8 Unwritten Parking Rules People Should Stop Breaking

Some people think that everyone can be a bad driver under certain circumstances, but maybe it’s not as simple as that. People usually spend a few hours in their cars every day, which makes driving a mechanical activity. They feel secure in what they’re doing, and that’s why they can often lose their concentration and make mistakes. But it is different from being in complete disregard for other drivers, especially when it comes to parking.

Bright Side would love it if every single driver in the world could understand certain unwritten rules, so we can all be happy and safe as we drive around town.

1. Taking up 2 spots or parking diagonally

• “1. They choose to, perhaps to avoid damage to their car.
  2. They’re incompetent.
  3. The cars surrounding them when they parked were driven by people in categories 1 and or 2.” Craig Good / Quora
• “Here in Brooklyn, we see that frequently. Some people are bad parkers. I’ve seen people with very small cars take a dozen tries to parallel park in a spot they could have easily just pulled into without difficulty. Some people don’t pay attention. Some people are oblivious to the dimensions of their car and are worried about blocking a curb cut or a fire hydrant.” Eleanor Lang / Quora

2. Double parking

• “I would say that the majority of people who double-park either don’t notice that they are double-parked or are in a serious hurry. Some people have vehicles that are too big for the spaces as drawn in a parking lot — some lots have gradually made their spaces narrower, even though more people are driving SUVs. Of course, this isn’t always the case. Some people do feel entitled to the space, or they are arrogant enough that they don’t care about taking space from somebody else who also needs it.” Jacob B Sommers, Professor to Cats / Quora
• “Presumably, they think they will be very quick and no one will notice.” Garth Hodnett / Quora

3. Leaving shopping carts anywhere

It’s considered common courtesy to return your cart to where you got it from so other people can use it after you. However, many people are lazy and don’t want to walk those extra steps to do that if they are parked too far from the cart receptacle. Maybe they have a kid that they can’t leave on their own, or the weather is extremely bad. Whatever the reason, the problem is that they will often abandon their cart at some other parking spot, making it harder for others to park there.

4. Blocking the sidewalks and other people’s driveways

In May 2020, a bill was passed in Arizona that made it illegal for cars to even partially block a sidewalk with their cars. That is because people with disabilities or strollers will have to expose themselves to the road in order to bypass the cars. That is very dangerous for all people, and drivers will think twice about blocking a sidewalk, since there is a fine of $250.

5. Lurking over other people’s spots

• “2 reasons:
  1. It’s easier for them to park using your car as a reference point. Some people really just don’t know the size of their own vehicle.
  2. Because it bugs you. People see someone parked away from everyone else that doesn’t want anyone near their car and knowing it will tick you off, and you can’t do a thing about it, they park near your car. I do this only when someone is intentionally taking up multiple parking spaces in an attempt to ensure no peasants park next to their luxury car/souped-up POC.” Herbivore / Quora
• “A sense of security is the reason why people tend to huddle and park their vehicles, whether it be horses, cattle, or bikes in seeable distances of each other.” Mukesh Sharma / Quora

6. Forgetting about the speed limit

Just because many parking lots are privately owned, it doesn’t mean that you should forget all about speed limits and stop signs. If you create an accident, you will still be held liable and criminally guilty if the other person has injuries. Even if there are no speed limit signs, you shouldn’t exceed the 15 m/h limit. There might be kids or other people who are walking, and you won’t see them until it’s too late.

7. Putting out chairs and cones to reserve a spot

Oftentimes, we see people using chairs, traffic cones, and other objects to reserve a specific parking space. The phenomenon is very popular in Pittsburgh, Boston, and Chicago, especially during winter after severe snowfall. People who shovel around their cars want to make sure that they will find the same spot after they return back home. However, it is a practice that’s happening all year round from people who just want to have a definite spot waiting for them.

8. Blocking the parking lane

It is assumed that some people will take longer to leave their spot when they see someone waiting for it. This can result in delays since the car waiting for the spot has other cars behind it waiting for a long time. So, maybe if you notice a parked car taking too long to free up its space, you can move along and free up the road for everyone else. You might lose a spot, but it’s better than creating traffic behind you.

What is the most annoying thing drivers do that isn’t breaking any actual law, but is very annoying for other drivers around them?