Got called a racist today...

[Athenapallas]

Last edited Fri Oct 12, 2018, 10:44 PM - Edit history (1)

Let me start with a little back ground. I always had pet peeves with people who wait for someone to pull out of a parking space to pull into that space. I feel it is rude and you are holding up the traffic behind you. Now I will admit (perhaps hypocritical) If I am going down an Aisle and someone begins to pull out I will let them go and pull in. What really pisses me off are the people that are blocking the lane waiting while people are still putting stuff into the car. about 10 years ago during the holidays a friend of mine had been shopping in a mall and was going to her car. she was followed by a car looking for a space a car come up the aisle spotted her as well. She had bags and wasn't going to rush for either car and put the bags in the trunk and ignore the beeping horn. Slid into the drivers seat and decided to take a call coming in from her cell phone. Long story short she was rammed from behind by the 2 cars that crashed into each other and into her back end sending her car forward into a park car. She became paralyze.

So Walmart or the people that own the shopping center are getting the parking lot repaved and instead of paying the crew extra to do it at night they are doing it during the day when Walmart has the most traffic. half the aisles are blocked off and everyone is trying to get the spots closet to Walmart. And before I go forward this complex has other stores than Walmart but it is the section in front of Walmart getting paved. So I am trying to turn down an aisle trying to get to a different section but this woman in a SUV is at an angle blocking the majority opening of this aisle waiting for a person to unload his bag into the car so she could get the parking space. She is blocking the aisle so badly the person trying to get up the aisle had to go around her and up the down side of the aisle to get out. I am beeping at the horn trying to get the white SUV to move not realizing what she was waiting for. I then see and pull beside her. She thinks I am beeping at the person trying to get out and she's like "I'd report him to the cops if I were you." I tell her. She is the issue. She is blocking traffic. And she is getting offended I am saying this saying "I'm not doing anything wrong. I am waiting for the parking space. I tell her that NO, it is people like her doing bullshit stuff like this that cause accidents. She starts laughing at me like I am insane and says I'm just racists against her because I want the spot.

I rolled my eyes and I continued to go down the aisle LUCKY I am able to get passed down the aisle because her SUV is parked the way it was.

BUT because she is a minority I am the racist because I am calling her out on a bullshit stunt I yell at my own white sister for doing.

Fine! Point has been made I am a racist who shouldn't be driving.

[cwydro]

1. I like walking and park WAY off from any store.

Always a place to park and the car is easy to spot.

Give it a try.

[Athenapallas]

2. problem was I wasn't trying park near walmart I was trying to go down the aisle to get to another

part of the plaza

[dubyadiprecession]

109. That woman can't harm you by calling you a "racist".

It is the feeling that you attach to that label. Many of us have situations just like yours, where we automatically feel hurt because of the guilt of being part of an oppressive race.

Just remember, racism isn't exclusive to just white people, all people share this defilement. You live long enough, you'll see it all. This woman probably thought, she could get under your skin by saying that. Deep down, only you know what kind of person you are.

[mtnsnake]

9. Same here. I like walking, too. Plus it saves your car from getting all dinged up

when you park at the end of the lot. I never park in those rare open spots at the front of the lot because you're more likely to get dinged from the car doors opening next to you. I also don't like parking next to a 2 door car because the doors on those cars are extra long and can smack into the side of your car way more easily than a door from a 4 door car.

[WeekiWater]

44. Always. NT

[yurbud]

115. me too--and it's usually faster than circling looking for a close spot

or waiting for someone to pull out

[Shell_Seas]

3. Also a pet peeve of mine...

Seriously, it would be quicker for them to just park 4 spaces down than it would be to wait 5 minutes for people to pull out. People are both lazy and selfish though. What can you do?

[Ms. Toad]

35. Umm....no, or at least not always.

The place I routinely wait in the aisle for someone to come out is at work. It not only would delay me at least 15 minutes to go to the next closest parking space, because there are no parking spots 4 spaces down (or even in the same lot) - but I also leave work between midnight and 4 AM. At that time, the shortcut through the building I could take if I left earlier is blocked off, so I have to walk between 1/8 and 1/4 mile to the distant lot at hours when I would prefer to walk only a few hundred feet.

[tazkcmo]

73. Mobility issues

Some people have mobility issues but not technically handicap and therefore unable to park in a handicap spot.

I think if that's the worst thing that happens to you, waiting in traffic parking lot or otherwise, you're having a pretty good day.

[Shell_Seas]

160. Not even 75% of people that do this have a mobility issues....

To clarify. Waiting for a parking spot is not a pet peeve. Laziness is a pet peeve.

[Croney]

4. I'll follow a person with keys in their hand and wait for their spot.

I would never sit in my car on my cell phone knowing that someone was waiting for my spot, that's just rude.

Parking far away and walking really is the best idea. You get exercise and nobody hassles you.

[spooky3]

104. I'm with you about the phone. However, with heavy packages and/or

Arthritis, parking far away is not always the best option.

[petronius]

124. I like to walk through parking lots jingling my keys - it's just like fishing!

[WhiskeyGrinder]

5. Okay?

[Athenapallas]

7. I am now. took me a while to cool down.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

10. It was a response, not a question.

[Athenapallas]

13. oh sorry.

[skypilot]

6. people who wait...

...for someone to pull out of a parking space to pull into that space.

I don't drive but don't most drivers do this? From what I understand finding a parking spot is one of the biggest hassles of driving.

[Athenapallas]

11. I don't. She also was blocking traffic and causing a traffic fam.

[skypilot]

42. Although, as I said, I don't drive...

...I live in the city and have seen people doing this all the time. The only ones who seem bothered by it are the drivers who are too far back to see that someone is waiting for a spot. The people directly behind the driver waiting for the spot are usually pretty understanding because, I would imagine, they know what it's like to drive around trying to find a parking spot. I've been the passenger in vehicles where the driver had to drive around for ten minutes or so trying to find a parking spot only to finally come across someone who is apparently about to pull out of one. It's only natural that they would wait and the person who is about to pull out doesn't usually thumb their nose and take their time getting out of the spot.

[Athenapallas]

46. I don't tolerate it. I don't do it. I don't find it natural!

[skypilot]

53. OK, I hope you don't drive or park in the city.

*

[Athenapallas]

55. maybe I don't drive in "BIG CITIES" but the cities I drive in I never seen traffic held up because

someone is parking.

[skypilot]

57. With a little patience and consideration...

...from all involved the traffic shouldn't be "held up" for long. If someone is pulling out of a parking spot then they are pulling out of the parking spot. Unless they are really bad at it there is no reason for traffic to be held up for any significant length of time.

[mahina]

72. Is anything natural about driving a car?

I find whenever I'm aggravated at another person, I consider how I'd feel if the shoe was on the other foot. It's a good way to consider right and wrong scaled up, too.

It's very common behavior though, especially when people can pull over to one side or the other of the aisle.

[Ms. Toad]

38. If lots are crowded, and finding another spot will be challenging -

yes.

If there are plenty of empty spots nearby, it is rude. If not - the OP is being overly critical - and likely has no idea whether there are health reasons the person he's yelling at needs a close-in spot or not.

Not all people with physical challenges have (or are eligible for) handicap tags.

[skypilot]

49. Yes, if there are spots nearby it's rude.

I was responding to what the OP said right at the outset in the post. There are lots of times when waiting for someone to pull out of a spot is the only option at the time.

[spooky3]

105. And people behind can decide not to wait. They can pass,

Or back up and go down another aisle.

[RobinA]

80. Some Do, Some Don't

I’m with the OP in that it’s a peeve of mine. I don’t do it unless there are actually no spots. On the other hand, I don’t slow down when someone is waiting, nor do I speed up unless, again, there are no spots.

[skypilot]

82. It might be a peeve of yours but...

...unless you do some kind of on the spot reconnaissance of the lot how would you know one way or another if there are no other spots? I would be inclined to give the person who is waiting the benefit of the doubt and assume that they have failed to find parking elsewhere. It's not that big of leap to assume that. Otherwise, both you and the OP are just being "peevish".

[mucifer]

102. yup parts of Chicago are absolutely brutal especially if you want to avoid paying a meter

when it is $4 per hour (I am not kidding much of Chicago is $4 hour) so when you see someone leaving a spot that doesn't have a meter you wait.

[USALiberal]

8. IMO you just need to lighten up. If that is your worst problems be thankful. nt

[whathehell]

15. IMO, she doesn't need to "lighten up"

not does she need people telling her that.

[USALiberal]

18. LOL, then we disagree. Understand that?? Pretty simple. nt

[whathehell]

25. Lol, yeah, just like you do with the OP..Understand that?? That's simple too. n/t

[USALiberal]

26. I know no one who I admire that would act like that. Very simple. nt

[whathehell]

40. Okay, but that's you -- The OP had a different experience..Very simple as well.

[Croney]

28. I totally assumed the OP was a man.

(The user name just didn't click in my head until I saw your pronoun.) I was thinking, "lighten up, man!" when I read the post. So I don't think it's a sexist response; it seems appropriate for all.

[whathehell]

47. I assumed the OP was a woman, but I don't see how it would matter either way

as it doesn't seem gender related.

[Croney]

61. I thought you were telling USALiberal not to tell a woman

to lighten up, and I was saying that it's an appropriate response in this case. As a woman, I certainly don't want to be told to sit down shut up lighten up! 😬

[demmiblue]

29. Yes he does.

Getting worked up over trivial matters is bad for one's health.

[whathehell]

34. Your concern is duly noted..

but his health is his business. People complain here all the time.

[demmiblue]

45. Your concern is duly noted, as well.

[whathehell]

52. Lol...I don't have any "concerns"

beyond defending a person's right to defend themselves against
bs allegations.

[demmiblue]

64. Your concern about not having any "concerns" is duly noted.

[whathehell]

65. Glad to hear it..

[demmiblue]

67. I know, right?!

[brush]

41. Yep, when lots are crowded it's not unusual to wait for someone to pull out.

Happens all the time.

Someone needs to chill.

[demmiblue]

12. Seems you need to relax a bit. I mean, seriously, who reacts this way?!

This too, also: cool story, bro.

[MissB]

14. What you said

x1000

[Squinch]

16. This. Another "reverse racism" story. Eye roll

[whathehell]

23. Excuse me but the poster is not saying that..

But calling someone a "racist" for complaining about everyday rudeness is BS and makes a mockery out of real racism.

[marble falls]

145. That's certainly what I think.

[USALiberal]

19. I 100% agree, first world problems. nt

[Athenapallas]

36. Because My friend is now paralyze is due to bull shit actions like

waiting for a parking space

[Ms. Toad]

43. Your friend was paralyzed because of a head-on collision between two cars.

They could just as easily have been both driving down the lane and hit each other - nothing in your story, as you have told it anyway, is connected to sitting and waiiting for a parking spot.

(And if they wre ramming into each other intentionally - your behavior, as you've described it, comes a lot closer to that kind of road rage than does someone patiently waiting for a space to open up. I.e. it's the anger, not the waiting, that's the problem.)

[Ms. Toad]

136. From what I can piece together

it was a perfect storm.

The friend was leaning down to the floor of the car in a way that even a minor bump against the dashboard was enough to do spinal cord damage.

But, yeah, that was my very first thought.

[Codeine]

77. "Paralyzed"

Sorry, you’ve done it twice now and that sort of thing grates on me. It’s not natural.

[cwydro]

119. Curious, eh?

Found that odd myself.

[Turin_C3PO]

17. I wouldn't say

racist. I would say, maybe you need to chill out a bit and calm down. Not saying you can’t vent here, just saying sometimes it’s good to let things like that go.

[USALiberal]

21. +1000! nt

[Trust Buster]

20. I have a problem with people wasting gas jockeying for a close spot because they cannot walk a

Short distance more.

[CaptainTruth]

22. Drivers in parking lots annoy me when they're in the middle of the lane...

... like no one else is there, no one could possibly want to drive down the same isle. One store I go to frequently to buy materials for work has a stop sign at the exit & people stop 3-4 feet over toward the center so if I turned in in my work van (without hitting them) my rear tire would go up over the curb. I have to sit & wait for them to move.

[MineralMan]

24. What on Earth does the race of the person have to do with this?

Why even mention it? Think, please...

[USALiberal]

27. Great question! nt

[MineralMan]

30. Logical question.

I hate parking lots. I park far from stores. But race has nothing to do with who does idiotic things in parking lots. It's not a factor. I simply avoid the problem by parking away from the crowded area.

[USALiberal]

39. Me too, also helps with the 10,000 steps a day. nt

[Athenapallas]

31. Because the person who was blocking traffic called ME racist because I told her she was in the wrong

blocking traffic. The woman was a minority and I happen to be white BUT it seems I'm completely wrong for getting upset because people blocking other drivers is completely okay to get a parking spot that is still occupied.

[MineralMan]

33. Race is irrelevant. Old white men do

the exact same thing. Race has zero to do with that. But you brought it up.

Park farther away and avoid the problem. Don't come here and make it some sort of racial issue. It's not.

[Athenapallas]

37. NO I WAS CALLED A RACIST

[womanofthehills]

122. I think you need to mellow - save getting upset for the big stuff

Why did you even write this post on DU. Sounds suspicious to me. Also, if I was waiting for someone's space and they knew I was waiting and then they decided to talk on the phone instead of moving along, I might think they were being passive aggressive.

[whathehell]

59. That was the OP's question..

he/she didn't appreciate a b.s. allegation of "racism" over a parking dispute and I think the OP is justified in that.

[MineralMan]

99. We got just one side of this story.

Did our OP start yelling at the driver of the other car? What was said? We don't know that. My point is that the race of the person waiting for that space is irrelevant. Entirely irrelevant. All sorts of people stop and wait if they see backup lights when they're looking for a space. Probably the OP has done it, too.

On a scale of 1-10, waiting a minute for the car ahead of you to take the space is about a 2. Annoying, perhaps, but no reason for getting exercised enough to post about it at length on DU. Parking lots suck, in general. It's a minor issue, not one that should generate this much angst or anger.

[tonedevil]

107. Do all the people...

who block a lane waiting for a car to pull out of a parking space call the person they are blocking racist? How are you so thick that escapes you as a reason to mention race in this story? I have some understanding of why the waiting driver called the OP racist, but waiting for a parking space isn't the point of the story being called a racist is.

[oberliner]

88. Did you read the post?

The person is saying they were called a racist unjustly.

[MineralMan]

98. Of course I did. My point is that the race of the "offending"

driver is irrelevant. Why did that person call the OP a racist? I have no idea. We're hearing just one side of this story.

On the other hand, here's a line from the OP's post:

"I tell her that NO, it is people like her doing bullshit stuff like this that cause accidents."

People often wait for a car to back out in parking lots, so they can take that space. it's a little annoying, to be sure. On the other hand, most people looking for a parking spot will see backup lights come on and decide to wait for that spot. That's human nature. Everyone does it, not just people of color, so the information about the race of the driver is irrelevant.

At most, traffic will be delayed not more than a minute or maybe two. Then, one can proceed on the quest for a space near the store or turn and pick another aisle. Tolerating a little frustration can be easier when you realize that you've probably done the very same thing if you're looking for a space and see someone about to back out.

Or, you can do what I do. I park farther down the row, where there are plenty of spaces. I'm looking for a space where I can pull through so I don't have to back out. I might have to walk an additional 100' to the store, but it's all worth it to avoid the crush near the store. If I do get caught in a delay over something like this, I might feel slightly annoyed, but will simply wait until I can continue.

I'm not in that much of a hurry. If I were, I'd park way back and walk quickly.

[oberliner]

108. Understood

It just seemed that the point of the post was the poster describing what they thought was an unfair charge of racism - that was why I think they included the race of the other person involved. The story would have made no sense otherwise.

[MineralMan]

110. Well, honking at and yelling at a black person in a car

in a parking lot is going to get a reaction. Saying "It's people like you" is very likely to trigger the response that was heard.

Bottom line is that people of all races, ages, and genders DO wait for parking spaces when they see someone about to leave a space. That happens constantly, which is why I stay away from the store end of parking lots. I park farther out, to avoid being delayed by that sort of thing and by people backing out.

If you yell at a black person or honk at a black person and you're white, some of the people you yell or honk at are going to think their race is involved, especially of you say "people like you."

The whole situation was easily avoided. Our OP got frustrated and honked and yelled. That sort of thing never does any good in such situations, which are best just avoided.

As someone else pointed out in this thread, typing that long OP no doubt took longer than the wait in the parking lot row. It's just not that big a deal. Losing your cool over commonplace annoyances makes no sense at all.

[oberliner]

141. Honking at a white person will also get a reaction

But probably not one involving accusations of racism.

[marble falls]

147. Seriously? A white person won't get called racist by a carload of whites? Your point? Carloads ...

of whites aren't ever made up of racists?

[oberliner]

154. The point is that the OP is talking about being accused of racism

When their behavior was not racist.

[JonLP24]

155. The other person doesn't know the background of his friend being paralyze

When he shouted it is people like you that cause accidents when all she was doing was a fairly common occurrence waiting for a car to pull out to pull in. (Happens all the time in parking garages when 3 floors are full of cars).

The behavior may not be racist but the person at the other end of all this doesn't know all this background the OP shared with us and even then in the context I can see (and others) why it happened.

[marble falls]

156. And positing that a car full of white pipo will not call a white pedestian a racist proves what???

So what if a PoC calls someone like me a racist mistakenly? So what?

[marble falls]

146. Seem to be a major concern for you. What was the damage done by that?

[safeinOhio]

32. I was called that once.

Pulled out my NAACP membership card and said were is yours.

[JCMach1]

48. She wasn't in the wrong, your impatience was...

[Athenapallas]

51. My impatience?

It's okay to block and hold up traffic?

[whathehell]

60. Calling he or she a "racist" over an everyday parking dispute IS wrong

It's bs and trivializes real racism.

[JCMach1]

135. Cultivate some parking lot zen... sorry, but true

people say and do stupid stuff when they feel pressed

[whathehell]

142. Cultivate some even- handedness..

People say and do stupid stuff when it's lacking.

[marble falls]

148. Being called a 'racist' incorrectly means what? Where is the harm? Are you really saying the ...

other driver was trivializing racism? You really, really think a PoC calling a white person a racist trivializes racism?

How are whites victim of racism in this little story?

[WeekiWater]

50. Might have been more of a white people problem thing.

Waiting and blocking is a common occupancies. I think most people work through that one pretty early in life. Those who don’t find themselves in meaningless arguments with people they don’t know.

[SWBTATTReg]

54. I don't shop at Walmart. These people will shove you out of the way for samples being ...

given out. You think that people were starving all over the country the way they act. Walmart especially. These people seem to think that Walmart is the mecca of the world, that it has the best deals of anywhere.

It's a rat trap.

[Athenapallas]

56. unfortunatly this walmart is in a complex of various other stores so

you have to deal with the "Mecca" to get to the other stores.

[Bucky]

58. I'm sure that was frustrating. But at least there was no power behind the accusation

If you go through life counting your blessings every morning and always reminding yourself of Hanlon's Razor after every argument, life gets less frustrating.

I hope you have a better weekend

[Athenapallas]

62. thanks. It just really hurt me being called a racist.

I know people are called a lot worse and hurt way more it just something I got thrown floor. I am almost always wearing my safety pin.

I was taught holding up traffic was wrong and rude. now I am being told I am completely wrong.

Maybe this isn't a place for me.

Take care.

[RandiFan1290]

66. lol

[cwydro]

96. Always "wearing your safety Pin" lol.

This is a joke, right?

[Squinch]

106. Remember diabeticman? And door buzzards? For some

reason that jumped into my mind.

[cwydro]

116. Oh hell yes lol!

This thread has potential, but man, I miss him!

[likesmountains 52]

127. I thought the same thing.

[cwydro]

128. I miss Pinboy. He'd be all over this.

Somewhere he’s rolling on the floor laughing himself silly.

[jberryhill]

151. I don't drive anywhere without my safety pin

You never know when it might be worth something.

[Codeine]

120. Your English is slipping. nt

[cwydro]

123. Yes indeed. nt

[Celerity]

63. I truly do not understand your story about your friend.

How can two cars, waiting perpendicularly on either side of her car (in the driving lane, so they are facing each other, not her car) ram her from behind with such force that it drives her car (that is parked, not moving) straight ahead with such force into another parked car that it cause permament paralysis from impact?


C and D would be the front of the two waiting cars, facing each other, and the line from A to B would be your friend's parked car.




Am I missing something, as this seems to defy physical geometry and speed generated from method of impact?

[Athenapallas]

69. Okay let me give you more details

My friend is in her parking space. In front of her is another park car. there are no barriers between the two cars. Car C and D where a lot closer to her car B and angled so they could turn into her spot giving her the littlest amount of room to get out. They wanted to make sure my friend could only get out is the other one gave up the space and let her out. It was also DECEMBER black ice was forming. She didn't see what happen the next thing she was aware was being in the ambulance. D was also blocking others from pulling out. However the person backing out behind D didn't see how close he was to D hit him which made it look like D was edging closer. C didn't want to be edge out and edge forward crashing into each other. Because of the angle they hit my friend from behind and push her car into car A. It wasn't a massive crash but because she had been in a bent over to each her purse on the floor of the passenger side she hit the dashboard at an angle that she hit her neck. Her left side is effected.

If C and D had not been there the other car would not have hit D causing the chain.

As far as I was always taught. When someone is in a parking space it is there's until they leave the parking space. If they are parked for 5 minutes more the parking space is in use.

This is what happened to my friend. THIS IS THE TRUTH you don't have to believe me I know the truth and I know when I see people waiting for parking spaces it pisses me off to no end because I think of my friend and I get angry that we are so lazy we can't walk 10 more steps.

I am very fat and I will walk from a further parking space to get to a building.

I was not trying to get a parking space today I was trying to drive to another point. I was always taught not to block traffic. I was always taught sitting and waiting for someone to pull out was rude and wrong behavior. but clearly I AM IN THE WRONG!

[Celerity]

70. I think you should just have waited and let the car who found the space park in it

Cars blocking a lane in a parking lot happens millions of times a day.

If it IS taking too long, then it is on the parked car to sort it with the car waiting for them to leave.

As for the PoC calling you a racist, who cares! I say this as a PoC btw. If you are not a racist, then utterly ignore them. If they falsely ramp it up to point of rage, then they are the one in the wrong. Many people are unhinged, just avoid the escalations.

[skypilot]

74. As a black man myself...

...I can't help but wonder how the words "people like you" spoken by an angry white person must have resonated to a PoC who didn't think she was doing anything wrong. Especially in todays climate.

[Celerity]

75. that is indeed a loaded phrase in the wrong context and in a Trumpian world

[HipChick]

76. "people like you"

"You People" or any variation of such might be considered racist..

[tonedevil]

79. I'm not sure how this sounds...

I hope OK. I want to thank you for pointing out the phrase "people like you". At least to some extent because I am a white man I did not catch that in reading the OP. People like you is a really broad category that could be grouping people by any criteria if there is no other context to define the criteria. In this case there is ample context and missing it was my blindness.
When it comes to the camping out for a parking space I am for strict time limits, but that is truly incidental to the concern in this OP. While there is no guarantee that omitting the phrase would have avoided a charge of racism it certainly would have been more respectful.

[skypilot]

81. It sounds fine.

Unfortunately, the context in this situation was, in my opinion, someone overreacting to a fairly common occurrence. It is easy for me to see how the recipient of the OPs ire could perceive it as a case of Waiting For Parking While Black.

[tulipsandroses]

83. Those were my thoughts as well

In a heated situation like that- that is not going to be received well.

[brush]

129. Exactly. And it shouldn't be a heated situation at all. Waiting for someone...

to pull out of a parking space happens all the time and I'm sure the poster has done the same him/herself many times.

Honking and yelling out "people like you" is what heated up the situation.

I love what an above commentor posted— a case of "parking while black".

[mnhtnbb]

93. You want to know what ticks me off in parking lots?

Drivers who don't look behind them when backing out. Pedestrians who assume cars backing out can see them and walk right behind a car backing out. But my favorite is the driver who roars down the aisle and won't stop for a car backing out.

I hate parking lots. It seems to be a microcosm of a world where nobody cares about the other guy. It's all get out of my way. I'm special and here I come.

[USALiberal]

97. I have never had one stressful moment in a parking lot. nt

[mnhtnbb]

100. Did you forget the sarcasm thingie?

Or do you live out in the boonies where it's a crowd if there are 5 cars in the parking lot?

[USALiberal]

101. It must be that I only stress for real problems. nt

[mnhtnbb]

103. Must be nice

to not care whether you hit someone or get hit in the parking lot. Been there, and seen it many, many times.

[violetpastille]

117. Parking Lots are Extremely Dangerous for Women

Actually getting a spot is the least of it.

WALMART parking lots. Don't let me commence...

[cwydro]

118. I don't stress in parking lots either.

I park as far away from other cars as possible. I enjoy walking.

[mnhtnbb]

138. Enjoy your joints. I'm having my third joint replacement a week from Monday.

And no, I've never had a handicapped parking permit. The year or so before each joint replacement I just put up with the discomfort of walking a little bit farther.

[cwydro]

140. My right knee is wired together.

Both shoulders have more bolts than I care to mention.

Parking lots don’t bother me.

Lol, I wish I had some “joints”!

[brush]

132. What gets me is when you take the effort to park several spaces away...

from other cars and someone roars up and pulls right next to you.

I have a thing about not parking between cars if I can to avoid getting my door dinged by careless people opening their car doors so I park away from other cars or at least park on the end of a row so I can only get dinged on one side.

Well, the guy that roared up and pulled next to me in a relatively empty lot, gets out and damn if he did hit my car with his door. I was pissed and got out and told him, "WTH, all these empty spaces and you part there and hit my door?"

He said he liked the car and just wanted to see what model it was. I was still upset but at least he didn't dent my door.

That's my pet peeve about parking lots.

[Texasgal]

68. Wow... this sounds like a real problem.

[MountCleaners]

137. It's exactly the reason why it helps to be nice to people who do stuff you find rude

Like people who cut in line at the checkout...it's not worth it to get angry over it. I accidentally cut in line a few times, and it was a total accident, I didn't see the other person. I am blind in one eye.

I always give the other person the benefit of the doubt. Maybe she had a bad day with some rudeness for white people. If you're white, you don't see the rudeness and disrespect given by whites like black people do. So maybe to her, this was just another example of a white person being aggressive. And the "you people" thing didn't help.

I'm not religious but one thing I took away from religions such as Buddhism and Christianity is patience, and kindness and don't be confrontational.

Being called a racist by one person shouldn't bother you unless your conscience is troubling you. It's just one incident in one day by one person. White people tell me stories like this all of the time, and I'm like, "this is one person, not an entire race." Chalk it up to a bad day for that person and let it go.

[mahina]

71. Welcome to DU.

[LexVegas]

78. White people problems. nt

[Jersey Devil]

84. Whoa, Nelly!

If this is the kind of thing that gets you riled up you better chill out or you are going to get yourself sick.

[LuckyCharms]

85. You stated that another person went around her.

Why didn't you?

Was she actually blocking both lanes of traffic? If not, why not just wait until it is clear and drive around like the other person did? That's what I do.

What am I missing?

[montana_hazeleyes]

86. If the parking lot is full, and driving round and

round to find a space, far or near, if someone is ready to leave and I'm there behind them ,you damn straight I'm going to wait the small amount of time it SHOULD take them to back out.

The person should be very aware that parking is at a minimum and back out as quickly and safely as possible. I'd be mad at the person in the spot farting around or taking a phone call while everyone is waiting.

I wonder what diabetic man would have to say about all this.

[LibDemAlways]

87. One day I was about to give up my space close to

Last edited Sun Oct 14, 2018, 09:57 AM - Edit history (1)

a mall entrance at the height of the Christmas shopping season. Before I could back my car out, two cars approached from opposite directions and both drivers were so determined to get my space that they blocked me in, got out of their cars, and started arguing about whose space it was. I was not in a hurry, so after a couple of minutes of this, I got out of my car, announced that neither was going to get the space, and walked back into the mall. I have no patience with people who practically come to blows over a stupid parking spot.

When I see someone getting into a car in a crowded mall, I will wait for the spot. Parking lot aisles are generally wide enough for one driver to pass another. So if another driver wants to get around me, he should be able to. What I hate is when a person gets in the car, starts up the engne, and then just sits there doing God knows what -- smoking a cigarette, checking e-mail, texting, making a call -- while I cool my heels. Happens all the time. Offenders are either oblivious or rude and there is no shortage of them.

[cwydro]

150. "Practically come to bows"

Omg, this thread continues to amaze!

[oberliner]

89. Thank you for sharing this story

You make a good point that sometimes people bring race into a situation where it is unwarranted.

[Demonaut]

90. ok

[JonLP24]

91. Sounds like road rage to me

It doesn't appear she was causing an accident but I'm sorry she did not paralyze your friend.if you are able to pull aside why not keep going?

[cwydro]

92. This thread has me rolling.

[Codeine]

121. Careful. You could be paralyze. nt

[cwydro]

125. Omg, STOP!

[retread]

94. I'm sure if it had been an attractive(to you) white person that smiled at you as you pulled up, you

would have done the same thing.

[Captain Stern]

95. I don't see that you said, or did, anything that would make you a racist.

But, you seem to be more upset about the incident than you should be.

From what you've said, she wasn't really 'blocking' anything...since both you and a car going the other way were able to get around her.

I'm guessing you spent more time writing the OP, than you spent waiting in the parking lot.

Lighten up, Francis.

[loyalsister]

126. White fragility

Understanding an incident as racially hostile is not an insult to white people. It is not about a white person.

The phrase "people like you" to someone who is considered other by the dominant culture in a country that values white people most, is most likely familiar.

I have learned that it is one people of color have heard quite often when they have dared to not defer to the supremacy of whiteness.

[MichMan]

130. What would the reaction here be if it was the other person who posted?

The POC who described the same incident, but indicated she was just patiently waiting for a space and some racist white person gave her a hard time. She would likely receive strong affirmation defending her position that indeed it was obvious racism.

[cwydro]

133. What?

How does one person acting like an asshat to another in a parking lot somehow become a racist situation?

If racist words were used, yeah, but supposedly (according to the OP) none were used.

[Squinch]

153. Lol. You don't seem to have much respect for the people here.

[MichMan]

157. Usually depends on whose perspective is being presented

Like any large group of people, there are those who are very intelligent and look at the facts presented and then.....those that are not.

Look at those who post passionately without ever reading the attached links not even knowing what they are commenting on. I've seen it time and time again

[Squinch]

158. So that'll be a no.

[MichMan]

159. No, I don't believe every single post is intelligent with reasoning and logic

Some are visceral emotional reactions based on beliefs and personal biases (that we all have) with little regard for the facts.

How many posts have we seen from people who think the election can be declared null & void with Hillary installed as president?

How about this one about impeaching every single one of Trump's judges ?

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100211276818

[LanternWaste]

161. Your pretense of relevance is bemusing, but misplaced.

"What if" covers so much imagination and prophecy, but rarely intersects the rational world.

"Would likely..." simply advertises our own narratives and biases.

[aikoaiko]

131. I think you need to smoke more weed and chill.

Good luck.

[Codeine]

134. The Walmart parking lot in Chelyabinsk

is notorious for race-related road raging.

[cwydro]

144. This took me a minute.

Lmao!

[Buns_of_Fire]

143. This thread reminds me: It's only 41 days until Black Friday!

...That wonderful day of the year when people of all faiths, creeds, and colors gather in parking lots across the country to wish each other glad tidings and appropriate greetings (some of which can even be repeated on TV!).

[Squinch]

152. And then trample each other for X-Boxes.