brucemillar
MB Enthusiast
- Joined
- Nov 18, 2010
- Messages
- 8,661
- Car
- C55 AMG Wagon - W124 300te 4matic Wagon - BMW 4.8is X5 E53 - SWB Pajero 3.5 V6 24v
So today I find myself at a pre-booked hospital appointment. This means that I have to park in the Hospitals Pay & Display Car Park. What could be a more simple, stress free task, I hear you ask? Or, maybe you are already thinking "it could only happen to him?"
Anyway. The entrance to the Car Park splits into two lanes with a ticket machine ahead of the two separate clearly marked and defined lanes & barriers. To assist those who should consider surrendering their driving licenses immediately. The hospital has put up several bill board sized signs in neon coloured lettering, saying: PLEASE USE BOTH LANES. BOTH LANES ARE OPEN. PLEASE USE BOTH LANES.
Now at some point there must be a 'babel fish' that I missed. As I approached the 1/2 mile queue of traffic all waiting patiently (no pun) to use the left hand lane and leaving the right lane completely vacant. Well, me being a kamikaze, devil may care, daredevil type!! I elected to follow the signs and USE BOTH LANES (not at the same time, that would be silly) no I just drove up the vacant right hand lane, to the vacant ticket machine, pushed the button, up went the barrier and I drive in. As I drive in I can hear several cars honking their horns. A quick look and I can see some of the queuing people making angry gestures at me?
Curious, I pull over and walk up the first car who's driver is still honking and shaking his fist at me, whilst his lady passenger looks on.
Me: "Is there a problem?"
Him: "you jumped the queue and that is just rude"
Me: Pointing to the signs. "I followed the signs that say USE BOTH LANES"
Him: " You still jumped the queue, if we all did that it would be chaos"
Me: "I'm not arguing with you. You are meant to use both lanes"
Him: (and I am not making this up) "F*ck off you pratt. You know what you did?"
Me: "I'm leaving now. I have an appointment. Have a nice day"
I then get back in my car (well it's my wife's car) and it's a BMW!!! maybe this explains the anger? I start to circumnavigate the car park in search of a space. Ahead of me are several cars all pulled up on the left waiting on people to leave (and blocking anybody on their left in). I drive slowly past them and continue round the car park. As I approach my entry point, a car pulls out dead ahead of me. The lady driver gives me a cheery wave, which I return as I drive straight into the now vacant space.
As I climb out my car - HONK....HONK.. It's my friend again now parked across my back bumper.
Me: "is there a problem?"
Him: "you just stole my space"
Me: "it's not your space you were waiting back down the other end"
Him: " you should have waited behind me"
Me: " I have every right to be here, I did not force in, you were happily waiting"
Him: "F*ck off you pratt"
Me: " have a nice day I'm off to my appointment"
So what is the etiquette here?
If somebody decides to stop and wait in a car park, should the whole world stop and wait behind them?
I did not see somebody pull out and blast around this guy, to cut in front of him. I was at the complete opposite end of the car park to him, driving at 5mph looking for a space.
Am I meant to decline that space and hail my rude friend over, allowing him to have it? This assumes that in the interim he has not found another space.
Should I have just accepted that we are, after all, in a hospital car park and knocked his teeth down his rude potty mouthed throat, safe in the knowledge that medical attention is on hand?
Should he be eating a full box of de-stress tablets before leaving home along with learning how to read simple, well written signage?
Is it because I is a BMW driver, and a "pratt"
Anyway. The entrance to the Car Park splits into two lanes with a ticket machine ahead of the two separate clearly marked and defined lanes & barriers. To assist those who should consider surrendering their driving licenses immediately. The hospital has put up several bill board sized signs in neon coloured lettering, saying: PLEASE USE BOTH LANES. BOTH LANES ARE OPEN. PLEASE USE BOTH LANES.
Now at some point there must be a 'babel fish' that I missed. As I approached the 1/2 mile queue of traffic all waiting patiently (no pun) to use the left hand lane and leaving the right lane completely vacant. Well, me being a kamikaze, devil may care, daredevil type!! I elected to follow the signs and USE BOTH LANES (not at the same time, that would be silly) no I just drove up the vacant right hand lane, to the vacant ticket machine, pushed the button, up went the barrier and I drive in. As I drive in I can hear several cars honking their horns. A quick look and I can see some of the queuing people making angry gestures at me?
Curious, I pull over and walk up the first car who's driver is still honking and shaking his fist at me, whilst his lady passenger looks on.
Me: "Is there a problem?"
Him: "you jumped the queue and that is just rude"
Me: Pointing to the signs. "I followed the signs that say USE BOTH LANES"
Him: " You still jumped the queue, if we all did that it would be chaos"
Me: "I'm not arguing with you. You are meant to use both lanes"
Him: (and I am not making this up) "F*ck off you pratt. You know what you did?"
Me: "I'm leaving now. I have an appointment. Have a nice day"
I then get back in my car (well it's my wife's car) and it's a BMW!!! maybe this explains the anger? I start to circumnavigate the car park in search of a space. Ahead of me are several cars all pulled up on the left waiting on people to leave (and blocking anybody on their left in). I drive slowly past them and continue round the car park. As I approach my entry point, a car pulls out dead ahead of me. The lady driver gives me a cheery wave, which I return as I drive straight into the now vacant space.
As I climb out my car - HONK....HONK.. It's my friend again now parked across my back bumper.
Me: "is there a problem?"
Him: "you just stole my space"
Me: "it's not your space you were waiting back down the other end"
Him: " you should have waited behind me"
Me: " I have every right to be here, I did not force in, you were happily waiting"
Him: "F*ck off you pratt"
Me: " have a nice day I'm off to my appointment"
So what is the etiquette here?
If somebody decides to stop and wait in a car park, should the whole world stop and wait behind them?
I did not see somebody pull out and blast around this guy, to cut in front of him. I was at the complete opposite end of the car park to him, driving at 5mph looking for a space.
Am I meant to decline that space and hail my rude friend over, allowing him to have it? This assumes that in the interim he has not found another space.
Should I have just accepted that we are, after all, in a hospital car park and knocked his teeth down his rude potty mouthed throat, safe in the knowledge that medical attention is on hand?
Should he be eating a full box of de-stress tablets before leaving home along with learning how to read simple, well written signage?
Is it because I is a BMW driver, and a "pratt"
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