General Discussion

Thor_MN

(11,843 posts)

2. Part of it is territorialism.

Thu May 14, 2015, 10:54 PM

May 2015

It would be difficult to find real estate less useful to you than a parking space you are about to leave. But a study showed that people took longer to vacate a parking space if there was someone waiting for it. They timed people leave a store and found that they took more time to get their car out of the space if there was another car waiting for it. And even more time if that car honked. People will defend land that they have already decided to give up.

My personal observations is this behavior is worse in more affluent shopping areas and worse with holiday shopping. I live in a fairly blue collar suburb, but work in one of the newest, whitest collar suburbs. Parking is far more competitive near where I work. Getting that spot two cars closer to the store, even if you have wait far longer than it would take walk the distance is a big deal.

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Why do you think parking is such an emotional issue for so many people? [View all] bluestateguy May 2015 OP

My guess: cars turn people into individual countries, with the car as their national border. arcane1 May 2015 #1

Part of it is territorialism. Thor_MN May 2015 #2

I had a friend in college who would circle a parking lot until she got a spot gvstn May 2015 #7

You are going to walk a half mile or more in the WalMart. alphafemale May 2015 #13

It was nuts! gvstn May 2015 #17

I sometimes park a tenth of a mile away practically.... steve2470 May 2015 #72

My girlfriend gives me crap for doing the opposite. I drive a full sized pickup and always go for brewens May 2015 #52

Cart Return ProfessorGAC May 2015 #59

That is exactly what I do. Quick, easy, near a cart return. MadrasT May 2015 #73

I've been sooooo tempted to double park one of those lingerers in and say "I'll be back .... Hassin Bin Sober May 2015 #12

Public transit is so liberating, if you live where it works. LeftinOH May 2015 #68

I'm a contractor so I'm always zipping around town with drywall and lumber and tile and concrete. Hassin Bin Sober May 2015 #74

If I am ready to leave and see someone waiting for my parking space, Art_from_Ark May 2015 #19

I'm the same way Dorian Gray May 2015 #26

People actually honk to try to get people to hurry up and expect a good outcome? stevenleser May 2015 #69

To a point... Oktober May 2015 #43

Same here. I think some people are more attuned to our species' cooperative tendencies while some tblue37 May 2015 #44

You are absolutely correct. Jackpine Radical May 2015 #51

Using an ATM with someone in line behind me, I jump in as soon as I have my cash and pull foreward brewens May 2015 #53

If someone honks, it's a passive aggressive "fuck you" response, obviously. Warren DeMontague May 2015 #22

If there's another car nearby I'm going to move more slowly than if the lot is empty Chathamization May 2015 #33

Uh, OK? Thor_MN May 2015 #35

No, cars might be going around the waiting car, pedestrians you can't see might be behind it, Chathamization May 2015 #37

Irrelevant observations Thor_MN May 2015 #39

The waiting car blocks visibility. It also doesn't give you any certainty, since it can decide to Chathamization May 2015 #48

Your observations have NOTHiNG to do with the study I cited. Thor_MN May 2015 #70

I think territorialism is a big reason, but here's another. Our species has a dominance hierarchy, tblue37 May 2015 #40

I often do that. Because the car waiting is either in my way, or blocking my view. ieoeja May 2015 #49

We've mythologized the car into a symbol of absolute freedom Codeine May 2015 #3

and power. nt kelliekat44 May 2015 #8

Not to defend McHenry, but the towing industry includes some of society's biggest scumbags. Throd May 2015 #4

Yes bluestateguy May 2015 #6

Professional thieves. [nt] Jester Messiah May 2015 #36

You got that right. Iggo May 2015 #50

People even get (undeserved) handicapped placards cwydro May 2015 #5

I always try to park as far as I can Dorian Gray May 2015 #27

Hey, I do the same regarding the cart return! I dearly hate to walk the empty cart a long CTyankee May 2015 #34

I have a needed handicapped tag, since I use a cane and walking can be slow and painful tblue37 May 2015 #47

... cwydro May 2015 #71

Tow bills are expensive. gvstn May 2015 #9

People not only feel that way about their cars. They feel that way about the road in general. kelliekat44 May 2015 #10

I have such awful road rage bigwillq May 2015 #11

Me too. I think it has something to do... Whiskeytide May 2015 #45

I am one of those. oldandhappy May 2015 #14

You end with the solution - public transit. MH1 May 2015 #46

Millions of tiny power plays, happening daily... Arugula Latte May 2015 #15

Like they said in Pulp Fiction. backscatter712 May 2015 #16

It's emotional for me because OriginalGeek May 2015 #18

Let's be honest- it fucking sucks to have your car towed. Warren DeMontague May 2015 #20

Most people manage to get emotional and upset without getting abusive n/t kcr May 2015 #21

Double parking is .... rainbobryte May 2015 #23

I actually had to look up double parking a few years back. Codeine May 2015 #25

Because SOCIETY CAN'T FUNCTION LIKE THIS! betsuni May 2015 #24

First, I'm pretty certain that it wasn't "parking" that pissed her off. Buzz Clik May 2015 #28

Because people are lazy and entitled? TransitJohn May 2015 #29

Another reason why Amazon is great. Nye Bevan May 2015 #30

It's not parking that's special pinboy3niner May 2015 #31

You can see from her words.. sendero May 2015 #38

If you've ever had your car towed, you know why some folks might melt down. Hoyt May 2015 #32

Because driving itself is stressful and we are overpopulated, which adds to the stress. randome May 2015 #41

parking around here sucks not so much because of towing ProdigalJunkMail May 2015 #42

I have a problem with people I consider to be "fatdicapped" getting handicapped parking priveleges. brewens May 2015 #54

Wow - nasty. Sheldon Cooper May 2015 #55

Oh. I'm fat btw but I'm not about to use that to try and get a handicapped permit, that would make brewens May 2015 #57

I'm fat too, and I don't use that to get a handicapped spot either. Sheldon Cooper May 2015 #58

i am a fat guy... ProdigalJunkMail May 2015 #61

I was kind of kidding anyway about the spots at the edge of the lot. We're supposed to be jolly the brewens May 2015 #65

yeah... i gathered ProdigalJunkMail May 2015 #66

I managed a fast food restaurant in downtown State College PA in the early/mid 90s Orrex May 2015 #56

I have a psychological theory about this. Some people are just assholes. Tierra_y_Libertad May 2015 #60

handicapped parking has gotten better in Oregon Backwoodsrider May 2015 #62

I remember when parking was emotional ... JustABozoOnThisBus May 2015 #63

that center console is a bitch! ProdigalJunkMail May 2015 #67

The urban animal: population density and social pathology in rodents and humans One_Life_To_Give May 2015 #64