This happened to me today:

I pulled into a parking lot. The only space available was narrow for my wide car, but I pulled in neatly, always conscious of the distance between the neighboring cars and me. Ample room on both sides for others to maneuver.

I returned 2 hours later. Different cars parked on either side of me. A note stuck on my windshield. It read:

YOU NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PARK.

RUDE!!

Hmm. Okay, yes that hurt. But.... I truly could not understand. And I was parked straight, and not sticking out front or back.

I drive a big car. It's what I have... a Crown Vic. People's perceptions of such a car and their drivers are often presumptuous. That's one reason I can think of for such a note. But the other is... and this may affect some of you... I had no other option for parking however "rudely" I did. I was fenced in by the cars around me.

Something to consider the next time you assume that someone parked the way she did out of sheer willfulness.

Extremely presumptious and RUUUUUDE. There's a lesson to be learned here - sometimes you can't accurately judge appearances or a situation without knowing the history behind why people make a certain choice. You had a perfectly good reason to park the way you did, but the history behind your actions was erased ...

Well, that would "hiss" me off for sure!

You know, once, here at the apartments, there was a young man who drove an old 1960's pickup truck. The truck had obviously fallen into disrepair, for, in our parking lot, it was dripping gasoline, and exuded the steely, intense petroleum smell of pure gasoline.

Worse, he'd set the truck to revving on a cold morning--- for about an hour prior to his departure.

The entire apartment complex would then be stifled in the steely, pernicious odor of pure, raw gasoline... a smell that could wake you from your sleep, and permeate your own dwelling for hours. This went on for about two or three weeks.

It was too much for this "nose".

Finally, I did: I wrote a most polite--- but crystal-clear-- note for him which I taped onto his side-window glass. It was a friendly note, but it said that I wasn't prepared for his neglect of his car to continue.

I could've signed off with "A concerned neighbor", but I figured it would show more personal character and fiber if I signed my real name and gave my apartment number.

The next day, this young thug came up to my door and was fully prepared to punch me with his fist... this was obvious. For a brief moment, I literally expected him to hit me.

Finally, his tough-guy mien dissolved... replaced with something almost resembling a young boy's hot frustrated tears.

"I'm just not made of money, y'know! My job hardly pays nothing, and I've been meaning to get this truck problem fixed...and...and...and..."

I forgave him, and he fixed the truck that very day.

A part of me felt like a mean old noodzh and busybody (but most of me felt I'd done the right thing, frankly...)

Oh there are lots of people who like to leave anonymous nasty notes; it makes the powerless feel powerful for a moment:

http://www.passiveaggressivenotes.com/ (some of these are very funny)

My ex husband once got a note which said "next time you park so close please be kind to leave a can opener" , I am of course editing out the amusing language , but I was in stitches. This note was made on printed paper bearing the image of an annoyed looking Mickey Mouse flipping the bird , which I think added to the overall effect.

Wonderful intervention, Rasputin! Glad the guy's anger instantly melted. Tailor the message, get the result.

This reminds me of the notes a former friend would put on her fridge; she'd smoke in non-smoking buildings, play very loud music at all hours, inadequately train her loud dog, and actively say that everyone who didn't like it could hiss off. Very selfish person, very "I'm special, charming, gorgeous and get away with things." And lo and behold, meek, tentative, beseeching notes would find their way under her door and onto her fridge. As the techno blared and the dog howled and the abandoned cigarettes burned down in the ashtrays. I did try to impress upon her that it is good that people exercise their freedoms up to the point where they encroach upon the freedoms of others, but she would have none of it, and exercised her freedoms up to the point where she could no longer get away with it. Trail of quickly switched apartments and shared arrangements, trail of friends gained and lost, trail of little notes, as indulgent and desperate in tone as she was beautiful, incredibly unique in personal style, and superficially charming.

Magdalene, were you parked in a space marked "small cars" or "compacts?" I find it very annoying when a vehicle that clearly is not small is parked in one of those spaces, making it impossible for anyone in a small car to park on either side, so they are effectively taking up three spaces.

Where I live, most people park on the street. Some people have no common sense and will block in someone's car, making it impossible to get out. Since I like to exercise anyway, I don't mind parking a block away so I have more room, leaving the stupid, lazy slobs to park in front of my building. I really wish they'd mark off parking spaces.

[quote name='PerfumeMe' date='Sep 27 2008, 10:26 AM' post='407673']
Magdalene, were you parked in a space marked "small cars" or "compacts?" I find it very annoying when a vehicle that clearly is not small is parked in one of those spaces, making it impossible for anyone in a small car to park on either side, so they are effectively taking up three spaces. [/quote ]

No, despite rumors that persist about the owners of large sedans, I'm not [i]that [/i]clueless....! Standard parking lot, well marked because it is new, and designed to hold the giant SUVs and pickup trucks that populate the area... And there was plenty of room on either side when I parked (as I noted in my post, I believe), and when I returned.

My main point is this: Please think twice before you jump to conclusions. Your assumptions are only assumptions, not truth. Things aren't always what they seem.

I know I will after this experience.

http://www.toothpastefordinner.com/ Hee! This note's not on a windshield, though...

I'm sorry that happened to you Magdalene. Maybe the people were just having a bad day and decided to take it out on you. That's wrong.

I can relate. I received a very rude note on my vehicle (a pickup truck with a camper on it) up in Montreal this summer. The note (obviously written by a native French speaker, written in English) accused us of being rude Americans who don't care about anyone but ourselves, that this was not a Walmart parking lot, and that they paid taxes to park on the street (we were parked in the street next to our apartment building, opposite a row of houses - I assume the note writer lived in our same apartment building or the houses across the street).

The note ASSUMED that we were not locals, didn't also pay taxes, and that public street parking in front of his house was HIS property. All false.

But of course you know what they say about ASSumptions. :-)

Caz............I just don't picture you in a pickup truck with a camper on it!

You are correct, I'm not really a "camping" girl - I flew up with one dog, and BF drove up in the camper with the other dog and the two cats from San Diego. I think I got the better end of the deal!

I think that I can relate to what this young guy was feeling. When a person is going through a period of hardship, they can be more sensitive to criticism; esp. about things that they can't help.
Several years ago, we had a Ford Escort station wagon. I accidently knocked out the back windshield by slamming the hatchback down on some groceries that were sticking out. At the time we had a severe financial hardship due to a strike at my husband's workplace and he had to quickly take a temporary lower paying job to take up the slack. We couldn't afford to replace the windshield right away and I felt very embarrassed and self conscious to be driving around like that.
On top of that, one of our tires went bad, and I found myself having to put air in it constantly, until we could get a new tire. I didn't know how, but I had to learn. One day, one of our aquaintances told me. "Tell your husband he needs a new tire." (Really, I don't think he's aware of that. Or of the fact he has no back windshield, either, lol, I was thinking) But what I said, was, "Thanks, I'll do that." But inside I was steaming. It should have been obvious by our having no back windshield and a constantly flat tire that we were having trouble financially.

I"ve seen cards that one can buy to leave on parked cars. One was really rude and it said "If you ###### like you park, I'm surprised you ever get in".

How about "Those jeans make you look FAT!"

LOL!!!!!

YOU ARE TOO FUNNY!!!

I have to confess that I have left notes on windscreens.

I have a massive hate for people who leave their dog(s) in their car with the windows rolled down just about an inch so the poor thing can breathe.....
This, particularly in our Australian climate, is surely not legal. Animals can die quicker than babies can in a closed car once the temperature climbs.
Babies have been killed the same way too.
If the abandonment is an emergency, then at least the engine and the airconditioner should be left running !!!! Or the driver should send someone else for help and keep the motor going...



On a lighter note - I love Rufus' post.
LOVE IT !!!!