What would you do? Work vehicle blocking road.

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I was getting lunch at a fairly popular shopping area with off-street parking. It was tough finding a spot, but then one opened up.

When I get back there's a tow truck blocking about four spaces, including mine. Engine is running and no driver in the cab. I just sort of stand outside and maybe hope the driver notices. I don't see any activity going on that would require a tow truck, and I'm thinking the driver just left to get lunch or something. Then I get in my car and honk the horn a few times. At that point I'm frustrated and figure I'll take a photo of the truck's operator and state license number if I feel like complaining to the owner/manager.

Eventually the driver gets there and moves (blocking another set of parking spaces). Then he motions to me as I leave and I'm wondering what his deal is. He asks why I took the photo. I say I was ticked off about being blocked and was thinking of filing a complaint, and if he thought I did anything illegal. At that point I'm not going to complain, but it did cross my mind to have some proof my car was blocked along with the phone number and state operator's license.
 
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I always give work vehicles a rebate on annoyances. After all, they work for us. But there should be some mutual respect too.
 
Should have jumped in and moved it far enough to unblock your car. There's no way I would have done that, but you definitely should have!

Edit: And I would file a formal complaint. Everybody works for somebody, but that does not give them the right to unnecessarily block vehicles. If he was in the process of towing/jumping/fueling another vehicle and needed to be positioned there to do that, it is completely different, but to park and leave the vehicle is unacceptable.
 
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Originally Posted By: yeti
first world problems.you could have mounted the truck, and peed in the cowl.have a good night.


+1. Pee in the cowl.
 
I've learned my lesson. When someone does the wrong thing, take out the video camera. Without video proof, of the vehicle, driver and behavior, it's a "He Said,,, She Said" type of argument with law enforcement and eventually the courts.

I had a drunk guy go nuts on my car, and then claim in court that he never exited his vehicle. Even though I have $1500 worth of knuckle/fist dents in my RH quarter panel.

He got away with it. I have a damaged car and did nothing wrong.
 
2 words.

DASH CAM

I have mine now and like it a lot.
Nothing better than video evidence.

What would I do in a situation like the OP ?
Maybe start snooping around his truck,
if he thought you were stealing something, he would be out pretty quick.
 
I would have called the phone number on the truck and told them you work for the property management at that location and they better get the truck moved immediately because you already have a tow truck on the way to remove it because it's blocking customers' vehicles.
 
The truck driver had to eat lunch too.

Probably no place to park the oversized vehicle at the popular restaurant.
 
Obligatory:
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I guess it depends on the time frame. If the driver is inside for 5 minutes getting a sandwich, probably no big deal.

If the drive goes in and has a sit-down meal, that's a problem.

I've adopted the take a picture/video and call the number on the truck.

That's the thing about commercial vehicles. Most have someone you can call. Most are plastered with some sort of unit number in addition to the tags.

Once or twice a year I witness an operator so dangerous that it warrants a phone call to the company.

But being delayed 5 minutes really isn't big in the grand scheme of things. I spend more time than that in any given day sitting at red lights.
 
In this state, dial *lsp after waiting five minutes.

Our state troopers are good guys and would handle it.

But honestly, I make it a point to park where I always have an exit.

Sidewalk, median, 2 ft concrete wall...all are equally crossable.
 
Originally Posted By: SuzukiGoat
In this state, dial *lsp after waiting five minutes.

Our state troopers are good guys and would handle it.

But honestly, I make it a point to park where I always have an exit.

Sidewalk, median, 2 ft concrete wall...all are equally crossable.

Silicon Valley during lunch time. Not exactly a place where one can pick and choose a parking spot. They come at a premium and you take what you can get.

I wouldn't have an issue if he was actively helping someone. I might not even have an issue if he parked off to one of the islands where he wasn't preventing anyone from leaving a parking space. This place also had a back area with loading docks. There would have been plenty of places to park. I was waiting several minutes from an acknowledgement of who was responsible for this thing. I didn't even get anything after I honked.

I was about to just leave once he moved, but he seemed freaked out that I took a photo of the side and the phone number of the towing business.
 
People love to block in big trucks too. I was offloading heavy exterior steel studs at a shopping mall renovation, when this women parked behind me and block me in. Too bad for her, I had a zoom-boom that day. Me and my swamper went for an extra long paid lunch at the food court after that. She had 50,000 other spots she could have parked, and for some reason she chose parking on my vehicle loading ramps. When we came outside she was yelling about being late for work, I retorted that I was late too, as I was blocked in and had other loads to deliver. This picture circled around the company and everyone had a good laugh, including my supervision. Go ahead and complain no-one cares.

 
Most drivers are morons, work construction a bit and you won't feel bad. I have had people run threw work zones, one lady almost drove into an open trench because she was late for something.

Another drove past me and almost hit me as I was backing up a dump truck. The truck driver saw it and tried to nail the CRV but he drove up on the curb.

I have zero sympathy for none commercial drivers, I love it when cops are around they get to deal with the idiots.

The best was when some idiot in a dually with towing mirrors whacked one of my guys in a work zone and took off. He was promptly chased down and arrested for a hit and run in a work zone. Moron.
 
Originally Posted By: CurtisB
People love to block in big trucks too. I was offloading heavy exterior steel studs at a shopping mall renovation, when this women parked behind me and block me in. Too bad for her, I had a zoom-boom that day. Me and my swamper went for an extra long paid lunch at the food court after that. She had 50,000 other spots she could have parked, and for some reason she chose parking on my vehicle loading ramps. When we came outside she was yelling about being late for work, I retorted that I was late too, as I was blocked in and had other loads to deliver. This picture circled around the company and everyone had a good laugh, including my supervision. Go ahead and complain no-one cares.




At one of the local marinas a moron did that blocking the travel lift. Said morons car was picked up with a fork lift and moved. You should have just pushed the car over and left. Paying an insurance claim is cheaper than tying up a several hundred thousand dollar piece of equipment.
 
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I parked in front of a UPS store and there were lots of spots right up front, snagged the only one available. After I was done I came out and a FedEx truck (not sure why he was at a UPS store) was parked behind me infront of a fire lane. There was enough room for one car to pass inbetween us and I waited and waited because when backing up I didn't have enough room and would have hit his truck or the car next to me. I saw him and we got into an argument, I told him it's illegal to park in a fire lane and to move his truck that I can't fit out. I called FedEx and followed him out of the parking lot, he sure was taking off fast trying to get away from me. I gave them the truck's license plate number.
 
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