Parking Spot Savers

I’ve come across this situation a few times since living in the city: the infamous parking spot saver. Here’s how it went down today:

I started to pull into an open spot, but a guy standing there tried to wave me off (see video). Our conversation was as follows:

Me: “Hey, can you move?” Him: “No, I’m saving this spot for a friend.” Me: “You can’t save a public parking spot. Please move.” Him: “I’m not moving. My friend will be here soon.” Me: “This is a public parking space, and you can’t save it.” Him: “I don’t care. My friend will be here soon. You need to leave so they can park here.” Me: “I’m not leaving unless it’s to park in this space. If your friend gets here, too bad.”

Eventually, his friend showed up, blocking two lanes and honking at me. By that point, my wife had already hopped out to pick up the food we were there for. I refused to move and they left. The spot saver, now clearly annoyed, stepped aside, and I parked.

Was it petty? Probably. Was it worth it? Absolutely.

Why am I sharing this? To make it clear: if you’re trying to save a public parking spot, you’re in the wrong—period. Please share your thoughts, SF friends.