March 2002

What makes this melonhead so special?  I don't mean that in terms of what makes him (or her) so
special that he thinks he's entitled to take up two parking spots.  What I mean is, what makes this
so special that it warrants being 'Tard of the Month?  After all, parking across more than one spot
isn't all that unusual to see in the Atlanta area.  It has become quite common, actually, in a sad
sort of way.  I know, I know, people do that because they want to avoid dents and dings resulting
from other people being careless when they open their car doors next to them.  (Sometimes I get
e-mails from people arguing that the danger of door dings actually justifies parking across two spots,
to which my response is simply: What if we ALL parked like that, then?)  And no, I'm not picking on
this guy because the car is just a relatively cheap little Ford Escort.  It might not be an expensive
car, but I'm sure that the owner worked hard for it and wants to avoid having it damaged as much as
the next guy.  I don't blame him one bit for having that desire. 

That all having been said, I've selected this photo for TOTM because not only is the car parked
across two spots, and not only is it parked perpendicular across those spots (instead of simply on
the white line either straight or diagonally), but it is parked perpendicular across two spots -- backed
up against a curb!  All someone has to do is park his/her vehicle directly in front of this car -- in the
proper direction -- and this guy is practically boxed in!  I don't know about other people, but I was
taught a basic rule of thumb about parking: Always park in a manner that allows you to leave.  For
example, when parking along the side of a street behind another car, don't get so close to the car
in front so that you'll have to back up in order to leave, because by the time you want to leave,
someone might have parked behind you so close that you have no room to back up, and then
you're screwed.  I was tempted to park my car right in front of this car and then film the owner's
reaction when s/he came out.  It would have been kind of funny, don't you think?  But alas, I had
places to go, people to see.