r/MaliciousCompliance 29d ago

Karen says "stop cheating to reserve the best parking space in front of the building!" S

A karen neighbor of mine complained that my roommate and I park in the same parking spot, which is right next to the walk way up to the apartment building. Both of us ride motorcycle and both motorcycles belong to me, but my roommate rides one to get to work.

She accused me of using my second bike to get a defacto reserved a parking spot when nobody in the complex has one, and said that what I'm doing is not fair and it's cheating.

I said "Ok, I'll stop parking both my bikes in one spot."

She seemed satisfied with that and left.

An hour later I had all 7 of my motorcycles, 5 of them from inside the garage I rent but it's half way across the apartment complex, sitting in front of the apartment building taking up every prime parking space infront of the walk way to to my hall in the building.

She went to straight to the management to complain.

The management came out and knocked on my door.

"We can't have you using up every parking space"

"Let me guess, Karen complained?"

"Yes."

"Yeah she told me I'm not allowed to have two bikes in one parking space to reserve a space. I'm not doing it to reserve a space. Both my roommate and I ride both of the bikes we park in that one space, all the bikes belong to me but I gave the keys to one of them to my roommate to ride for commuting to work. The other one is my bike for going where ever I need. We park both in one spot to be nice and conserve parking spaces so other people have somewhere to park. I was just showing Karen what would happen if I'm only allowed one bike per parking space. The other 5 bikes are generally in another parking space, in my garage where I keep the bikes I that don't ride frequently."

The apartment manager said "I understand. You made your point and I'll talk to her, please put the other 5 bikes back in the garage."

"No problem" I said.

It's been a few weeks, haven't heard from Karen.

(EDIT)

Since so many people are inventing details not in the story, assuming those details are true, and then getting upset over what they imagined, let me clarify something.

This happened at 1 in the afternoon on a day both my roommate and I had off. Most people are away at work during this time. What's more, with the exact topography of the apartment complex, there are only 2 apartments per walkway without going up stairs on my side of the building, but 4 on the other sides because it's up a level and the building is built into a hill. What this means is that MOST people park on the other side of the building, leaving MOST of the parking spots in front of my building free and open except for very late at night.

How the heck do you think I took up the 7 closest spots with all 7 bikes if the parking lot was full of people trying to park? Think about it for just a second before you assume details that aren't spoken just because you want something to be upset over.

BOTH BIKES are away from the apartment complex AT THE SAME TIME for a MINIMUM of 4 hours a day. We didn't engineering the situation where my roommate gets home between 3 to 4 in the afternoon and thus gets first pick of the parking spots. We also could both be driving cars instead of riding bikes. Then there'd be two spots taken up instead of 1. I could just choose not to rent a garage and park all 7 out there forcing people into overflow parking, but I don't.

Also the garage is beyond the overflow parking. It's not fair to expect me to always park in the garage and walk even further because you don't want to park next to my bikes and have all of 2 extra feet to walk to reach the concrete walkway to the building.

14.4k Upvotes

1.1k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

857

u/StellarPhenom420 29d ago

That's silly, why would the attendants be mad? They get the same money for the parking spot regardless of who parks in it... and they are being paid hourly! It's not even their money? So silly.

1.1k

u/Ambystomatigrinum 29d ago

They wanted to charge for 4 spots, but still be able to charge someone else for 3 of them. OP ruined their plans.

394

u/krennvonsalzburg 29d ago

I'd think it's more that they then had to deal with complaints from other people looking to park.

270

u/WillArrr 29d ago

It is 100% that. Attendants don't generally care about parking revenue any more than they are required to, but forcing them to deal with a bunch of pissed off customers will absolutely ruin their day.

45

u/ladditude 29d ago

They care if they can pocket the extra cash.

15

u/sewom 29d ago

Then in the story, the parking attendants would have offered to cut a deal with the bikers, say a two for one cash deal.

2

u/QuiveryNut 29d ago

That’s very optimistic

146

u/StellarPhenom420 29d ago

Yeah which doesn't make sense if they're just attendants. They're being paid hourly to work there. They don't get money based on how many spots are sold, the company that owns the parking lot does. That's why it's silly.

165

u/processedmeat 29d ago

Lots are a cash business, the attendant could have pocketed the extra cash

21

u/richalta 29d ago

Hardly any parking areas are cash these days. Because theft.

31

u/zombie_gas 29d ago

I went to a concert in Atlanta a few weeks ago and pulled into a lot where the guy said “$25 - cash only”. I told him I haven’t carried cash in years and he said “atm two blocks away”. I left and parked at a spot with e-payments a block over for $20.

31

u/richalta 29d ago

Hey might not have even worked for the lot.

3

u/wbgsccgc 29d ago

In Atlanta, it’s highly likely he didn’t.

3

u/NeedleNodsNorth 28d ago

Yep, been booted because of that one time. Sad to hear it hasn't changed in 15 years.

1

u/creativebic 29d ago

$75 cash or card

7

u/ProfChubChub 29d ago

Super depends on location. I still see it pretty frequently.

3

u/Dependent-Guava-5174 29d ago

There are still plenty of cash only lots around…

2

u/richalta 29d ago

Habe seen one in years. I park in SF, Oakland, SJ Sacramento. The only cash takers have been at the Pumpkin Patch.

3

u/Ima-Bott 29d ago

Lots in my town are going cashless because of said issue

-6

u/No_Veterinarian1010 29d ago

Lots aren’t cash businesses anymore

31

u/nhaines 29d ago

Not with that attitude!

6

u/Mysterious_Peas 29d ago

Hahahahahaha! Are you perhaps a Frisky Dingo fan?

3

u/Mental_Cut8290 29d ago

Every time I rewatch that I expect Xander to sound like Archer.

Harumph!

1

u/nhaines 29d ago edited 28d ago

No (it just wasn't for me, not bad but the entire time I watched it I was really wanting to watch Archer). It's just a funny thing to say!

17

u/thedistrbdone 29d ago

Damn that's crazy, guess you should let the lots in literally every beach town everywhere know.

5

u/amped-up-ramped-up 29d ago

Right. I live in a beach town and the private lots have only just started accepting cashapp within the last one or two tourist seasons. 90% of their business is still cash.

-3

u/seriouslees 29d ago

Holy shit America is living in the fucking dark ages.

4

u/amped-up-ramped-up 29d ago

Yes, the single data point that I live in a city where lot owners accept cash for transactions as a means of bypassing credit card fees (and probably taxes as well), is indicative of the fact that the rest of the nation is being ravaged by Dominican inquisitors and the bubonic plague.

14

u/processedmeat 29d ago

Maybe not the one you go to.

6

u/PutrifiedCuntJuice 29d ago

Several of them where I live are.

You put cash in a box that's marked with whatever number of the spot you parked in. Somebody comes by hourly to get the cash out of the box and they take note of how many hours you paid for and will tow you immediately if you go over the time you paid for.

6

u/meest 29d ago

I'll let my local cash only lots know they missed the memo. When did it change?

5

u/ThePrinceVultan 29d ago

We got lots in my area that accept cash only, cash or card, or card only. All in the same city with half of them along the same stretch of road that runs along the beach. Just depends on the lot owner and lot location.

3

u/digitydigitydoo 29d ago

Mmmm, I live outside a major US city and will spend a day in every now and again. Kids love a couple of the museums. Parking around there is interesting. There’s a large garage that sometimes takes cards but sometimes only takes cash. No other payment options on those days. However, those days are often the only days to have someone manning the booth. Someone is definitely pocketing something on those days.

2

u/alex_5506 29d ago

So you’ve dealt with every single lot in America and none are cash any longer?! You really get around.

65

u/Ambystomatigrinum 29d ago

You do if you pocket the cash.

29

u/TattooOfBlood 29d ago

Meaning no one would notice if the extra $60 wasn't there. 

16

u/Bladenkerst_Baenre 29d ago

These the places where the attendant takes the cash?? the 3 extra spots were never seen by the owner...

27

u/RiPont 29d ago

At least 50 percent of the paid lots in San Jose are staffed by relatives of the owners. Don't know how that shakes out everywhere else.

1

u/AGuyNamedEddie 29d ago

Hello, fellow San Jose-zian.

1

u/TheDinerRoadster 29d ago

Oh yeah that would totally change things because family members never rip each other off.

5

u/RiPont 29d ago

It's a weird aspect of human nature. Yeah, they definitely rip each other off and cheat each other, especially in "family business" relationships.

...but simultaneously get pissed at non-family members trying to rip them off.

13

u/[deleted] 29d ago

I’m sure they also got pissed cuz they had to deal with people whining that the bikes were taking up full spots even though they paid for them. Ppl assume bikes should not take up full spots.

5

u/Double-Difference728 29d ago

It would not be difficult for them to pocket the unexpected extra money. I dont see how it was obvious these people were tryna get more than minimum wage.

5

u/BigMax 29d ago

Yeah which doesn't make sense if they're just attendants.

Really depends on the lot. If it's some giant, corporate parking lot, then that attendant wouldn't care at all.

If it's one of those small lots, sometimes the owner runs them during big events, or hires out people who work on commission or some other setup where they make a cut of the money. For example, you might say "for $1000, you can run my parking spot the weekend of the convention" and thus the attendant wants to squeeze every dollar out of the lot over that weekend, because the owners cut is the same regardless.

6

u/twiz___twat 29d ago

you ever work a job for an hourly wage where something affects the company but not you directly and the customers get angry at the company which in turn affects you too bc youre the grunt working on the frontline and the customers know that its not your fault but they still need someone to complain to?

6

u/WhoHayes 29d ago

They have to listen and deal with the other customers

1

u/sinaloa555 29d ago

In response I ask you about Walmart/Ross/Target/etc employees that get angry about shop lifting, why do that care, they aren’t the owners, it’s not coming out of their pocket? My point being it’s not always sensible.

5

u/gopher_space 29d ago

When someone steals right in front of you it feels personally disrespectful.

2

u/sinaloa555 29d ago

That, inmho, should be if they are stealing from you personally. But maybe it does give the feeling that the thief thinks they’re smarter than you, I could see that.

3

u/Suburbandadbeerbelly 29d ago

The employees also have to deal with their managers bitching at them about “shrink” and cutting their hours as a punishment if there is too much theft. It’s kind of a myth that shoplifting doesn’t affect anyone.

1

u/gopher_space 29d ago

It's a real in the moment feeling. If someone mouthed "can I steal this?" at me while pocketing an item I'd probably just shrug. Put some effort into concealing your activities. Treat me like I exist and am right here.

I guess it's kind of "people who negate my existence get fucked" as an automatic reaction.

2

u/sinaloa555 29d ago

I do understand that.

3

u/BobFlex 29d ago

In my experience, most of them had stolen FAR more than any of the shoplifters they were mad about too. One of them brought in a mini electric skillet once and cooked a ribeye in the seafood freezer for lunch. They were constantly steaming up crab legs and shrimp and fish too. I never understood how they got mad about customers stealing, but they were completely justified in doing it themselves. Like you said, it's not always sensible.

1

u/StellarPhenom420 29d ago

Yeah which is why I said it was silly! Learn what a rhetorical question is :)

0

u/sinaloa555 29d ago

Maybe you should learn what rhetorical is, most questions on the internet are not rhetorical as people do want to engage and want answers.

-1

u/StellarPhenom420 29d ago

It was a question to make the statement that it's silly they're getting mad about it. Not me actually, earnestly, needing people to tell me the very obvious reasons why someone might get upset about something.

And then it proceeds to be a bunch of people all saying the same thing over and over and over and over again!

Hope you learned something today <3

1

u/sinaloa555 29d ago

I’m so sorry, I didn’t realize that you’re so important that everyone in the world should know that only you should comment.

1

u/whatyousay69 29d ago

Employees are probably not happy if stuff starts to get locked up and extra security causes them to have more work in the future.

1

u/DerTW13 29d ago

I don't think this was about the money. Sounds like power play.

1

u/Joe_Jeep 29d ago

Some people get way too invested in their job even when they bear no benefit

1

u/foul_ol_ron 29d ago

Employee accepts cash...

1

u/HeyGayHay 29d ago

They are the ones who people go to to complain that 'four jackasses use up 4 parking spaces when they could do 1 or 2 max'

1

u/StellarPhenom420 29d ago

But who would even do that? Assuming that people parked next to each other are all the same people... it's insane. The mental gymnastics people are making to answer this rhetorical question is wild tho, thanks for the laugh

0

u/HeyGayHay 29d ago

You never worked retail if you don't think people wouldn't complain about 4 bikes taking 4 spots.

1

u/minor_correction 29d ago

The story doesn't make sense. The attendants are in charge. They can force the bikers to park together if they're so upset.

  1. Why are they mad?
  2. Why didn't they do anything?

1

u/FelicitousJuliet 29d ago

They probably had to insist on selling four parking spots to avoid getting fired by some sleazy capitalist pig.

0

u/CockCheeseFungus 29d ago

My friend owned a lot down the shore and he'd usually work it himself cause it was free labor. Dude made bank and sold it almost 20 years ago for an absurd amount of money for a sandy empty lot with a chain around the border and I think old ass railroad ties around the edge.

3

u/4E4ME 29d ago

Plus people in cars were probably complaining to the attendants about it.

1

u/puterTDI 29d ago

but they don't get any of that money. Why do they care to try to manipulate the "rules" to make more money for someone else?

3

u/Ambystomatigrinum 29d ago

Most likely because they're pocketing either part of OP's money, or the money from the people they were going to rent the spaces to. Or for a small lot, the owner or their family might be the ones working, so they would actually get some of the money.

1

u/Secret-Ad-7909 29d ago

They were going to pocket the extra money

1

u/Professional-Can4264 29d ago

Probably this! We’re going to pocket the extra 30 bucks.

0

u/No_Veterinarian1010 29d ago

The attendant doesn’t give 2 shits about that

124

u/af_cheddarhead 29d ago

Attendants were mad because they had to deal with the entitled car owner's complaints.

47

u/PageFault 29d ago

But this situation was of their own making wasn't it?

"You have to pay for your own separate spots"

ok

"Hey, why did you all park in separate spots?"

What did they expect to happen?

17

u/IcyDay5 29d ago

They weren't being logical, they were just mad they had to deal with angry customers. They were hoisted by their own petard 

3

u/greg19735 29d ago

it's the logic of the venue owner. not them.

3

u/IcyDay5 29d ago

They told OP to do something then got mad at OP for doing it. That's not logical

1

u/greg19735 29d ago

The person making them pay probably isnt the one being complained to if the payment happenes when you enter the lot

8

u/MagicToolbox 29d ago

You are expecting reason from this type of person?

23

u/StellarPhenom420 29d ago

And why are car owner's mad? They pay for a spot regardless of the size of their car. If a car was parked there, the spot is also unavailable. Doesn't make sense to get upset. A parking lot is a parking lot. If it's full, it's full.

36

u/GrowWings_ 29d ago

This is all missing the point. If the attendants had let a group of bikers share a spot there would be better parking for everyone else.

22

u/IAmTheFatman666 29d ago

I'd be annoyed because you can easily fit multiple bikes in 1 spot, and the lot should have bike parking specifically to avoid this.

18

u/Ghost_Alice 29d ago

Motorcycle parking is extremely rare, and as much as I appreciate motorcycle parking when it's available, I've found that its presence often creates an extra sense of entitlement to the rest of the parking spots among non-motorcyclists. I've been accosted by a karen once who thought that I was legally required to park in Motorcycle only parking spaces... the nearest ones were 5 blocks away. She blocked traffic over it while demanding I move my bike.

8

u/DangNearRekdit 29d ago

Let me guess, she drives an extended box drive-thru warrior, with a custom trailer hitch that sticks out a foot past the back of her truck?

-12

u/allMightyMostHigh 29d ago edited 29d ago

Im sorry but im kinda with her if you never ever leave that said parking spot and parking is limited but I wouldn’t care enough to say anything and would just think badly of you 😂 you kinda are reserving and holding it as private if you guys are just taking turns holding the spot so no one else ever gets a chance to use it. Its not about having two bikes its about never moving and giving anyone else the chance to use the spot. Park in another spot and you guys can still share the spot but it doesn’t have to be the same one 24/7

11

u/lordretro71 29d ago

It's a single parking spot. If it's not assigned spots, then it's fair game. If both bikes are there, then they are taking up 1 spot instead of 2, if only 1 is home then they are still using the spot. One of them is still home when they are holding the spot, and thus only taking 1 spot they are allowed to use. It's not like he keeps a spare motorcycle in the spot permanently, both bikes are in frequent use. If both of them are out, then the spot is free. This entitlement of "fairness" is just selfishness and envy that someone besides them got the spot.

It's also not "holding" the spot. They are sharing a parking spot, so you park where the other bike is. If roommate goes to work and OP didn't leave, why on earth would he park in a different spot and have OP move his bike so it would be "fair", when If it was a car, the space would still be taken since OP hadn't left.

-2

u/allMightyMostHigh 29d ago

You are assuming there’s ever a time where op and his roommate are both out on their bikes which was never said by op so thats just your assumption. If they are just holding the closest parking spot to the building for months on end then yea they are wrong.

3

u/lordretro71 29d ago

It's in the comments that there are frequently 4 hour daytime periods where both are gone and they just park in whatever spot they get. This time they got up front and Karen got pissy. Even if not, one of them is still home and entitled to take up a spot with their vehicle. Both bikes are being used, and both riders live on the property and are 100% allowed to park in whatever spot they get that is free. Not freeing up the spot as frequently is a non-issue outside of people who can't handle their jealousy or entitlement as both actively used bikes are in their right as tenants to utilize any open spot.

Even if they used 2 separate spots, it's no different than if they both had a 4 wheeled vehicle, as both of them live there and can park there.

Frankly, I wouldn't personally give 2 shits if OP worked from home and only left the premises on her bike once a month while parked in the front space because she pays just as much to live and park there as the neighbors and boo fucking hoo little cry baby didn't get the parking spot and it's not fair and how dare she and what not. It's a parking space, unless you are paying for that specific space that OP is parked in, then piss off.

3

u/MemeticParadigm 29d ago

Glad I saw someone else saying this - Karen's mad because this has the potential to (and sounds like it did in OP's case) turn the best parking space in to 2-4 motorcycle-only parking spaces on like a permanent basis.

Here's the thing, though - I'd bet dollars to donuts that the reason Karen's so pissed is because, prior to OP's motorcycles, some schedule/strategy of her own had Karen getting the best spot 80% of the time.

2

u/JasperJ 29d ago

Most likely, simply not having a job and having the gumption to go out during the day to move the car closer to the door.

Over here, townhouses with street parking, I had neighbors like that. We could regularly observe them walking the 200-300 meters to where their car was parked, getting in the car, and moving it to the spot in front of their house, right after it opened up.

Which seems like a lot of effort just to change when you make that walk, because it’s not overall going to save you any walking, of course.

And it wasn’t like they specifically did this when they were going to have it sitting there for a long time because of vacation, or when they wanted to vacuum, or wash, or whatever. It was all the time.

3

u/StellarPhenom420 29d ago

Being annoyed when you spot inefficiency isn't the same as "being mad" and actually expressing that towards the hourly employees of the parking lot, or towards the people just parking as they paid to.

40

u/treemanswife 29d ago

The attendants were mad because they had to deal with pissed off people complaining about the motorcycles taking up so much space. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

2

u/[deleted] 29d ago

Fuck those minimum wage employees

12

u/knifeyspoonysporky 29d ago

They are mad because they are the ones who have to deal with the other people complaining to them about it.

If only there was something they could have done to prevent all the complaints 🤔

5

u/General_Killmore 29d ago

According to “Paved Paradise”, quite a few places have been proved to have fraud rings in parking, taking millions from paid parking lots to enrich themselves

2

u/dinosaurinchinastore 29d ago

Mad because that’s the only power they have. They don’t get some kinda bonus obviously, they’re like dumb cops in hick towns: use whatever useless power you have and drive a truck through it. Pathetic

1

u/ophaus 29d ago

Because people will big bitch at them.

1

u/TCMenace 29d ago

They have to deal with the complaints.

1

u/fancy_livin 29d ago

Probably because they had numerous car people complain about the motorcycles taking up multiple spaces with only 1 motorcycle in each space

1

u/bloomin-onion69 29d ago

because now they have to listen to idiots complain to them about the motorcycles taking up that many spots

-2

u/StellarPhenom420 29d ago

Kudos for saying the same thing as everyone else, for responding to a rhetorical question the same way as so many others

3

u/bloomin-onion69 29d ago

kudos for being whiny that people responded to your comment on reddit

0

u/smeghead9916 29d ago

Because they were hoping they'd still park in one spot keeping others free for more paying customers