Kottke says of the above video, "I can't tell if the app featured in this video is imaginary or not, but it's a great theoretical solution to the problem of douche parking." A reader writes:
That guy who wrote in to complain about the "parking lot vulture"? That guy is self-rationalizing dick. Parking spaces are a limited resource with a finite usefulness to each person who occupies them. If you find your psyche buckling under the pressure of someone waiting for you to vacate your spot, you likely lack the intestinal fortitude to drive a car in an area of any population density. If I see you loading your groceries or whatever into your car, I know that you are essentially done with that spot – who benefits from me continuing to drive around looking for another one? I used to wonder what possessed parking spot dawdlers, and now my darkest suspicions have been confirmed – they are irredeemable pricks. (That said, anyone who honks at a dawdler is an even bigger prick.)
Another is more forgiving of people who pull out slowly:
Could their behavior be explained by the drivers rightfully being more careful in the presence of another car? Backing out of a traffic space is a fairly risky maneuver – driving in reverse with limited visibility and lots of obstacles. If I look around and see no one, I will exit more quickly, because there is no potential obstacle to look out for. If someone is waiting for the spot, I start to worry that the other driver might edge in when I am looking away, or if I watch the "lurker" while exiting, I may be ignoring some other car or pedestrian passing by. Such considerations seem to be more than capable of explaining the reported differences in exit times.
Another suggests:
Contrary to your reader's assertion that "The only non-violent protest a person can make with parking lot vultures is to slow-walk their departure," there is a faster, more decisive non-violent strategy: walk past your car by a few spots, until the vulture has passed your car, then turn around, walk back, and load your car like normal. The vulture, being past your car, can't back up because of the people behind him and must find another space. Sure, it won't always work, but it's better than slow-walking, which is impolite to everyone, not just the vulture.
Another stays neutral:
I've opted out of the parking lot wars by looking for the most distant spot I can find. This gets me at least a little more exercise walking, since my time for that is hard to find. So it makes it both easier and healthier for parking. What's the big deal about parking close, anyway, unless you're handicapped (in which case you have spots up close)?
Another:
I don't really have a problem with parking lot vultures. More egregious to me are people who routinely park in handicapped spaces or who take up two spaces to avoid having some nick their paint. (I know lots of people who consider such parking techniques as an open invitation simply key the car out sheer spite). Finally, there are the people who insist on driving large SUVs and pick-ups but lack the skill to park them properly. I've gotten into actual physical altercations with rednecks and frat boys sometimes because I simply could not resist telling them straight out that they might consider buying a vehicle commensurate with their limited parking skills.
And finally, straight from the vulture's mouth:
I am a parking vulture. At the grocery store where I shop there is a certain row of spots that I covet. They are shady in the summer and close to the storefront, so they are in high demand. While there are dozens of other spots available, if I see someone leaving a spot, I pull over to wait, and I've been on the receiving end of behavior mentioned by your reader, where the person does not leave the spot until I stop waiting.
Am I elderly? No. Handicapped? No. Lazy? Definitely not. Then why do I want those spots? The person who is getting angry with me may not notice the three small children with me. These spots are the only ones in the lot that are next to a sidewalk. While I am unloading and loading children and groceries, I can put my children on the sidewalk and tell them to stay there where they are safe. I don't feel safe having my children linger in the middle of a parking lot next to my car while I am unloading the other two. If they are not on a sidewalk, they could step behind a car backing up, dart into traffic, or wander into an unoccupied space.
Just wanted to let your reader know that there may be other reasons for waiting for a particular spot than laziness.
The Dish 