Competitive Parking

I just have to write about something I find to be extremely ironic and amusing.

I drive a lot.  Which means I also park a lot.  I park at Walmart.  I park at the Texas Roadhouse on 5400 South just west of Redwood.  I park at the state capitol during the legislative session.  Each of these can be challenges in their own way when it comes to parking.  But there is another location that consistently takes the cake: the Kearns Fitness Center!

It is amazing to me that people will stop and plug up traffic to wait for someone who is getting into their car when there is an empty parking spot 4-5 stalls down.  I might be a little less amused if the people who did this were physically limited in some way and the close access parking spots were full.  But what I usually see is people plugging up traffic just to get a spot a little closer to the door and then those people get out and go play basketball or jump on a treadmill or elliptical trainer.

Let me get this straight.  You came here to work out, but are too lazy to walk/jog/run/whatever the extra 50 or even 100 feet from a parking spot that is more than 10 feet away from the front door?  Instead of having to do all that extra work, you circle the parking lot repeatedly, then plug traffic waiting with your blinker on while someone gets into their car.  I can't tell whether I'm supposed to admire their persistence, efficiency, or neither...but it's funny.