Some People Are Spiteful for No Reason At All, How About You?

SeaBreeze

Endlessly Groovin'
Location
USA
I've heard stories on the radio in the past about how some people will be extra slow and take extra long if they know that someone is waiting for them to leave so they can have their parking space.

Today we were at the park and saw a lady getting into her car about to leave, her space was right near the entrance, so my husband just waited off to the side behind her for her to pull away so we could use the spot. We were in no hurry at all.

After waiting a few minutes, we started wondering what was taking her so long. I said maybe she'll on her cell phone making a call, or doing something with her dog. My husband playfully reminded me of the people who know that you're waiting for them, and spitefully stall as long as they can just to annoy you.

I told him that when I know someone is waiting for me to move out of a spot, I usually rush instead of slowing down. He reminded me that not everyone was like me. We both knew that the lady wasn't doing anything on purpose, but we had a few laughs during our little speculative conversation while waiting for her to leave.

Have you ever taken a long time leaving somewhere on purpose, just because you wanted someone to wait until you were good and ready to go? Do you ever rush if you know someone is waiting for you to leave? Or do you completely ignore the fact that somebody is waiting, and go at your normal pace? Or are you unaware that anyone is ever waiting for your parking spot?

This doesn't have to only relate to cars and parking. In any situation, do you spitefully act in a certain way to annoy someone else, or do you generally do what you can to cooperate and make things more pleasant for them?
 

I do my best to treat other's as I would like to be treated. Am I always successful? Nope, usually need to be considerably provoked first. Of course, if you hurt my family, related, or chosen, that changes things.
 

I have a tendency to rush a bit if I know someone is waiting. I see a lot of spitefulness going on though. I see a lot of thoughtlessness and lack of consideration also. When you stop your car to let people cross and they just saunter along like they have all day,or walk right down the middle of the parking lot holding up traffic. When I am in a store and see that a person has only one item and I have a large order I always let that person go before me. I really do try to treat people the way I would want to be treated.
 
I don't know what it is about Tri-state. Really I'm trying to teach younger son to drive. In the official driving manual if you have a solid line you can't pass. Here it's a solid line and people will pass on BOTH sides, so you best signal early and MAYBE they won't crack into you...and that's just so they can be first at the red light ahead. I am not kidding.
 
I don't know what it is about Tri-state. Really I'm trying to teach younger son to drive. In the official driving manual if you have a solid line you can't pass. Here it's a solid line and people will pass on BOTH sides, so you best signal early and MAYBE they won't crack into you...and that's just so they can be first at the red light ahead. I am not kidding.
I believe it! The road rage is terrible also. I have about 8 miles to go to the food store and breathe a sign of relief every time I pull into our drive way.
 
I used to rush to please other people.

Then I became spiteful.

Now, I don't drive, so that removes a lot of the rage. On foot and at the store there are a few situations that could get me angry, but at this point I just do what I do. If they don't like it, it's their problem, not mine.
 
Only once have I been spiteful over a parking space. I had two little kids who needed to be strapped in and the guy waiting to get my spot called out "Hurry up old girl". Well the old girl suddenly found she had to move ever so slowly.
 
You have just described living in New Jersey;)

In MA too. :sentimental: I would never act spitefully for no reason, but I have waited in the parking lot while someone was waiting for my parking spot. I consider the person idling behind my car to be the one acting impolitely but I can understand it. Parking is at such a premium. Still, I have the right to get myself organized in my car before I pull away from a parking spot whether or not someone else is anxious to pull into it. :eek:
 
As I am walking back to my car I have my keys in my hand and I wave them at anyone who looks like they are searching for a space. If I'm not intending to drive away I shake my head to let them know. It costs me nothing to be sociable but I think being spiteful always costs in terms of social capital.
 
The only spiteful thing I may do is in the Grocery aisle when someone his perusing the shelves completely oblivious to the fact that their shopping cart is in the dead center of the aisle and blocking traffic... I may just bump my cart with mine "pretending" to try to get around it.. Then I apologize earnestly... while thinking to myself "wake up you ignorant dork" and go on my merry way.

As for parking places.. If I see someone is waiting I will try to move quickly..
 
Rarely, I think. I'm the guy who lets another driver in ahead of me, the one who passes up a parking place close to the store because it's not a problem for me to walk a few extra steps, the one who invites the person behind me in the check out line to go ahead if they only have a few things and I have a basketful. Someday, I'll be the one who needs the favor and maybe good karma will remember that.
 
Seabreeze,
you ought to read a very funny book called Tupper Isn't Going Out. It is all about parking in New York and how one man deliberately stays in his parked car
and doesn't care if people are waiting for him. Then he becomes a local celebrity. He never goes out of his spot.
 
I usually go out of my way to be polite to strangers. The only two occasions when I am intentionally rude...Those people who lay on their horn. The traffic is backed up two lights and no one is going anywhere soon. But there are always the clowns who think they can magically clear the road. It would be totally out of line for this area, but there's this bumper sticker " Keep Beeping, I'm Reloading".

The other one is over books. There are these used book stacks at the library. Great fun finding a new assortment every visit. But sometimes there are these two guys with smart phones. Maybe they're scanning books for resale value? But GRRRRRR let me pick out mine and THEN you can block the shelves for hours...
 
I do hurry up if someone is waiting for my spot. I don't tend to dawdle in a car anyway. I honestly don't understand being deliberately rude. I think what we do matters.
 
I don't like to be spiteful to people. I guess I'm more apt to hurry. My husband gets mad at people that will hold up a whole line of traffic, just to wait for a good parking place. When it's 110* outside that tends to make people crabby. We see this a lot around the first of the month at our Super Wal-mart where a lot of the mt people go to shop.
 
I always find it amusing how you'll enter a big store lot and there will be open spots for miles around the outskirts. But everyone is backed up and angry for the twenty spots in front of the store. I mean sure if you're disabled or have small kids you want to be close to the door. But all those wacky people probably just feel more entitled than having to walk. I'm not a whiz at parking, I'll find an empty spot miles out there.
 
I do hurry up if someone is waiting for my spot. I don't tend to dawdle in a car anyway. I honestly don't understand being deliberately rude. I think what we do matters.

I'm with You karen...I'm exactly the same and I agree ..the way we treat people matters a lot where Karma is concerned, I really believe that..
 
Ouch, driving-mortal combat. Spite equals screw you I'm gonna do what I want with the perp showcasing the few seconds in a day they will actually have somekind of input or control over a situation.
 
The only spiteful thing I may do is in the Grocery aisle when someone his perusing the shelves completely oblivious to the fact that their shopping cart is in the dead center of the aisle and blocking traffic... I may just bump my cart with mine "pretending" to try to get around it.. Then I apologize earnestly... while thinking to myself "wake up you ignorant dork" and go on my merry way..

BINGO! I am with you on that! It seems that half the people in the stores are totally oblivious to those around them. I, too, have become quite adept and "bumping and apologizing"...especially when one of these clowns seems totally enthralled with a conversation on their cell phone. My other Pet Peeve is the person who goes to the "20 items or Less" checkout, with a full cart...and I just have one or two items in my hand. I haven't quite figured out a judicious way to express my disdain for that type.

Insofar as parking spaces...I almost always park well back in the lot. My vehicles look like new and have no dents, etc....and I try to keep them that way. Crowding into the close in spaces invites a collection of door dings and paint scratches...plus, some of those people will pull in so close to another car that a person almost has to be a contortionist to squeeze back into the drivers seat. And...the little extra walking does my old body some good.
 
As I am walking back to my car I have my keys in my hand and I wave them at anyone who looks like they are searching for a space. If I'm not intending to drive away I shake my head to let them know. It costs me nothing to be sociable but I think being spiteful always costs in terms of social capital.

You're too good Warri. That's a very considerate thing for you to do. :eek:
 


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