Always be careful in parking lots.... (San Antonio, Howe: home, purchase, bankrupt)

[rynetwo]

This thread is SOOO sideways.

We have a physiologist, an angry father (rightfully so), and psychotic driver all being discussed.

To the OP

Should you have chased her down? No.

Should she drive like that? No.

Should we assume she does this all the time? No.

Should we assume you need anger management? No.

You seem like a reasonable person that overreacted or under reacted I am not here to judge. Even if you would have kicked the idiot driver that wouldn’t have taught them anything. You looking in the parking lot before walking in it unfortunately is the only protection that you/we have. It's not this city nor the shopping center it’s the humans and where every we exist.

[Merovee]

Originally Posted by rynetwo

This thread is SOOO sideways.

We have a physiologist, an angry father (rightfully so), and psychotic driver all being discussed.

To the OP

Should you have chased her down? No.

Should she drive like that? No.

Should we assume she does this all the time? No.

Should we assume you need anger management? No.

You seem like a reasonable person that overreacted or under reacted I am not here to judge. Even if you would have kicked the idiot driver that wouldn’t have taught them anything. You looking in the parking lot before walking in it unfortunately is the only protection that you/we have. It's not this city nor the shopping center it’s the humans and where every we exist.

Fair call and good post.

[Azure110]

Originally Posted by rynetwo

This thread is SOOO sideways.

We have a physiologist, an angry father (rightfully so), and psychotic driver all being discussed.

To the OP

Should you have chased her down? No.

Should she drive like that? No.

Should we assume she does this all the time? No.

Should we assume you need anger management? No.

You seem like a reasonable person that overreacted or under reacted I am not here to judge. Even if you would have kicked the idiot driver that wouldn’t have taught them anything. You looking in the parking lot before walking in it unfortunately is the only protection that you/we have. It's not this city nor the shopping center it’s the humans and where every we exist.

Only in a perfect world. We both know that doesn't exist.

[Hedgehog_Mom]

I've had vehicles speed past me while I was crossing in the crosswalk with my children. If they come really close and it's obvious they're not paying attention, I'll reach out and slap the vehicle. Obviously, that does not dent the vehicle. Generally, at that point they will stop and roll down the window or they will speed off. If they roll down the window, I walk over and say, "Excuse me, but you nearly hit me and my children. I could see that you weren't paying attention. Please, be more aware of your surroundings while you're driving so that no one gets hurt." It happened once when we were in the crosswalk coming from the school...that time it was a kid on his cell phone and not only did he nearly hit us, he actually knocked over the stop sign one of the safety patrols (the 5th graders who volunteer) was holding out to stop traffic.

A couple of times I've had really close calls with vehicles when I'm riding my bicycle and they've stopped to be sure they didn't hit me. I tell them something similiar even though it's a lot more difficult to be calm in that situation.


With all the accidents we hear about lately involving pedestrians or bicycles, it really seems like it's getting too dangerous to walk or ride anywhere. That accident yesterday with the family walking on the sidewalk on Foster Rd is just heartbreaking. It seems like every week a pedestrian or cyclist is hit.

[Bob Buford]

Originally Posted by Merovee

If you see some speed demon then simply avoiding them is enough, drama is unnecessary.

IF...you see them...

It's also a 3000lb+ object. Speed demon = disregard for human life especially in an area that is going to have pedestrians. If someone is excessively speeding in a parking lot then they care less if you're dead. If someone got that close to my family, I'd consider it attempted murder.




Get some discipline, wake up earlier so you're not in a stupid rush like every other soccer mom and learn some patience. Being late or in a hurry because you can't get your act together is no reason to endanger others. In a parking lot, in a subdivision or on the highway.

[lessQQmorePEWPEW]

Originally Posted by Merovee

You ask if the correct thing to do is let get get away with thinking she did nothing wrong?

Well to think one should personally take it upon themselves to not let her "get away with it" is not the correct thing to do. Two wrongs don't make a right.

The correct thing to do is nothing. Nothing happened, it was a non-incident.

confronting someone about how they nearly ran you, your wife and kid over is now a wrong??

geez...

facepalm.jpg

Originally Posted by bspray

I would argue that the OP was not only well within his rights to confront the individual over their behavior but that he also had a civic duty to do it. Based on your own logic, it would be wrong (if not criminal) for you to even challenge me on this.

You lose.

Brian

if you want to get *extremely* technical about it, the woman did commit a felony when she almost ran over 3 people in a parking lot. a civilian is within his/her right to detain her until law enforcement arrives on the scene.

at that point, parking lot surveillance tapes would be taken into evidence. the retard in the SUV can scream and moan all she wants about how she feared her life was in danger, but the surveillance tapes will prove otherwise.

Originally Posted by Me007gold

All most having an accident dose not give you the right to "attack" some one, near accidents happen all the time.

actually, if you feel your life is in danger, it DOES give you the right. in this case, the OP states he was almost ran over (read: KILLED) by an SUV. OP also stated his wife and daughter were almost ran over as well. if thats not fearing for your life, i dont know what is. i do know that in texas, that gives you the right to use force if necessary.

going after the perp. in this case would not be wrong, and the OP could have actually detained her until authorities arrived if he chose to go that route.

Originally Posted by Hedgehog_Mom

I've had vehicles speed past me while I was crossing in the crosswalk with my children. If they come really close and it's obvious they're not paying attention, I'll reach out and slap the vehicle. Obviously, that does not dent the vehicle. Generally, at that point they will stop and roll down the window or they will speed off. If they roll down the window, I walk over and say, "Excuse me, but you nearly hit me and my children.

it sounds like this is what the OP was going to do. people are simply hyping up the 'chase her down' comment as if he were going to use violence. assumption is not a good thing.

Originally Posted by Bob Buford

IF...you see them...

It's also a 3000lb+ object.

not to mention its a 3k+ pound deadly weapon, that if you strike someone with, you can be charged with aggravated assault, a felony.

[BenjaminNicholas]

Originally Posted by runback22

So yesterday while shopping at The Rim, we came within inches of being hit by an idiot in an SUV. Luckily, before we crossed from the parking lot to the store, I noticed this idiot back out of her spot and speed down the aisle. My wife and daughter didnt notice and as I saw her turn in our direction, I grabbed both of them and told them to hold on. Sure enough, this idiot woman comes hauling down doing at least 40-50 mph in front of Kirklands and even though I stopped at the first car and didnt get into the roadway, she came within inches of hitting us.

My first reaction was to kick her car but as I was about to, I second guessed and figured it probably wasnt smart to hit a SUV going that fast. Had I not been paying attention, or if my 4 year old had gotten away from me for some strange reason, we may have been killed.

Now I'm not usually one to do this, but I told my wife to go in the store and I ran after that SUV through the parking lot. I still dont know what I would have done if I got of hold of them, but after nearly killing us, my anger was raging. I ran her down to the end of the shopping center where they stopped and parked. They must have finally seen me running after them as fast and as mad as I could because after opening the door, they quickly shut it and took off like a bat out of hell again.

I've never wanted to get my hands on someone so bad before. So I just needed to vent and remind everyone that this town is loaded with idiots and be safe out there.

Vent all you like. I'm sorry it happened and I'm glad you didn't do anything irrational: It would only result in YOU being detained for doing something silly. Not worth it.


Let's just be glad no one was hurt. That's the number one thing.



BN

[bspray]

Originally Posted by MattTx

As much I had to admit it. In Texas, speed laws are NOT enforced on parking lots. A police officer legally can not write a speeding ticket for "speeding" on a private parking lot like Target or HEB.

A police officer can absolutely write a ticket whether on private property or not. There are state and local laws that dictate parking lot speed limits, it is actually potentially a test question on the state drivers license exam. Ten miles an hour for those that are curious.

Now, whether or not the local department allows their officers to write those tickets and whether or not a traffic court judge would waste their time with someone challenging it is another story. Just because it isn't enforced doesn't mean it's legal. Are other laws (misdemeanor or felony) not enforced on private property?

[skeet09]

I've had folks back up their SUV's while I'm behind the vehicle walking on foot walking towards my vehicle. I've given the vehicle a tap to get them to stop. I also start moving quickly. Most people have rolled down their window and give an apology. I only had one woman at a Wal Mart parking lot tell me as she was leaving that she was looking. I just ignored her. In my mind, I thought about her: no you are wrong and you did not see me and my mother in law were still in your backup path. But then I knew just by the tone of her response, she is looking for a fight. Folks in Wal Mart parking lots can be a whole another breed of driving animal, lol.
I tend to park in certain areas of a large parking lot and always in a way where I can just drive forward out of a parking spot and not have to back up even if it means parking further away. I also tend to shop right when the store opens before the crowd starts getting heavier. The more aggressive drivers tend to sleep later, lol.
I also want to point out that it's not just the aggressive drivers in the parking lots but the pedestrians that are distracted by cell phones or taking their very sweet time crossing the parking lot or completely oblivious to vehicles coming and going. Children darting from parked cars, cars standing in front of stores for a long time in a no parking zone and blocking two way traffic in front of the street, the list continues.
Be careful everyone!

[huckster]

Remember the old man killed in H.E.B. parking lot at Marbach and Loop 410 last year?
Those people are irresponsible already and might flee the scene of the accident too.
These parking lot speedsters do not have the sense God gave a Doughnut.
We all have to stay on our toes and watch for those fools. There are too many to
make any difference with confronting one of them. I commend you for the footchase.
To come to the aid of someone makes us a hero but to confront these types is not.
I see different, do it. It could save someone's life in the future.