What would you do in this situation?

[Aythesryche]

Depends on where I'm parked, what my situation is, etc. I'd probably answer my text messages first. If a person is seriously going to wait for me to leave instead of taking the spot that's a few more steps away, they're not people I care to accomodate in life in the first place. A person that gets frustrated about parking spots like that is an asshole in my book and I couldn't care less if they're slightly inconvenienced by having to walk a few more steps.

[Podaar]

I would probably vacate the space and go park in one of the spaces farther back to respond.  Combination of 1 and 2, I guess.

[Dublagent66]

I'd stay in my car. The vultures can park elsewhere.

   I agree and I don't need text messages as an excuse either.  Sometimes I'll just sit there.  My parking spot isn't important enough for people to wait because they're too lazy to walk a few extra feet.

[Ben_Jamin]

I'd stay in my car, quick reply to the really important ones, then head out.

But I also think if it was really really important I'd call.

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

I'd stay in my car. The vultures can park elsewhere.

   I agree and I don't need text messages as an excuse either.  Sometimes I'll just sit there.  My parking spot isn't important enough for people to wait because they're too lazy to walk a few extra feet.

My grandfather used to do that. If he saw someone hovering behind him, instead of leaving, he'd just sit in his car for a while.

He's probably the reason I'm so mean. 

[Orbert]

I'll do that if I'm in a shitty mood or otherwise just feel like messing with people.  I come out to my car, there are empty spots 20 feet away, but they watch me and creep up closer to me to make sure they get my spot the second I leave.  Fuck them.  I'll start my car, find some good tunes, and suddenly feel an overwhelming urge to check everything I just bought, make sure I didn't forget anything.  Did I get the right kind?  Hmm, do I really want this color?  If it all checks out and they're still sitting there, blocking me in, getting in everyone's way, while those empty spaces two or three spots down are still there, I might feel the need to check my texts or even my emails.  Ha ha, these jokes my uncle sent me the other day are so lame.  I think I'll read them again...

[JayOctavarium]

I'll do that if I'm in a shitty mood or otherwise just feel like messing with people.  I come out to my car, there are empty spots 20 feet away, but they watch me and creep up closer to me to make sure they get my spot the second I leave.  Fuck them.  I'll start my car, find some good tunes, and suddenly feel an overwhelming urge to check everything I just bought, make sure I didn't forget anything.  Did I get the right kind?  Hmm, do I really want this color?  If it all checks out and they're still sitting there, blocking me in, getting in everyone's way, while those empty spaces two or three spots down are still there, I might feel the need to check my texts or even my emails.  Ha ha, these jokes my uncle sent me the other day are so lame.  I think I'll read them again...

[Dublagent66]

I'd stay in my car. The vultures can park elsewhere.

   I agree and I don't need text messages as an excuse either.  Sometimes I'll just sit there.  My parking spot isn't important enough for people to wait because they're too lazy to walk a few extra feet.

My grandfather used to do that. If he saw someone hovering behind him, instead of leaving, he'd just sit in his car for a while.

He's probably the reason I'm so mean. 

Nah, I wouldn't consider it mean.  It's just not doing what others expect you to do.

I'll do that if I'm in a shitty mood or otherwise just feel like messing with people.  I come out to my car, there are empty spots 20 feet away, but they watch me and creep up closer to me to make sure they get my spot the second I leave.  Fuck them.  I'll start my car, find some good tunes, and suddenly feel an overwhelming urge to check everything I just bought, make sure I didn't forget anything.  Did I get the right kind?  Hmm, do I really want this color?  If it all checks out and they're still sitting there, blocking me in, getting in everyone's way, while those empty spaces two or three spots down are still there, I might feel the need to check my texts or even my emails.  Ha ha, these jokes my uncle sent me the other day are so lame.  I think I'll read them again...

  Yeah, good post Orb.  I like it. 

[KevShmev]

I'll do that if I'm in a shitty mood or otherwise just feel like messing with people.  I come out to my car, there are empty spots 20 feet away, but they watch me and creep up closer to me to make sure they get my spot the second I leave.  Fuck them.  I'll start my car, find some good tunes, and suddenly feel an overwhelming urge to check everything I just bought, make sure I didn't forget anything.  Did I get the right kind?  Hmm, do I really want this color?  If it all checks out and they're still sitting there, blocking me in, getting in everyone's way, while those empty spaces two or three spots down are still there, I might feel the need to check my texts or even my emails.  Ha ha, these jokes my uncle sent me the other day are so lame.  I think I'll read them again...

 

[Orbert]

The thing is, I'm not even kidding.  I have an uncle who sends me all kinds of shit through email, and it's perfect for times like that.  Sitting in boring meetings, in a restaurant waiting for the food to come, or when I'm sitting in the car for whatever reason.  Hey, you have to find amusement where you can.

[bout to crash]

I have no sympathy for people who can't park fifteen feet away. I never rush out of a parking spot for anyone. This is partially because I essentially work out of my car, and I spend a great deal of time in it texting/making calls and even on my laptop or writing stuff in a notebook. I sometimes sit in a parking lot for quite some time doing this, and it's not really my problem if someone wants my spot. I'll leave when I'm ready, and have no obligation to do it sooner so they can walk less.

In other words: Fuck 'em.

[robwebster]

I always feel that the person who sent texts already know they must wait until I can respond.  If the response time wasn't immediate, they should understand I am otherwise occupied.  I still regard my phone as MY convenience, not others'.

I couldn't agree more.  Anyone who knows me knows that when they text me, they might get a reply within minutes or several hours later; it really varies.  I would normally, like you, check my cell before even getting to my car, but I had went to the gym and left it in the car during my workout (in the counsel in the middle where no one could see it; I am not that dumb ), so I didn't see I had texts until I got back in my car.

Not only am I totally with both of you on this, but I get annoyed by people who disagree with us. That thing where a text message is an instant distraction alarm - stop what you're doing, someone who isn't here with us demands a moment of our time! Fine once or twice, but when it's regular, when someone's having a full on conversation... arrrrgh! They're texts! Occasionally it's urgent, I have no problem with people checking texts, and no problem with people answering texts, but when someone's disengaging every 200 seconds cos Catherine's in Fife and she's got a hilarious private joke to share with Julia, that's not on. If my company's not good enough for you, Julia, maybe you should've gone to fucking Fife.

I'm exaggerating for comic effect - tidal waves of anger directed at petty, meaningless crimes are among my top favourite things. But I do stand by the main point. Whoever's texted you can wait. That's what they signed up for when they texted you. It's a low priority form of messaging, and whoever's with you in the room is much higher priority. They can wait until you get home - but failing that, they can at least wait until you find a quiet moment, or pop to the toilet, or whatever, cos it is really annoying.

That said, if the people you're actually interacting with take one rung of priority above people who are texting you, strangers in a car park are a couple of rungs below. Loitering for a space in any scenario is effectively an irritating buzz of, "movemovemovemovemovemove." Loitering if there's other spaces available full-on translates from passive-aggressive into, "BEEP BEEP I DEMAND CONVENIENCE." No good! What do I owe them? I'm like Orbert, I'd go onto the passive-defensive and wait even longer.

[KevShmev]

  to all of that. 

It's sad how often you see couples out for the evening or something, and one or both of them are texting a lot.  It's like, you really can't give each other undivided attention for just a couple of hours? 

[sueño]

I saw a family out at dinner the other night.  Mom, dad, three little boys under age eight.  For much of the meal ALL of them were on some electronic device,  one with headphones on.  It kinda made me sad.   

[Orbert]

It is sad.  We have a rule in our house: No personal electronics during meals.  I suppose it's somewhat hypocritical since we always watch TV or a movie, but at least we're watching it together.  We eat, talk about the movie, that's family time in the Orbert household.  But no texting or iPods or Gameboys or whatever.  The rule applies when we're out to dinner too, so we actually take a meal together and talk.  Whoa.