How do you handle being double parked?

This past weekend I braved Costco and picked up some supplies for a co-worker since I was already out. When dropping off the supplies at her place someone parked their car in front of her carport leaving us both stuck. We waited around for about 30 minutes or so just chatting at a safe distance when finally I got fed up. I busted both harbor freight lightweight floorjacks out of my Sequoia and we moved the car into the middle of the street so I could leave and called the local authorities to mop up the mess. Just curious how other people would handle this situation. Where I live in SoCal, I would have to call my landlord who would then have to call the local PD, who would then have to come out and investigate, before calling a tow truck to come remove the vehicle. It's happened in the short time I've lived here where someone decided to park their car at the entrance/exit of the alley behind my duplex. 

People aren't as mobile as they were prior to all this and trying to find street parking is difficult but the amount of this stuff happening lately is mind boggling. 

Living in So Cal, I know better than to touch other people's car. 99% parking lots in So Cal, have a towing company listed. Happened to me twice, called the company, car was towed in less than 20 minutes. 

Tow companies are vultures, and are just waiting for their next kill.

mr2s2000elise said:

Living in So Cal, I know better than to touch other people's car. 99% parking lots in So Cal, have a towing company listed. Happened to me twice, called the company, car was towed in less than 20 minutes. 

Tow companies are vultures, and are just waiting for their next kill.

Dude in Hermosa Beach it's not that simple. Tow trucks won't come out unless HBPD calls them. To get HBPD to have a tow truck out the property owner has to be the one filing the complaint, not a tenant. Trying to get a landlord to do anything that doesn't net them a profit is next to impossible. It's a convoluted process that I've had to deal with three times now since moving out here in January. My house in Florida is similar to what you wrote. You make a call to the tow truck company on contract with the HOA and they are out there in less than 10 minutes. Of course in semi-rural Central Florida, I don't have to worry about these kinds of things and I can't wait to get back to that. 8 more months to go. 

1. call 911 to report a car fire

2. torch double-parked car

3. win

Yeah, that wouldn't happen around here.  If you blocked someone in for 1/2 an hour you'd be likely to return to a car on it's side and dragged 1/4 mile away.

Here in the south, where 4x4s and tow straps and winches are common, it really would have been 2 blocks away with 2 to 4 flat spotted tires and the sideview mirrors misadjusted.  I personally have taken a car out into the woods and left it, although that was an acquaintance's car and he deserved it (obnoxious drunk insulted host's wife and child)

It took him 12 hours to find his car and it was still on the property

You're wrong for moving a car, but the offender being rude enough to block someone in for 30 minutes is OK?

Torching a car is extreme, but removing wheel weights from the FR and LR wheels would put that smile on my face the wife doesn't understand.

Depends on the situation, but tow truck here.  Wheel weights is a good idea too.  Fabricated Karma :)

Don't do anything stupid.  My buddy liked to get revenge by letting air out of a tire, but that did one of two things; either the driver noticed it and it prolonged the wait, or they drove off and potentially didn't notice and killed someone in a fiery crash.  Don't vandalize or stuff a banana in the tailpipe.  Do it the right way.

Depending on your local laws, call the police and/or a tow company.

Hard one, around here the car must be ticketed to be towed. Takes literally hours at best.

I work construction, people don't follow no parking signs..... Depending on the upcoming work it gets interesting.... Had a mustang parked in one of our zones, we had to re pour a concrete street after new utility work. I knocked on all the doors around the area to no avail..... So the street got sawcut around his car. He was less than amused when he came out (of a house I knocked on!)..... I have seen them dragged, or picked up with forklifts are moved as well....

I would move it depending on urgency and how far away my Go Jacks were.  I had a car left at my apartment building after I told the people not to park on my lot over a few weeks. The building is walking distance to St Pete Bch and I didn't have a tow company under contract at the time.  Same car a few times, the 3rd time it happened it magically ended up in the street on the "No Parking" side.

Doesn't "false imprisonment"  release you of any liability for moving a car that has you trapped?   I have claustrophobia you know?  *wink-wink

I think you were within your "rights" to move that car. You simply got it out of your way, you didn't vandalize or damage it. If the car owner was at all concerned about not getting towed or abused they would have left contact information so they could move the car. If I blocked someone like that around Boston for 30 minutes I would be surprised to find much of my vehicle when I returned.

I have some of these valve stem caps in the console, for people who park like dicks.