Things to say to inconsiderate/impatient/law-breaking drivers?

[SadieKate]

Eh, save your breath. Last week I asked a grandmother why she took up the last two spaces and she replied that she couldn't get it (a Suburban) between the lines. I refrained from asking her if she was also teaching her 2 grandchildren standing next to her that the law didn't apply to her family.

If she can't park the car legally, I'm sure she can't drive it down the road legally either.

[Irulan]

Eh, save your breath. Last week I asked a grandmother why she took up the last two spaces and she replied that she couldn't get it (a Suburban) between the lines. I refrained from asking her if she was also teaching her 2 grandchildren standing next to her that the law didn't apply to her family.

If she can't park the car legally, I'm sure she can't drive it down the road legally either.

This is off topic but appropriate...

1870 Dollars in Parking Fines - People Behaving Badly

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okQEh...layer_embedded

[zoom-zoom]

This is off topic but appropriate...

1870 Dollars in Parking Fines - People Behaving Badly

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okQEh...layer_embedded

Oh, my dad used to do that with my grandma's placard, even when she wasn't with him...always made me mad! Buncha lazy, out-of-shape, opportunistic losers. Do people in other countries do stuff like this, or is this solely a "dirty American" trait? It was embarrassing to me when my dad would do that, since everyone KNEW he was perfectly able-bodied and it's not even like parking spaces are a premium anywhere he goes.

[marni]

I drive my FIL (90 years old, legally blind) to the gym where he works with a trainer/exercise therapist 2x a week. Although there are 6 handicapped parking spaces in front of the gym there are rarely any parking openings. Usually 1 or at most 2 cars will have disabled placards. The rest are big SUVs or ford 150 s which I know are driven by non physically- mentally I can't say- handicapped and obviously (just taking a guess here since they are parked at the gym) drivers. I have called the parking police and was informed that since it is in a strip mall\/private property they can't leagally do anything except patrol it and ticket those they catch entering or leaving a vehicle but they don't have the resources to leave someone there watching. Gym management is sympathetic but claim that they can't do anything invovling policing the clients unless the parking or state police get involved.

Fortunately they have a pull thru driveway so I usually end up letting him out at the door, getting him inside and then finding parking. Reversing the process when we leave.

It is very frustrating. I accidentally parked in a handicapped parking space when we first got to the netherlands because I couldn''t read the sign. The fine was the equivalent of about $500 . I never made that mistake again.

marni

[pll]

Do people in other countries do stuff like this, or is this solely a "dirty American" trait?

Yes, they do. $1870 in fines would certainly make a case.

[radacrider]

This is off topic but appropriate...

1870 Dollars in Parking Fines - People Behaving Badly

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okQEh...layer_embedded

hahaha - love it cuz I see so many people abusing the blue spaces.

[SadieKate]

This is off topic but appropriate...

1870 Dollars in Parking Fines - People Behaving Badly

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okQEh...layer_embedded

Oh, excellent!