c/bad-parking-hall-of-shame

The BMW that parked on my lawn for 3 hours in Columbus

Came home last Tuesday to find a silver 530i sitting right on my front yard, tire tracks dug into the grass about 4 inches deep. Turns out the guy was visiting my neighbor and thought the lawn was a parking spot, even with a wide open driveway 20 feet away. Do people just lose all sense of boundaries when they see open green space, or is this a BMW thing I should expect again?

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grantf73•10d ago

Found a parking enforcement loophole with a $40 tarp, still feel a little dirty about it

My neighbor's boyfriend kept parking his lifted truck in the middle of our shared driveway, blocking both our spots. After three warnings and one tow company quote of $250, I looked up the city code and found out commercial plates can't park in residential zones overnight. So I grabbed a $40 tarp from Harbor Freight, draped it over the truck bed, and called the non-emergency line with a photo. Cop came out, cited him for the commercial plate violation, and the truck moved to street parking within 20 minutes. Has anyone else used city code quirks to win a parking war, or am I the only petty one?

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garcia.tyler•14d ago

Costco lot on a Sunday turned into a demolition derby, twice in one trip

Went to the Costco in Tulsa last weekend, usual chaos, but this one topped it. Saw a silver SUV park crooked across two spots, blocking a cart return lane. I finished shopping 20 minutes later, same SUV was somehow even worse, now angled INTO the fire lane with a minivan boxed in behind it. The owner came out holding a rotisserie chicken and just stared at both vehicles for a full minute. I watched him get in and reverse straight into the minivan's bumper, didn't even check his mirrors. He drove off like nothing, left a scrape on the minivan door. Before I could snap a pic, another guy in a pickup did a 3-point turn in the aisle and clipped a shopping cart into a sedan's rear taillight. Has anyone else seen a parking lot get WORSE in real time like that, or is Tulsa just special?

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ward.jamie•15d ago

Took me 6 months to stop raging at parking hogs, here's the trick that worked

Every time I saw someone straddling two spots in the Target lot on Main Street I used to take photos and post them here, but it just made me madder. Last week I started snapping a pic and sending it to the store's customer service line with the plate number, they actually called the owner and made them move. Has anyone else tried reporting to the business instead of just venting online, did it actually do anything for you?

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charles442•16d ago

Dash cam caught a curb hugger ruining my bumper, cost me $850 to fix

I parked legally downtown Austin and some SUV swung wide into the curb, grinding against my front bumper, and my $130 dash cam footage was the only proof that got the other driver's insurance to pay, so is a dash cam a must-have for everyone now or just a waste of cash for folks who never get hit?

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vera_palmer•17d ago

Handicap spot vs. loading zone, which one gets your blood boiling faster?

I saw a guy in a lifted truck take up a handicap spot at the Target on 3rd Street last Tuesday, no placard, just hopped out like he owned the place. Then later that same week, someone parked in the loading zone outside a bakery in Portland, blocking a delivery guy who was sweating trying to carry 60 pounds of flour. I honestly can't decide which one ticks me off more, one's lazy entitlement and the other is messing with someone's paycheck. Is it the spot that ruins someone's day or the one that stalls their whole job? Which side of the fence do you land on?

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king.aaron•17d ago

Finally hit 200 cars photographed in my neighborhood lot

Started tracking bad parking in my complex off I-35 back in March, and yesterday I snapped number 200. It was a lifted truck parked diagonally across two handicapped spots, both lines clearly visible under the bumper. Anyone else keep a running count of offenders in one spot, or am I the only one with a photo album dedicated to this?

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rodriguez.felix•17d ago

The 7-Eleven lot on Foster Ave gets worse every single week

I grab coffee there every Tuesday morning, and I swear the bad parking is spreading like a disease. Last week a jacked-up F-150 took up 4 spaces right by the door, and today a minivan was parked sideways across two handicapped spots. It used to be just one clueless person every now and then, but now it's a solid 3 or 4 cars every time I pull in. Has anyone else noticed a specific lot that just gets worse month after month, or is Foster Ave a special kind of nightmare?

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grantmartinez•17d ago

The triple stroller takeout special at the Target lot on Route 9

I was grabbing a quick lunch in the Nashua Target lot last Saturday and watched a minivan swoop into the space right next to the cart return. Fine so far, but then this dad hops out, pops the back, and pulls out a triple stroller. He parks the stroller IN the empty space beside his van, not against the curb, not in the grass, but dead center in a marked spot. Then he walks in with the kid. That space was blocked for the 20 minutes I was eating my fries. There was a line of cars circling. One guy actually honked and the dad just waved like he was doing everyone a favor. I get it, kids are chaos, but you're turning a public lot into your personal staging area. The store has a corral right at the entrance. Has anyone else seen people use parking spots as stroller garages or is this a new New England thing?

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jenkins.reese•21d ago

Three years at the same Costco lot and I still can't unsee this one truck

Last week I was parked two rows from the cart return at the Costco off Highway 99 in Everett, and there it was again, that same lifted F-250 taking up four spots near the curb. I first saw this truck back in 2021, always parked the same way, diagonally across the lines like the pavement was a suggestion. The driver never gets out when I'm around, so I have no idea who they are or why they park like that. I counted 14 other cars circling for close spots while this guy just sat there with his wheels over two different parking lines. Honestly, at this point I'm less mad and more curious what goes through someone's head to do that for three straight years. Has anyone else got a repeat offender at their local store that you see more often than your own neighbors?

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skylerrobinson•22d ago

Guy in a lifted truck parked sideways across 3 spots at Costco, then yelled at me for taking a pic

Saw this yesterday at the Costco in Fresno. Big white F-350, parked diagonally over three spaces near the cart return. I was just walking by and snapped a photo for this group, not even hiding it. The dude came out with a flat screen and goes "you got a problem?" I said "nah, just admiring the geometry." He didn't laugh. But honestly, who parks like that at noon on a Saturday? Has anyone else gotten confronted for documenting a bad park job?

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keith_rivera19•26d ago

Hummer straddling two accessible spots, I left a note instead of keying it

Saw a lifted Hummer taking up two handicap spots outside a Walmart in Tucson. The driver was nowhere near a placard. I had a choice between letting air out of a tire or writing a note. I picked the note, taped it to the window, said 'hope your legs work better than your parking eyes.' Walked inside, saw the guy at the deli, he was fine. Has anyone else done the note route and actually seen the driver react?

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jamesm38•27d ago

Learned the hard way that a parking brake light can lie to you

Last Tuesday I found out my neighbor's car was sitting in the handicap spot with a fake placard for over six months. I called the city office in Springfield and the clerk told me they only ticket if someone reports it, and just 12% of placards get checked each year. That means a huge number of people are blocking spots for those who actually need them, and nobody notices unless we say something. I took photos of the same car three days in a row and sent them in, they finally towed it yesterday. Has anyone else had luck getting enforcement to act on a repeat offender in your lot?

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alice89•27d ago

Parallel spot swallowing my whole car, how did I ever think this was fine?

Used to just nose into any gap in front of my building downtown, now I actually walk the block to find a proper pull-in spot. After getting boxed in by a pickup truck last Tuesday and waiting 20 minutes for them to move, has anyone else just given up on street parking entirely?

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wesley385•1mo ago

The minivan in the striped no-parking zone had a note explaining it all

Last month at the Costco in Salem, someone left a 2014 silver minivan straddling the accessible loading zone with a handwritten card on the dash saying 'emergency bathroom trip, back in 5' and I actually think that's the most honest parking excuse I've ever seen, way better than the usual fake handicap placard nonsense, so has anyone else ever found a weirdly legit note like that?

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oscar743•1mo ago

The tow truck driver laughed at my neighbor's 2-space angled job, but is he right that it's safer than curb hugging?

Saw a guy in a lifted F-150 take up two diagonal spots at the Walmart on Route 9 last Friday, perfectly straddling the line with his front wheels turned, and when I called him out he said tight lots cause more door dings than double parking, so which is actually the bigger jerk move, the space hog or the guy who parks six inches from your door?

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blair597•1mo ago

Update: I used to think towing was overkill for bad parking

A week ago I saw a BMW parked sideways across two handicap spots in the Kroger lot on 3rd Street. I was about to snap a photo and move on, but then the store manager came out and said they call a tow truck every time because "the owner is usually inside doing a full shop and never sees it coming." That made me realize the tow is the only way these people actually learn. Now I report every fire hydrant block and double-spacer I see through the store's customer service line. Has anyone else started reporting more after seeing someone get towed?

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hollyl45•1mo ago

Took 40 minutes to free a car wedged against a curb at Target

Honestly, I used to just laugh at those curb-hugging parking jobs and move on. But last week at the Target on Broadway, some guy's sedan was so tight against the concrete that his tire was literally folded under the rim. I waited with him for the tow truck after he tried reversing for 20 minutes, and the driver said this happens like 5 times a day there because the lot slopes weird. Has anyone else had to sit through a rescue like that and suddenly stopped judging people for sketchy parking?

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the_eva•1mo ago

Found an old parking ticket from 1987 in my dad's glove box...

I was cleaning out my dad's old truck last weekend and found a parking ticket from 1987. The fine was only 15 bucks back then for parking too far from the curb. Now in my city they charge 75 dollars for the same thing. It got me thinking about how people parked way different before all these SUVs and trucks got so huge. These days I see folks in giant pickup trucks taking up two spots easy because they can't fit between the lines. Has anyone else noticed how much wider cars have gotten over the past 30 years?

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amy_coleman21•1mo ago

Hot take: I stopped posting pictures of bad parking because everyone does it sometimes

For years I'd curse people who parked like idiots. Like taking up two spaces at the Home Depot on Route 9? I'd leave a nasty note. About six months ago I watched a guy in a beat up F-150 park across three lines in a nearly empty lot. Just got out and walked away like it was nothing. I realized he probably had a reason. Maybe his last car got dinged. Maybe he's tired of people not caring about their doors. So now I just shrug. If someone parks crooked in the back row at 8pm, who am I to judge? Has anyone else just stopped caring about these things?

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mila_brown10•1mo ago

Saw a BMW parked across two EV charging spots today

Dude pulled his 3-series right over the lines at the Target off Broadway in Denver, blocking both chargers. No plug even in the car, just sat there with his hazards on. What is the point of even having those spots if people do this?

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wesley385•1mo ago

Found a guy parked across three spaces at the Walmart in Tuscaloosa, so I left a note on his windshield

I was pulling into the lot last Saturday around 2pm and saw this huge lifted truck taking up three diagonal spaces near the front. No handicap plates or anything, just pure laziness. I grabbed a receipt from my glovebox and wrote "Nice parking, hope your engine starts" on it. Stuck it under his wiper blade and walked away feeling like a hero. But here's the thing - I came back out 20 minutes later and someone had already crumpled my note and tossed it on the ground. So I figured maybe leaving a note is pointless, you know? Has anyone actually seen a bad parker change their habits after getting a note or a photo posted online, or do they just laugh it off?

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jenkins.reese•1mo ago

I used to get mad at people parking over the line at Walmart, now I just leave a note

For years I would snap photos and post them here whenever I saw a car blocking two spots in the Mooresville lot, but after finding a $200 scratch on my door from someone who apparently hates careful drivers, I started carrying pre-printed sticky notes that say 'Nice parking, try again.' Has anyone else switched from public shaming to quiet passive aggression?

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bennett.nora•1mo ago

Caught a BMW taking up 4 spots at Target today and the owner shouted at me

Saw a blue BMW straddling 4 spaces in a packed lot near the entrance. Owner came out as I was taking a photo, told me to mind my own business because it's a "nice car." I asked if he thinks his paint is more important than everyone else's time and he just walked away. Made me wonder if these people actually know they're being jerks or if they genuinely think they're special. Anyone else had a parking lot confrontation that made you lose all faith in people?

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felix_williams71•1mo ago

My dad's 1987 Buick could park in any spot back then

I was driving through downtown Raleigh last week and saw a brand new SUV taking up one and a half spaces in a tiny lot. 30 years ago cars were narrow and you could squeeze into anything, now everything's the size of a boat. Do you think parking spaces have actually gotten smaller or are we just driving bigger vehicles now?

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