F*cking Parking Dramas

[blackpudd1n]

That's it, I need a fucking rant!

 

I am so sick and tired of the parking issues in my apartment building.

 

The first problem? There are 11 apartments here, and four fucking car spaces! What idiot builds an apartment block with so few car spaces? What imbeciles!

 

The second problem: there are four residents with cars, and four car spaces. You would think that would be enough, right? WRONG! Why? Because of fucking visitors parking their fucking cars in the car spaces! I LIVE HERE! I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO PARK OUT ON THE FUCKING STREET WHEN, AT THIS POINT IN TIME, THERE ARE ENOUGH PARKS!

 

The third problem: fucking visitors parking residents cars IN! I am sick and tired of getting downstairs to go out, only to find out that some dickweed has parked me in! Is it too hard to use their fucking heads and think for a moment, "oh, there aren't any parks, I'd better go park on the street"? Is that too much to fucking ask??!!

 

The fourth problem: Fucking taxi drivers dropping people off at the end of the driveway, in the parking area. FUCK THAT PISSES ME OFF! I pull into the driveway, and have to fucking reverse out again, because I can't park because some bastard is being dropped off.

 

I've fucking had it!! Whatever the fuck happened to common decency??!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

...Okay, maybe I can breathe again now.

[Thought2Much]

I've fucking had it!! Whatever the fuck happened to common decency??!!

Common decency never existed. We all like to think that there was some point in the not too distant past when everybody said "please" and "thank you," and the men tipped their hats respectfully to passing ladies.

 

This time period never happened. People have been selfish, unthinking, rude jerks throughout the entire course of human history.

 

I don't know if that makes you feel any better or not.

[blackpudd1n]

I've fucking had it!! Whatever the fuck happened to common decency??!!

Common decency never existed. We all like to think that there was some point in the not too distant past when everybody said "please" and "thank you," and the men tipped their hats respectfully to passing ladies.

 

This time period never happened. People have been selfish, unthinking, rude jerks throughout the entire course of human history.

 

I don't know if that makes you feel any better or not.

 

LOL you mean to say, that all of this time that I have been saying please and thank you, calling ahead when I am running late, letting someone in when driving, letting someone in front when I have a trolley and they a couple of things at the supermarket... ALL of these things, that I do and more on a daily basis, no-one else was doing them??!! I'm the exception, not the rule??!!

[Thought2Much]

More or less. Yup.

[blackpudd1n]

More or less. Yup.

 

...I've wasted my life on common courtesy

[Blue elephant]

I could suggest some broken glass being subtley placed under the tyres of the visitors cars when they misbehave. That would be nasty - but very effective.

 

Most fiendish revenge I ever heard of was when someone in a government department was stealing other people milk in the fridge to use in their coffee. Someone set up a milk carton with milk of magnesia in it. It became obvious just who the milk thief was apparently (milk of magnesia relieves constipation).

[blackpudd1n]

I could suggest some broken glass being subtley placed under the tyres of the visitors cars when they misbehave. That would be nasty - but very effective.

 

Most fiendish revenge I ever heard of was when someone in a government department was stealing other people milk in the fridge to use in their coffee. Someone set up a milk carton with milk of magnesia in it. It became obvious just who the milk thief was apparently (milk of magnesia relieves constipation).

 

LOL love it

[Mike D]

I completely understand your frustration (been there). I learned long ago that when I look for a place to live, one of the things I make sure of is that there's plenty of assigned parking, that's reserved for residents only (clearly marked), and violators will be towed. If you're paying for parking, then you should get what you pay for.

[Vigile]

Most fiendish revenge I ever heard of was when someone in a government department was stealing other people milk in the fridge to use in their coffee. Someone set up a milk carton with milk of magnesia in it. It became obvious just who the milk thief was apparently (milk of magnesia relieves constipation).

 

When my dad was in the army, he served in Korea. One of the guys in his barracks would steal from the other soldiers while there were sleeping, so my dad and his buddy got some liquid industrial-strength laxative from the doctor and injected it into a candy bar with a hypodermic needle and got pretty much the same results.

 

As for parking. Last year we had 5-6 feet of snow that lasted over 6 months and that kept piling on at a foot or so a week as it settled. Parking was a pure nightmare and we didn't even bother using our car, but instead just tried to keep it reasonably shoveled and started it a couple times a week to keep the battery going and the seals oiled. Those who drove had a lot more patience and persistence than us.

[older]

You need to move to Vermont. I've driven in 49 states and 12 countries and Vermonters are the most polite drivers I've ever encountered. I don't know if it's the types of roads, taste of the maple syrup, or effects of the cannabis, but these folks define the term mellow.

[Thurisaz]

Most fiendish revenge I ever heard of was when someone in a government department was stealing other people milk in the fridge to use in their coffee. Someone set up a milk carton with milk of magnesia in it. It became obvious just who the milk thief was apparently (milk of magnesia relieves constipation).

 

Aaaah memories...

 

...back in the days when I was an active volunteer medic, one of our professional paramedics was fed up with the old routine of "get back to HQ totally worn-out and tired, prepare a can of coffee, have to go out for the next mission the exact time the black gold is ready, come back an hour later to find that the office paperpushers have emptied the can while you were working". So he got another can brewing, but this time... placed an empty vial of Lasix right in front of the coffee machine. You see, Lasix is colorless and tasteless, it can stand being mixed into hot liquid, and it sets your kidneys into overdrive mode.

 

Of course he didn't really pour the contents of that vial into the coffee can (that stuff got used on his last mission already, he just kept the vial), but well... he came back some two or three hours later to find his full can untouched, just like the vial itself. No one wanted to take the risk

 

As for common decency... of course people have always been selfish, just as has been pointed out earlier in this thread. But there still was a time when people didn't show their selfishness that openly, if you ask me.

[Thurisaz]

You need to move to Vermont. I've driven in 49 states and 12 countries and Vermonters are the most polite drivers I've ever encountered. I don't know if it's the types of roads, taste of the maple syrup, or effects of the cannabis, but these folks define the term mellow.

 

*makes note to himself - "if you ever move to the US, go to Vermont*

 

I hear you... one of the reasons why I sold my car four years ago was that I had the feeling that every day I drove to work and back I lost about two years of my remaining lifetime due to stress and frustration. I guess it's because I live right next to Wolfsburg. Something happens to people who earn their living building cars for too long. They start to think that because they know how to make the things they are allowed to use them however (fast) they see fit.

[blackpudd1n]

You need to move to Vermont. I've driven in 49 states and 12 countries and Vermonters are the most polite drivers I've ever encountered. I don't know if it's the types of roads, taste of the maple syrup, or effects of the cannabis, but these folks define the term mellow.

 

I've driven in Queensland (I try to avoid it- those drivers are fucking scary). I've driven in Sydney. I've suffered in a car in Victoria (their state past-time seems to be racing trains at railway crossings- they're always killing themselves at those crossings). But where I live, a beach-side town of 60,000 half-way between Sydney and Brisbane, really has to take the cake for bad driving. It's like we attract the nation's worst drivers. Just about every time I drive, some bastard tries to run into me. A round-a-bout is a simple thing. We drive on the left side of the road here. You pull up to the round-a-bout, and give way to the right. As you exit the round-a-bout, you indicate left out of it. Pretty simple, right? Obviously not. In my town, people seem to think that you give way to the left. Or they turn right in front of you from the outside lane, when you are in the inside lane and it is clearly marked that the outside lane is for going left or straight only. Obviously, the rules of the round-a-bout just don't apply here. Hell, I've even seen one woman go the wrong way around the round-a-bout, and then just stop in the middle and get out of her car, completely holding up traffic. Why we even have give way signs, I don't know. It's not like anyone pays them any attention. Hell, the last accident I had, this woman was coming out of a driveway, and had 3 4WD's to her right. Instead of going forward a bit more and having a proper look, she just came out. I tried to swerve and avoid the accident, but she panicked and put her foot down on the accelerator and T-boned me.

[Deva]

Daily I-95 highway commute in south Florida driver here. If I live the year out it would be amazing. In a year and a half I have seen things that would literally make your heart stop. For some reason, the town of Boca Raton is the absolute worst. Contrary to what you might think, it isn't so much the old people as the ones in the fancy BMWs, Porsche's, large SUV's etc.. that will run you off the road. If you should happen not to go fast enough when the light turns green or you are at a stop sign and THEY think you should go, they honk at you. Drivers here are extremely rude. No turn signals in use is very common. They just decide to come over into your lane. Sometimes I can tell when they are planning it. There is no requirement to have your car inspected here every year, as there is in many states, so a great many cars do not have properly working signals, lights, etc...

 

My closest call this year. On a wet road a mustang loses control. I am one lane over and she spun completely around facing the opposite direction and stopped completely! This is a five lane highway stacked with traffic. There wasn't anyone in that lane directly behind her so she drove to the left shoulder successfully. It was kind of a miracle.

[blackpudd1n]

Crikey, Deva! We have to have yearly inspections in my state, but in some other states you don't. I'd never buy a car that was from another state- you don't even know if it is road-worthy to begin with, and then you have to go through the costly process of getting it approved. It's just not worth it. I reckon if yearly inspections are not forced on people, they won't do them, and really it just puts everyone at risk when people go driving around in a death-trap. It's not just the person driving the death trap that puts their life at risk- they're putting everyone else's life at risk. I wonder how people can live with themselves when they knew their car was faulty, yet failed to get the problem fixed and ended up killing someone. Sure a couple of hundred dollars is worth someone not losing their life?

[Deva]

Crikey, Deva! We have to have yearly inspections in my state, but in some other states you don't. I'd never buy a car that was from another state- you don't even know if it is road-worthy to begin with, and then you have to go through the costly process of getting it approved. It's just not worth it. I reckon if yearly inspections are not forced on people, they won't do them, and really it just puts everyone at risk when people go driving around in a death-trap.

 

In the state of Virginia it used to be that you had to have an inspection twice a year and they would put a sticker on your windshield. Twice may be a bit of overkill - but down here, nothing at all. So, you see many more vehicles that probably ought not to be on the road. About 10 years ago they were still doing emissions inspections, so you couldn't get away with driving something that put out too much smoke or whatever, but they stopped doing that.

[blackpudd1n]

Crikey, Deva! We have to have yearly inspections in my state, but in some other states you don't. I'd never buy a car that was from another state- you don't even know if it is road-worthy to begin with, and then you have to go through the costly process of getting it approved. It's just not worth it. I reckon if yearly inspections are not forced on people, they won't do them, and really it just puts everyone at risk when people go driving around in a death-trap.

 

In the state of Virginia it used to be that you had to have an inspection twice a year and they would put a sticker on your windshield. Twice may be a bit of overkill - but down here, nothing at all. So, you see many more vehicles that probably ought not to be on the road. About 10 years ago they were still doing emissions inspections, so you couldn't get away with driving something that put out too much smoke or whatever, but they stopped doing that.

 

Over here, if your car is putting out smoke for more than 5 seconds (I think) you can get a defect notice. You can get a defect notice for any number of things. If you get a defect notice you have to get a blue slip, which is tougher than a yearly inspection (pink slip), costs more, and they go over your car with a fine comb. If you fail the blue slip, you have 14 days to fix the problem/s and take it in for re-inspection. They're pretty tough here.

[Noggy]

If you have a permit for a spot, call a tow truck.

 

Solved.

[blackpudd1n]

If you have a permit for a spot, call a tow truck.

 

Solved.

 

Not quite how it's done here, unfortunately, as there are no signs (yet- I'm working on it) clearly displaying that parking is for resident vehicles only

[Blue elephant]

Hey Puddin

 

Do they have roadside vehicle inspections in NSW?

 

We don't have to have annual inspections in the ACT, but the vehicle inspection cars pick up the ones that are unroadworthy. They frequently set up mass blood alcohol testing stations as well (I suspect this may be a field exercise for the police training academy in Goulburn) and I think cars would get picked up by those if they were unroadworthy.

[Guest wester]

I feel for you brother. Part of the reason I left America is so I don't have to drive anymore.

Headaches, insurance, taxes, endless repair, oil changes, gas prices, parking, gridlock, and on and on...

Ain't worth it. I finally gave my car to charity. Gave it. Didn't sell it. Dropped it like a piece of stinky tofu.

Then I lived in Seoul for 3 years, and Shanghai for 1 and took the subways everywhere. Fine with me.

Now I live in a small town where I can walk almost everywhere. Sheesh. What a relief.

[blackpudd1n]

Hey Puddin

 

Do they have roadside vehicle inspections in NSW?

 

We don't have to have annual inspections in the ACT, but the vehicle inspection cars pick up the ones that are unroadworthy. They frequently set up mass blood alcohol testing stations as well (I suspect this may be a field exercise for the police training academy in Goulburn) and I think cars would get picked up by those if they were unroadworthy.

 

Hey Blue,

 

Nah, we don't have those- the annual inspections are carried out every year by a qualified mechanic, and without one you can't register the car. The police can pull you over and defect you if they notice anything amiss- usually only bombs and souped-up cars get that treatment, though. If you just have a broken tail light or indicator, they just pull you over to let you know. You don't generally get busted for minor things like that- they'll just tell you to get in fixed within a week or something and take note of your number plates.

 

They're pretty lenient, if there's a legitimate reason. I was once in Sydney, going to a cat show. Google maps had told me to turn right at a major intersection in Newtown, but when I got there, it was a no-right-hand-turn, and double lines. I knew if I turned left, I'd never find my way back, and, after checking for traffic, turned right, as there was none around- except two cop cars :/

 

Of course I was pulled over. The cop was like, "that was a silly thing to do in front of two police cars!" and I just looked at her and said, "I'm lost". She asked for my license, and seeing it was a country address 6 hours away, asked me where I lived in Sydney. I told her I didn't, I lived in Armidale. She asked when I came down and was going back, and I told her. She asked where I was going, and I said a cat show. She looked in, and I had the street directory open to the page of that suburb, and my cat in the carrier beside me. She went and checked my license, and came back, and said, "the cop in the other car said to ticket you on both offenses, but I'm more senior than him. I'm going to let you off, but we're going to escort you to this cat show so you don't get into anymore trouble." She worked out where I was going on the map, and sure enough, I got escorted to the cat show by a cop car and two police officers rofl!

[blackpudd1n]

I feel for you brother. Part of the reason I left America is so I don't have to drive anymore.

Headaches, insurance, taxes, endless repair, oil changes, gas prices, parking, gridlock, and on and on...

Ain't worth it. I finally gave my car to charity. Gave it. Didn't sell it. Dropped it like a piece of stinky tofu.

Then I lived in Seoul for 3 years, and Shanghai for 1 and took the subways everywhere. Fine with me.

Now I live in a small town where I can walk almost everywhere. Sheesh. What a relief.

 

Public transport just isn't that good in this town. And it rains, A LOT! It rains for weeks at a time, any time of the year. It rained all last week, and we're expecting more, though thankfully today was a dry day. We're forever at risk of flooding, too. If it rains heavily at high tide, we flood. We had two nasty floods in 2009 alone- one in March and another in November. Didn't get a chance to recover from the first before the second one hit. At least my car keeps me dry lol

[Thurisaz]

I wonder how people can live with themselves when they knew their car was faulty, yet failed to get the problem fixed and ended up killing someone. Sure a couple of hundred dollars is worth someone not losing their life?

 

I dunno about the rest of the world but here in Germany...

 

...as far too many see it, there's no need to keep your car in a good state because the only thing that matters is that you are the only good driver in the entire nation among fucking idiots so nothing can ever happen... ya know, only idiots get into accidents.

 

In other words, if you get into a crash, of course it's the other party's (the idiot's) fault so why should you worry?

[blackpudd1n]

I wonder how people can live with themselves when they knew their car was faulty, yet failed to get the problem fixed and ended up killing someone. Sure a couple of hundred dollars is worth someone not losing their life?

 

I dunno about the rest of the world but here in Germany...

 

...as far too many see it, there's no need to keep your car in a good state because the only thing that matters is that you are the only good driver in the entire nation among fucking idiots so nothing can ever happen... ya know, only idiots get into accidents.

 

In other words, if you get into a crash, of course it's the other party's (the idiot's) fault so why should you worry?

 

LOL! I've only ever actually known a couple of Germans, one of whom I try to avoid on Facebook (she's always so fucking depressed about something, always whinging about something). The only other Germans I've ever known were a couple, Norbert and Iris, and their son. I've known them all my life- and fuck, Norbert is a funny bastard! I went to him with my ex-husband when we got engaged, to get a ring made. When it came time to discuss the price, Norbert tells my ex-husband that he and I would discuss the price in the hot tub, and my ex-husband could wait where he was. The look on my ex-husband's face was priceless! I was pissing myself laughing, being well and truly used to Norbert, and he was totally dumbfounded. I never did find out why Norbert got banned from Munich (I think it was), though. They drove him to the outskirts of the city, rang his family to come and get him, and told him to never come back rofl!