This is my neighborhood, and I love it. It's super convenient: I can walk to my choice of grocery stores, the bank, work, and tons of nice shopping and restaurants. It's very dense by Portland standards, as it has a higher percentage of apartments than most other neighborhoods.
But. But, because of said nice shopping and restaurants, this neighborhood is a tourist mecca, for out-of-towners and suburb-dwellers alike. Neither of which know how to parallel park.
As a result of this, sunny days and the Christmas shopping season are a unique kind of urban hell for neighborhood residents.
There is hardly any off-street parking for residents, and what is available comes with exorbitant fees, so it really isn't an option. So everyone parks on the street, myself included. Everyone who lives here and owns a car MUST know how to parallel park, otherwise they will be in deep doo-doo. So that is why I get so angry with the tourists.
For example: on one occasion, I was leaving, and there was an open spot behind me. A big-ass minivan (I hate mini-vans, just on principle) tried to park behind me. Key word: tried. The passenger got out of the van to direct the driver. (Watching that alone is a spectator sport for residents.) As soon as I take off, the van scoots forward, so that it's effectively taking up TWO parking spots! Grrrr! This is not an isolated event. Countless times I see the goddamned suburbanites doing this. It is inconsiderate. If they don't know how to effectively parallel park, they should use the pay parking lots, and leave the street parking for residents, instead of wasting space. Last night, which was the first really warm night in ages, I circled for parking for probably half an hour because of so many tourists wasting two spots with one tiny car.
One day I was looking for parking behind a little, tiny Toyota Corolla. 
They see a [by my standards] huge spot, try to park, fail, the passenger gets out to help the driver, still fail, so they give up and drive off. I swoop into the rejected spot with my twice-as-long Volvo wagon, and park in a few seconds. 
Ta-da! I found that very entertaining. Come on people. Learn how to drive, or stay in the suburbs. But at least that instance worked out in my favor.
(And just for the record, yes, my Volvo flies just like the one in the photo.)
They see a [by my standards] huge spot, try to park, fail, the passenger gets out to help the driver, still fail, so they give up and drive off. I swoop into the rejected spot with my twice-as-long Volvo wagon, and park in a few seconds. Ta-da! I found that very entertaining. Come on people. Learn how to drive, or stay in the suburbs. But at least that instance worked out in my favor.(And just for the record, yes, my Volvo flies just like the one in the photo.)
2 comments:
You should see people trying to park at New Seasons in my neighborhood. I left notes on car windows for a while...
I can park the big 'ole gas guzzling Bravada better than drivers Toyota Prius or other 'small' cars. Sometimes, I think Honda Civic drivers are the worst.
Thanks for the rant. And good job on the parallel parking.
Thank you, I'm often complimented on my parallel parking skills.
Hey, was I supposed to call you last Sunday? I thought you were going to call me, but then I never heard from you. I was too tired to do anything that day though, because I was out until 3 the night before.
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