a flame war in that statement. And if it angers you so much, why did you not do something about it? Taking down the plate numbers of the accused, leaving a note for the victims saying you had witnessed the accident.

I was at a restaurant well above ground level looking down at the street of parked cars and we didn't finish until much later. If I was moreso able to / if there looked like there was any significant damage I would have tried to do something immediately.

Wetson · « **Reply #6 on:** September 04, 2005, 09:04:36 am »

I park one of my cars on the street since my driveway is off the back laneway and only holds one car. (Downtown Toronto has a lot of back yard parking). Once I looked out my front window just in time to see my neighbour across the street back into my car with quite a bit of force. This wasn't the first time I've seen her do this to other cars. I was livid since my car was only 3 weeks old at the time. She hit it with enough force to loosen the front license plate holder (Poor design on Honda's part as well but that's not the point). She would have known that she did this because it was quite a 'bump'. I emailed her husband later that day letting him know what had occured. They apoligized profusely and offered to pay for any damage. For the sake of good neighbourly relations I didn't pursue it and asked politely that they be more aware of the cars around them when parking or pulling out. Now when I park behind them I leave at least 4-5 feet between the bumper of my car and theirs. We have a good relationship and he actually told me last week that they are always paranoid about parking near my car now. Another time a guy in a CRV backed into my car and the spare tire on his back door scratched the bumper. He's lucky that I am planning on getting my bumper repainted because of the incident with a cyclist scraping the pedal of his bike against the passenger side front bumper. (My streets a one way and there is only parking on the left side of the street. From the looks of things the cyclist was going the opposite direction down the street and hit the car with the pedal of their bike gashing a 4 inch line.)

My recommendations..... when you buy a house and have two cars.... make sure that the house has double car parking!

tpl · « **Reply #7 on:** September 04, 2005, 09:39:09 am »

I sympathize Wet Son. My street is the same but right had side parking..... I only have one car and always put it safe in the back even if only for 10 minutes. Cyclists on one ways streets grrrr. I saw two of Toronto's finiest on bikes yesterday on the damn sidewalk riding. had i been close I would have stopped and asked why they were setting a bad example... but back to my street fortunately(?) we still have some rooming houses with no cars which makes for a spare space or two

Wetson · « **Reply #8 on:** September 04, 2005, 10:01:04 am »

Tpl... you must be in Riverdale or The Beaches.

I'm in Riverdale and man oh man... there are still some riff raff that are gradually being squeezed out (thank God). I just don't understand why the city over sells parking permits. I'm very fortunate that I leave the office at 430 and am home by around 445. If it were an hour later I'd end up parking way down the street or not finding a spot at all.

tpl · « **Reply #9 on:** September 04, 2005, 10:03:48 am »

Cabbagetown ( the cheaper end, not the snazzy bit by the park)

The Mighty Duck · « **Reply #10 on:** September 04, 2005, 09:41:23 pm »

Quote

I park one of my cars on the street since my driveway is off the back laneway and only holds one car.

And I thought I was unfortunate parking under a tree! I'm always a bit nervous when I leave my car on the road; it's plenty wide, but we're on a curve and people come flying around it at night cometimes. Blind curve + night + black car...

beagle · « **Reply #11 on:** September 04, 2005, 11:03:16 pm »

Quote from: mollie on September 03, 2005, 10:26:19 pm

In many places in Europe the standard method of parallel parking involves parking by touch (i.e. gently bumping the cars in front and behind you)!!

Not quite correct. It is the standard method for the whole world except North America (Montreal not included), that is why cars have bumpers!!

wing · « **Reply #12 on:** September 04, 2005, 11:10:39 pm »

That's silly IMO, it costs LOTS and LOTS of money to get a bumper fixed / painted. About $1000

And SUVs/ Trucks would do HORRIBLE damage, as their bumper would be lined up with my headlights or possibly the center of my hood.

The Mighty Duck · « **Reply #13 on:** September 04, 2005, 11:39:02 pm »

I paid $800 to have my tie bar/core support straightened and hood and bumper cover painted... probably more like $20000 for just the bumper cover painted (out here anyway).

If the "standard method" of parking was hitting other cars, we wouldn't have painted/chrome bumpers... that's just common sense. Hitting someone else's car is never acceptable.*

* - exception: demolition durby

goray · « **Reply #14 on:** September 05, 2005, 01:53:10 am »

shouldn't below 5km/h is safe?
accord to the stupid canadian transport 5km/h law, any thing hit under 5km/h should result no damage.

you think that's bad?
people also ram shopping carts into your car side.

si · « **Reply #15 on:** September 05, 2005, 02:42:48 am »

Quote from: goray on September 05, 2005, 01:53:10 am

shouldn't below 5km/h is safe?
accord to the stupid canadian transport 5km/h law, any thing hit under 5km/h should result no damage.

you think that's bad?
people also ram shopping carts into your car side.

^^^ That's the most rediculous comment here. All collisions cause damage. If no dents are there, scuff marks or chips or scratches or blemishes are. And as for people ramming S H I T into my car if I witnessed it I would probably make my "club" useful.

ovr50 · « **Reply #16 on:** September 05, 2005, 11:19:54 am »

Yes, Goray, the majority on here would think that's BAD and if you don't know why, you don't understand ppl that enjoy cars...Geez...

tenpenny · « **Reply #17 on:** September 05, 2005, 11:48:43 am »

Quote from: goray on September 05, 2005, 01:53:10 am

shouldn't below 5km/h is safe?
accord to the stupid canadian transport 5km/h law, any thing hit under 5km/h should result no damage.

you think that's bad?
people also ram shopping carts into your car side.

By the same token, it should be okay to punch you in the face, since black eyes go away after a while, right?

Craig · « **Reply #18 on:** September 05, 2005, 11:56:02 am »

Quote from: goray on September 05, 2005, 01:53:10 am

shouldn't below 5km/h is safe?
accord to the stupid canadian transport 5km/h law, any thing hit under 5km/h should result no damage.

you think that's bad?
people also ram shopping carts into your car side.

A couple of days ago, some guy posts that shifting without using the clutch can "impress some people", and now this.

The forum software is more intelligent, but the forum posts are getting dumber. I had no idea it was an inverse relationship.

tpl · « **Reply #19 on:** September 05, 2005, 12:20:17 pm »

Goray.... not so fast....the bumper is sacrificial to protect lights, radiator,,suspension etc. The bumper has to protect those things not itself at very slow speeds <= 8km/h

BUT you cannot do that by making the bumper out of a piece of railroad track either (sadly) because

the bumper has to do its bit to collapse at just the right rate in a faster collison to ease the loads on the rest of the vehicle so that the combination of: passenger compartment shell, door latches, A pillars, seats, seat mounts, safety belts, airbags, hood latches, engine mounts can keep you alive at 60km/h or hopefully quite a bit more.

I guess that back bumper in conjunction with the spare wheel where there is one has to protect tha back lights and suspension pickup points AND importantly, the gas tank integrity! Of course that has to collapse at a controlled rate as well unliess you want a broken neck.