I've mentioned in the past how little I like parking lots. In particular, I am annoyed by people who sit in the middle of the lane, blocking other people's progress while they wait for a plummy spot. I make it a habit never to hover unless I actually see the brake lights of the car pulling out. This is for three reasons:
1. It won't hurt me to walk a few extra spaces, no matter how bad the weather might be.
2. As the mother of small children, I find it both nerve-wracking and irritating when someone sees me stop at my car and puts on their blinker, and then proceeds to wait, glaring at me (and probably missing several other open spots) while I unload children and bags from stroller, fasten children into car seats, load bags into car, fold stroller and load it into car, and then finally get in myself. It takes a long time, people, and hovering doesn't speed the process. (Actually, there has been at least one study done showing that people take longer when someone is hovering. I have done that myself, in particularly egregious cases of people who have been obnoxious about it - hint: if you want my spot, don't honk at me to hurry me up - although usually I do try to be expedient, especially if it's just me and the parking lot is very full.)
Very often (in fact, just the other night, which is what made me think of it), I can find a space a little farther away and be practically inside my destination before the car I would be waiting for pulls out. (Indeed, given that I drive a gigantic minivan, I often save even more time and aggravation by finding a more open space that's easier to pull into.) What would I have saved by waiting?
1. It won't hurt me to walk a few extra spaces, no matter how bad the weather might be.
2. As the mother of small children, I find it both nerve-wracking and irritating when someone sees me stop at my car and puts on their blinker, and then proceeds to wait, glaring at me (and probably missing several other open spots) while I unload children and bags from stroller, fasten children into car seats, load bags into car, fold stroller and load it into car, and then finally get in myself. It takes a long time, people, and hovering doesn't speed the process. (Actually, there has been at least one study done showing that people take longer when someone is hovering. I have done that myself, in particularly egregious cases of people who have been obnoxious about it - hint: if you want my spot, don't honk at me to hurry me up - although usually I do try to be expedient, especially if it's just me and the parking lot is very full.)
Very often (in fact, just the other night, which is what made me think of it), I can find a space a little farther away and be practically inside my destination before the car I would be waiting for pulls out. (Indeed, given that I drive a gigantic minivan, I often save even more time and aggravation by finding a more open space that's easier to pull into.) What would I have saved by waiting?
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