Meet The Most Important Person In Westport

Stop and Shop parking

Because why park diagonally at Super Stop & Shop — using 2 spaces — when you can park completely across, and take up all 3?!

61 responses to “Meet The Most Important Person In Westport

  1. And the license plate belongs to . . . .

  2. Robert Fatherley

    Some peoples’ view of their responsibility is as large as a postage stamp.
    It seems that sometimes, the size of the vehicle is inversely related to
    the concern for other people, both stationery and moving. Rabbit 1

  3. I’ve seen obnoxious parking before but this is above and beyond!! Unless it was some kind of medical emergency I guess … Sigh. Very funny unless you’re another person trying to park!

  4. Must be related to the people who park in the handicapped spaces
    Illegall

    • I was just at the Y and two of the handicapped spaces were occupied by cars without handicapped tags. Happens all the time in this town.

      • Happens in a lot of places. Westport does not corner the market on selfish, obnoxious people. Yes this person is obnoxious with a capital O. The obnoxious people stand out and are more noticeable. We just never take pictures of people doing the right thing!

        • Or do you mean, Dan only takes pictures of people doing the wrong thing because his blog is used to shame our friends and neighbors?

  5. To be fair there are many spots being taken up by piles of snow. What this person did was actually help by not having the back third of his/her car stick out into to a lane. You should think things through before you make assumptions.

    • That’s quite a reach. I was in the lot today and there was no reason to park like this miscreant.

      • (That’s quite a reach) There is another truck behind this blue one that does have the back third sticking out because of the snow pile so there is the reason for this parking.

    • Seriously?

  6. Give ’em hell Dan. Thanks.

    Sent from my Droid Charge on Verizon 4G LTE

  7. As someone who does this all the time, I love it and fully support the driver. You all need to relax!!! It’s amazing what this town does to you after only a few years. Sheesh.

  8. Great picture, Dan. Should have also posted the license plate.

  9. Must be related to Fred Firelane who sits in front of the store blocking traffic waiting for wife Fran.

    • So we’ll assume that you have never once, in your entire life (however long that is), stopped in a No Parking lane or taken up more than one parking spot or crossed over that yellow lane or paused in front of a shop at the curb?

      “Let He Who Is Without Sin Cast The First Stone”

      • Dan does this to see what he can stir up. Great job sir!

        I have never parked in the Fire lane or a handicap spot or crossed the line? I prefer the spot between the refrigerator truck and handicap parking.

  10. Dan – you made my week and made me smile again. Although I don’t live in Westport, I live in Norwalk and ran into a similar situation … why do others believe that they are better than and not equal to the rest of us that obey the rules. We wonder why our children behave the way they do, they have learned only from the best, their Parents!
    My situation was different, picking up a child while getting to the parking lot where we pick up our children to attend an after school program and although I was in the lane where all the cars line up and wait for their children to be led to their parents cars, one person decided they would drive all the way to the front line and then back their car up in front of mine! THE NERVE … anyway, I kindly asked her to move her car and kindly get to the back of the line, in any event she started yelling some vulgar names … and I decided to take the pic of her license plate, send it into to those that will handle. It’s a darn shame that who ever is the element that they think the rules don’t apply to them – sorry but in my book they do !!! Kuddos to you !!!! Love you for all that you do !

    • What law did they break and how can you prove it with a picture of their license plate?

      • @Jim:

        The school has certain procedures to follow in the parking lot for pickup, and we are to follow those safety rules, that’s why they were written up in the first place. If there were no rules then everyone would be driving all over the parking lot and hit children!

        Secondly, you can not scream, yell and curse in front of others on school grounds, particularly school children. Mmmmm perhaps disorderly conduct or the school can also contact DCF and report your beha
        vior.

        Jim, do you have children?

        • I do. Too many to count (just kidding). They broke no laws and you can keep dreaming if you think school administrators from Norwalk, who have a lot more on their hands on right now, will take the time to report a parent to the DCF. Come on, now.

    • So Happy I don't know you!

      I doubt that you ” kindly asked her to get to the back of the line”…… Your intent was “who does she think she is to cut in front of me???????” There are times to take the high road……. You are looking for punishment by taking a picture of her license plate……. I can’t imagine how you would react if faced with a REAL problem.

  11. I have a big family, a lot of cargo, 2 large dogs that travel with us and therefore a big vehicle, kinda like this one. Sometimes, it is hard to park. I was at one of the schools today…several times…and had trouble finding a spot. I found one, but what if it was a different situation; an emergency, someone new to driving a “big boat,” someone with the impression that this was a more helpful way to position the truck in a lot that was not full (as an above posted pointed out) …. well….another way of looking at it anyhow.

    Why is everyone so mean and judgmental in this 2-months-post-Sandy Hook world? It IS fun to be snarky, but when we have been so slammed with so much lately, how about a little open-mindedness and laughing at ourselves and looking out for each other?

    Sign me, naive?

    • If you buy a truck (Suburban, Escalade, etc), learn how to drive and park before you leave home.

      • (If you buy a truck) If you live within a public community, learn how to accomodate others?

        • But if the lot wasn’t full, maybe this was an accommodation? (He/she probably forgot to pack a shovel, to clear a “regular” spot.)

  12. Tired of people like you

    Your big family, cargo, dogs etc. is your choice…… many others are choosing smaller electric cars to save our environment….. why should you get special treatment because of your choices????

    • PS ~ I am not asking for special treatment. And if you can point me to a better choice than the truck I drive when I need to accommodate the full crew (vs. the tiny thing when I sail solo), then please broadcast the electric and environmental choice that I couldn’t find.

    • Oh my god. Did this anonymous troll just bring the environment into the conversation? Dan, your readers have lost it.

  13. @ Tired, etc….I guess I was trying to make the point that the accumulated snow could be a lingering hardship. (It kept Westport kids out of school on Monday, after all…not because of our roads, because of ancillary situations.) Not asking for special treatment, just a little understanding and less judgment of others, without being fully informed of all the facts. A picture doesn’t always convey a thousand words. Sometimes, it just leads to assumptions.

  14. Tired of people like you

    You seem like a nice person…. I just get tired of having to deal with people who have made choices that seem to impact everybody else. I recently had to fly with a huge family who had not made reservations in advance enough to book seats together. They clearly were on “vacation”, so it wasn’t a last minute emergency. I guess it was silly of me to assume that someone would do what I had always done. I always booked airline seats so that we/and/or most of us could sit together (being that most of the family was small children?). I always made sure that my kids were with us…. not 14 rows back. Anyway, this Mother was so arrogant that she said to me that if I didn’t give up my seat, then I was just going to have to get up and down to please her children. No apologies, no smile, just arrogance. I understand that your family is your universe…… it’s just not the rest of society.

    • I’m tired of complainers like you. And anonymous, no less! HCM makes valid points and while I understand both sides, sometimes society could stand to be a little more compassionate and not so quick to judge or assume.

      It is incredibly short-sighted of Dan to post this picture without any investigation. What is the full story, exactly? If we do not know, perhaps none of us (including me) should be commenting on it. This is the danger of Dan’s habits to post photos without any background knowledge or investigating.

      He goes for what will make my precious neighbors clutch their pearls and to continue to stir the proverbial pot. How about some integrity and class from everyone?? In spite of all this, I closely follow Dan’s blog. It’s simply irresistible. Let’s call it one of my vices.

  15. It seems that you are anonymous too, Frank – no listing of you in our wonderful state of Ct.

    • I do not use my full name on here but just like Frank, who has the courage to use his full name, I cannot be found in any public listing or on the internet. There are many people who are able to do this and in some cases it’s necessary. For a variety of reasons. I’m glad no one can find me!

  16. Best. Headline. Ever.

  17. O.K. Frank, happy to oblige: “Dan’s blog is one of your vices.” For myself I say you could do far worse, me boyo.

  18. Hello,

    I’ve visited a couple of times before, but haven’t commented until now.
    Don’t like to say I hope the only reason someone would park this way was due to there being some type of emergency, but surely no one would be inconsiderate and obnoxious enough to park in such a manner without good reason.

    A little of the subject – – – my partner’s daughter and her partner are both in wheelchairs. It’s not all that unusual for them to get nasty looks and even abuse for parking in a handicapped spot. They are young and take part in wheelchair sports, so appear fit. Anyone seeing them from outside a car window wouldn’t realise they can’t walk. I guess what I’m trying to say is things are not always as they seem.

    All the best,
    Susan

  19. @ So happy I don’t know you, with a screen name like that its says it all about yourself. Would you stand up for wrongdoings in your community, ” I think Not.” Your the kind that is part of the problem.
    .
    I’d love to see what your response would be in the same situation. Also, I had five cars behind me as my witnesses. Sorry, I am very polite.

    • I’m still trying to figure out why it matters who is in front. If your school is like any other normal school, all of the kids are going to the same place and leaving at the same time. And you should have the ability to leave the line. So, does it actually matter what the order is?

      Perhaps there was no room at the end of the line. Or maybe the parent didn’t know any better. Or could it be that they were just selfish and in a rush? Either way, why does it matter? You can’t leave until your child comes out. Being first is irrelevant for school pick-up. Unless this unnamed school in Norwalk uses some completely different system…

    • I routinely go around all the cars in line for pick up at school. Why? There is always one person sitting there chatting on the phone, chatting with the kids they happen to know, chatting with another parent who got out of the car immediately behind to talk, etc. I go around because there are no longer any cars in the pick up area. The kids usually end up having to walk through the parking lot to get the cars backed up behind those who are far too self involved to move up to the front. When I am in the pick up line I am doing nothing else, I am paying attention to the line, the children walking, the other cars moving, etc. Most of us have a reason for picking up and I understand that most people want to pick up and get to the next thing.

      Addressing your complaint, if there was room enough at the front to accommodate the other car perhaps you should have pulled into that space when you parked thus allowing one more car to get in off of the street. The other driver probably thinks that you just wanted to be perfectly lined up with the door. Maybe the other driver thought you the rude one. I do agree with you that there is no reason for profanity and screaming.

  20. I ONCE parked in the handicapped space at the bank in Fairfield across from the now defunct Community Theater. It was 7PM on a Sat night , so there were few Handi’s, I thought, waiting to go into the bank (closed) or use the ATM. I, rightfully, received an $80. ticket from the Ffld Police. which I promptly paid.
    The Ffld guys were on the job!

    • And I’m willing to bet you didn’t stomp your feet or behave like a petulant child…. – like so MANY people in this commenting section!!

      • I would argue that knowingly parking in a handicapped space is MUCH different than a large car taking up an extra space in a massive parking lot. Especially when we do not have the privilege of knowing the story behind this picture. We can only go off Dan’s picture and post, which is unfair and deceptive. And lacks the basic investigative journalism 101.

  21. @ Jim, I believe public disturbance and a visit from local authorities. Don’t have all the CT statues …. But even throwing litter gets you a ticket here. Hope that clears it up.

    • No. It doesn’t. The woman did not break any laws. And with only a picture and hearsay, the police in Norwalk will not care.

      Westport is a different story. Our $200k+ cops are always looking for something to do.

      • Richard Lawrence Stein

        Jim you are Sorry everyone…. A complete and total Deuchehlmet… You say imply our 200k dollar police , but have no understanding how they make their pay. An officer is paid a salary and then in some cases if not most work other jobs…ie; traffic detail at a construction site, security at a party, other special events… This pay goes through the town and police dept. and is not seperated from the list it’s just totaled. Our police work in some cases 80-90-100 hours to live the life you might have behind your cozy desk…. As I said prior, on a post do you stand up to clear your throat because you talk out your mean negative ass more often than not.

      • Jim,
        You might want to also consider the overtime the police officers were required to work last year because of the storms that knocked power to most of the town. These men and women were being paid to keep the town safe, even though their own families were likely in the same boat.

  22. As a handicapped placard holder, my least favorite is the car that parks in-between two handicapped spaces, ’cause there is so much room. More than once I had to get security or a volunteer to help move my car out in order to get into the drivers seat.

    Yes, at quick glance I appear to be without physical limitations, my orthopedic surgeon thinks otherwise.

    • @ Jim, stick to the subject about parking. Also, as a parent – it sounds as if your the type that let’s your children disobey ….
      .
      A perfect model who represents the best of the best. Sounds like your Father of the year. I pin you a star for your heartfelt comments.

  23. As someone who now just does some long or short drive-byes every summer through my old, beloved hometown of Westport, have to say the driving/parking manners or lack of stand out because it is a small town. It’s happening everywhere though — this bizarre sense of entitlement some folks have. 06880 always holds up the mirror and sometimes we don’t like to see our wrinkles or spots. But Westport isn’t alone. I live in a boating community in a different part of the country and some drivers of those large vehicles love to bully and do as they please.

    Have to ask, what is it with the younger moms/parents these days in their suv’s/minivans, tailgating, rushing to take parking spaces, cutting people off in traffic all with stressed, mad expressions — sippin their fat-free lattes, texting and thinking we owe them our time and space on the road. Is your life more important than ours? Sorry, raised my family — now in their twenties — calm down or you will miss it. Slow down, drink some lattes with a little fat in them once in awhile and breathe. Your children won’t be anymore successful if you speed up to take my parking space, or cut me off in traffic, run the light, or run and take my spot in zumba. And as a woman who’s earned it, I may just tell you what I think, nicely that is without a speck of profanity. Life’s too short. Don’t blame 06880.

    • Absolutely LOVE your comment – well written and so true!!!!

    • There is a lot of hyperbole in that longwinded comment. And most of it is inaccurate since I’m assuming you don’t actually know the women you are tearing apart.

    • @Maggie May …. You got it Mama! I am the Mom who wakes up my second child to leave 30 minutes early to be at the school so that I am not one of those Moms, although I know many of whom your referencing. Loved your response!

      • Just so you don’t have to cut those other precious mothers waiting in the pick-up line, I hope? The nerve of driving in front of an idle car!

  24. It’s so strange to me that some people think that someone cutting in front of them in line is some sort of slight or sign of moral deficiency. When someone cuts in front of me I assume they really need to get somewhere faster than I do. When someone makes a different than usual move in a parking lot I assume their maneuver was necessary because something was blocking the usual route. When someone parks in a way that takes up more than one space I assume it’s because they don’t want their car to get dinged or they just didn’t do the best parking job. I only notice these differences as much as I need to adjust myself, my car to accomodate them. I am more concerned about the people on the road who refuse to adjust to circumstances. But I just assume they aren’t totally ‘brained turned on’ at that moment.

  25. Anonymous (of course)

    Just came across this blog and checked out the comments in response to the picture and I gotta say “WOW”. Reading this is like having a front row seat to a social media version of “Lord of the Flies”. Saucer of milk, anyone? Or Xanax, perhaps?