You are viewing this article in the AnnArbor.com archives. For the latest breaking news and updates in Ann Arbor and the surrounding area, see MLive.com/ann-arbor
Posted on Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 10:20 a.m.

Woman struck by car while standing in parking spot, saving it for a friend

By Kyle Feldscher

An impatient driver struck a 31-year-old Ann Arbor woman who was standing in a parking spot while trying to save it for her friend Friday night.

Ann Arbor police Lt. Renee Bush said the woman was driving around with friends trying to find a parking spot. At 8:08 p.m., they spotted an open spot at a parking lot at Fourth Avenue and Catherine Street and the woman got out of the car to stand in the spot while her friend circled back around.

The woman told police a gray Saturn pulled into the front of the parking spot while the woman was standing in it. The woman told the driver she was saving the spot for her friend while she turned around.

The driver of the Saturn elected to continue to drive into the spot, striking the 31-year-old woman in the knees and causing her to fall on the hood of the car, Bush said.

The woman did not need medical attention but told police her knees were sore. The woman was able to identify the suspect vehicle and provided police with a license plate number.

Ann Arbor police were still investigating the incident Monday morning and no arrests had been made.


View Larger Map

Kyle Feldscher covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.

Comments

Tru2Blu76

Tue, Dec 4, 2012 : 9:09 a.m.

Clarity folks! The use of force is the central issue here - just a hint: it's always some kind of crime to do so unless it's in self defense or in defense of human life. Part of the required training for applicants for concealed pistol licenses includes talks by an attorney on the legal aspects of the use of force. NO ONE can legally use force to affect another person UNLESS that person is doing something which endangers human life. The use of force, including deadly force (as this was, potentially) is only legal (available to us) when used in self defense or in defense of human life. No exceptions, regardless of "provocation." This applies no matter what "instruments" may be involved: guns, cars, hammers, even rocks. As applied to this situation: someone with "good intentions" tried to save a parking space which neither they nor the one they intended to help had ownership of. This can be considered rude (and generally is) but a rude action cannot be stopped or "corrected" by the use of force (the great disparity of force here is an added factor weighing against the errant driver). Being secure in our person and property is an essential point of the law. Party A in this case tried to take control of "property" they did not own [a public parking space]. Party B (from the evidence) apparently decided that they would put Party A's "person" at risk in order to take possession and use that SAME "property" they did NOT own. While Party B did have the advantage - they were "present" with the car they were driving so they were "entitled" to take that space, they mistakenly decided to use force to get what they wanted. Party B actually made their situation worse by leaving the scene after injuring Party A - now they're subject to being tracked down and prosecuted. I hope this clarifies the matter. (Without expecting agreement - "what I want is right" seems

Tru2Blu76

Tue, Dec 4, 2012 : 8:08 a.m.

They drive cars, they assault others over a parking spot, they walk among us and they vote. And... two wrongs don't make a right. (see "assault others" above).

grimmk

Tue, Dec 4, 2012 : 5:18 a.m.

Yikes. Pettiness is catching. I'm glad the pedestrian wasn't hurt. But it's stupid to save a parking space with a PERSON. It's first come first served and if you have to walk a few extra feet so what? They spent more on trying to circle back! Kyle, any word on what happened on the corner of Michigan Ave/N. Huron St around 7am (7:30 when I drove by) Monday morning? It looked like someone took out a lamp post with their car.

tim

Tue, Dec 4, 2012 : 1:14 a.m.

Not much of a story. This person supposedly hit by a car didn't even need medical attention --- sounds like a lot of sour grapes over a parking spot. You could find plenty of these childish stories on any of Ann Arbor's grade/middle school play grounds.

Wolf's Bane

Tue, Dec 4, 2012 : 1:10 a.m.

Weird. This is akin to setting out chair along the curb to save a parking spot; pure madness.

A2comments

Tue, Dec 4, 2012 : 12:36 a.m.

Kyle: You're not going to find anything about standing in a parking space... Nor sitting in the middle of the road... The person driving is likely going to be charged with using their vehicle as a weapon.

Tru2Blu76

Tue, Dec 4, 2012 : 8:11 a.m.

A cop told me that the person who threw an apple and hit me in the head would be charged with assault and battery - I believe it's the same crime no matter what "instrument" is used. (the incident happened 20 years ago - I don't think that part of the law has changed)

nunya

Tue, Dec 4, 2012 : 12:30 a.m.

I know there is David and Goliath, but, let's face it, car vs. person - car wins.

rusty shackelford

Tue, Dec 4, 2012 : 12:04 a.m.

Also, wouldn't laying on the horn for a minute have done the trick? That $hit is loud.

Robert Granville

Tue, Dec 4, 2012 : 1:59 p.m.

Why bring the surrounding residents into it?

rusty shackelford

Tue, Dec 4, 2012 : 12:03 a.m.

Still didn't end as badly as that time I tried to save my friend at seat at the movies with my car.

Billy

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 11:52 p.m.

Wrong to hit the pedestrian. Wrong to "save" the parking space. Both people were entitled and disrespectful.

Richard C

Tue, Dec 4, 2012 : 3:31 a.m.

Please try again about "entitled" - unless you're communicating in some language other than English.

A2Onward

Tue, Dec 4, 2012 : 1:04 a.m.

Yeah, but one of them hit the other one with a car on purpose.

JW

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 10:28 p.m.

Are we forgetting the difference between "there" and "their?" Some of these commentators have atrocious grammar!

John of Saline

Tue, Dec 4, 2012 : 4:07 p.m.

Irony, how does it work? :)

DBH

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 11:21 p.m.

@Woman in Ypsilanti, see http://www.annarbor.com/lifestyles/is-verbal-intelligence-rising-or-falling-in-the-united-states/ . Casual is not an excuse for sloppiness.

Woman in Ypsilanti

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 11:06 p.m.

Ann Arbor.com and the internet in general are casual environments. It is very easy to make the "there" and "their" mistake because the words are phonetically identical. It is easy even for people who completely understand the difference between both words.

A2Onward

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 10:47 p.m.

"when you next here" You're right John, we'll have to remember you the next time we're told such things.

John of Saline

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 10:39 p.m.

Remember that when you next here about what an educated town Ann Arbor is.

Woman in Ypsilanti

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 10:23 p.m.

I am kind of surprised to see so many people against the idea of a person holding a parking space for someone. I've totally done that when a space was on the other side of the street or something because it is really frustrating to see a spot and then have someone else come and take it afterwards. Why is someone more entitled to the space because they are in a car? I keep thinking about that beginning of that old Tom Hanks TV show where the two guys are shown paying the meter and occupying the space with yard chairs. It seems to me that when it comes to public parking, who ever claims the spot first gets it and it doesn't matter if they claim it by parking a car in it or if they claim it by standing in it while waiting for a car to come along.

Richard C

Tue, Dec 4, 2012 : 3:30 a.m.

Having someone stand in a parking spot to "save it" is just plain stupid. I understand that it can be frustrating to not be able to "catch" a spot and have to walk a whole three or four blocks - if you're extremely lazy. Using as your justification that "someone in a comedy movie did it, that makes it OK" - isn't well reasoned. (And I do agree that attacking someone with a car - even for doing something as stupid as "saving" a spot - is criminal and evil.)

justcurious

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 11:31 p.m.

Somehow this comment does not surprise me considering past comments.

DBH

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 11:22 p.m.

"Why is someone more entitled to the space because they are in a car?" Because it's a PARKING space, not a standing, sitting, or lying down space.

A2Onward

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 9:37 p.m.

I can't believe there are 89 comments on this.

John of Saline

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 10:38 p.m.

Or if a bike had been involved, ignoring traffic laws and striking a pedestrian.

Woman in Ypsilanti

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 10:24 p.m.

People in Ann Arbor really like to get into pedestrian vs car arguments. The only thing that would have made this have more comments would be if the woman was standing in the parking space with an unleashed dog and a handgun.

a2citizen

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 9:53 p.m.

And nobody has mentioned a CCW.

Tim Hornton

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 9:27 p.m.

This is the crime of the century!

GoNavy

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 9:27 p.m.

Are you kidding me? Good thing that girl didn't damage the Saturn.

walker101

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 8:30 p.m.

Small town feeling with big city mentality.

peacebwu

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 7:49 p.m.

Yo, people in ann arbor's got ta chill...

Tim Hornton

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 9:30 p.m.

Ya Dooogggg!

whojix

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 7:28 p.m.

Nothing good ever happens when two poorly behaved people collide.

seldon

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 7:38 p.m.

This is a great one-sentence summation of the story.

PineyWoodsGuy

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 7:26 p.m.

To the DDA: for next year (2013). 1. Calling the shopping event "Madness" encourages it; change the name. "MM" is a out-dated 20th Century name. 2. By Dec, 2013 you will have lots of parking (new structure, etc). Close Down Main Street the way you do it for the Dexter-Ann Arbor Half Marathon. Party On!

Vic Divecha

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 7:22 p.m.

Life imitates art. Anybody seen last week's episode of "The Big Bang Theory"? The parking escalation...

A2comments

Tue, Dec 4, 2012 : 12:31 a.m.

Well done. But she was wearing clothes...

jmac

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 7:16 p.m.

In Boston people use chairs to save parking spots, especially ones in front of their houses/apartments. Sounds a lot safer than standing there...

dotdash

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 11:47 p.m.

In my North Ends days, if you moved the chairs and took the spot, you can bet you would come back to a car with no air in its tires...

say it plain

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 6:57 p.m.

Lol to @Nunya's claim he/she would have spat on the spot-saver and left... That's prosecutable too, d'oh! But I totally understand the impulse. Because while it's lunacy to hit a person standing in a parking spot, I can imagine that she stood there, believing that her 'pedestrian rights' would trump the tons of sheet metal and engine. And *make* the driver stop and turn away. Firstly it could very easily have been an accidental hit that hurt her worse than 'sore knees' if she'd stood there and someone sensing the spot's existence turned hard first and noticed her standing there later, no?! How reckless is that? And entitled too. Can this be due also to the silly crosswalk scene here in Oz lol? "saving" a spot in a parking garage, oh my. What a violation of civic protocol, you can't expect but that propriety in response would fly out the proverbial window. I can imagine a Larry David scene lol...

Moonmaiden

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 6:40 p.m.

Really. We must all have something better to do!

Robert Granville

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 6:40 p.m.

Impatient driver is right. All she had to do was remain stationary in front of the spot and wait for the pedestrian to move. The car circling back would not have been able to take the "saved" spot if her car blocked it. I do that all the time. If the car isn't in the spot, I'm taking it.... period. Just the other day I was parking on Monroe and a sorority girl on a cell phone was standing in the spot I planned to take. At first I just thought she was taking her sweet time but when she didn't move I caught on. I shifted to reverse and revved with the clutch still engaged. She got the idea. Move... I can wait all day... I'm taking this spot.

Robert Granville

Tue, Dec 4, 2012 : 1:55 p.m.

justcurious... the letters on her jacket

seldon

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 9:48 p.m.

I don't know what year you're from, but these days they often wear sweatshirts with big greek letters on them.

justcurious

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 9:33 p.m.

How do you know she was a sorority girl? Did she have a sweater with a soroity pin on it?

Moonmaiden

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 6:40 p.m.

I would have pulled as far in to the space as possible, without hitting her, and waited. The alleged car that was coming would not have been able to get in, and they would have had to leave or stay and make a scene. I would be happy to wait for a policeman to appear.

nowayjose

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 6:38 p.m.

It's against city code to stand or walk on the street where a sidewalk is provided. Not that it's ok this guy decided to hit her. But she was wrong too

EyeHeartA2

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 6:36 p.m.

Everyone knows you are supposed to mark you spot with boxes, barrels and old tables, not people. http://www.passiveaggressivenotes.com/2010/02/21/can-you-dig-it/

Hemenway

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 6:30 p.m.

AA dot com, Please follow up on this story. We are willing to take the law into our hands and physically injure others for a parking space? A call to police would have worked.

SMC

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 6:19 p.m.

The woman standing in the spot was clearly relying on the Pedestrian Self-Righteousness Shield to protect her from the car trying to park there. Looks like it doesn't work when you're standing still, either.

Ann

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 6:18 p.m.

And Happy Holidays to you too..Wow!!

fjord

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 6:11 p.m.

Bring it on, Mayans.

ummsw

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 5:56 p.m.

Seriously....

Lovaduck

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 5:47 p.m.

I feel sorry for her injuries and a car should not be used as a weapon; but she did an obnoxious thing . You should not "save" parking spaces. She's lucky she wasn't assaulted (believe me, in large metropolitan areas she'd be picked up and 'placed' on the sidewalk, not necessarily gently)!

harry b

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 5:46 p.m.

I HATE when people park or sit in there car next to the door. People are fighting to get around them. But I guess it makes it ok because they are just "running in for something". EVERYBODY in the store is just "RUNNING IN" for something. Park and walk your lazy butt in the store.

A2transplant

Tue, Dec 4, 2012 : 7:14 p.m.

Go to Whole Foods on Washtenaw. They've got "valet" parking....

LindaJ

Tue, Dec 4, 2012 : 2:54 a.m.

I've noticed that certain people feel entitled to park their cars outside that very Kroger store. They clog and hinder traffic, but that seems not to matter. And the Kroger people don't want to address the situation. So these "entitled" folks continue on their merry way. Their behavior, and Kroger's, is evidence to me of our coarsening, downward-spiraling culture. What will it take to lift us up?!

andercar

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 9:14 p.m.

Kroger's on Carpenter Road is the worse!

Linda Diane Feldt

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 5:42 p.m.

I was out on foot in downtown Friday night and it was remarkable for seeing drivers turning corners right into pedestrian traffic, cars stopping in crosswalks, and cars driving dangerously all over the place. Far worse then usual, and many of the conversations I overheard also made it clear that many people were out-of-town visitors. I came close to being hit by cars three times in about four blocks, from cars turning corners and ignoring pedestrians in the crosswalk. So close I knocked on the hood of one vehicle that stopped just in time. It was a strange and dangerous night, although fun to see so many people downtown and at Kerrytown. I was walking with lights on me and my dog, by the way. Trying to be as visible as possible for drivers. I think people got caught up in some frustrating and crazy traffic. There were also many more horns used than I usually hear! I have no solutions, other than drivers should plan to have to walk a bit on such a busy night, and a reminder that it is illegal for a car to stop in a crosswalk,and to block a crosswalk. And it is just too dangerous to pull up so close to a pedestrian that I can touch the hood of your car. That's just scary. I walked home very early Friday night because it was bad and would only get worse as the hours went by and people started drinking. I'm certain there are more crazy stories and close calls that aren't being reported.

snark12

Tue, Dec 4, 2012 : 5:41 a.m.

And later that same night the (allegedly) drunk woman rolled her car on Main Street.

CLX

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 8:32 p.m.

I have seen folks on foot walk out into traffic with no regard to who has the light. And they are usually doing so with their head down looking at a phone, and/or with headphones on. They are lousy drivers, and there are lousy pedestrians. I'd love to see some streets closed to traffic for events like this.

Linda Diane Feldt

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 7:54 p.m.

The relevance is that the atmosphere that night was nutty, and many people were driving in desperate sort of way. This observation was shared by a half dozen people I talked to. Not a large sample, but I walk downtown most days and it the difference was clear - crazy and multiple examples of careless driving. As I was trying to point out at the end of my post, I'm certain there were many other examples of close calls that didn't result in a police report. When lots of drivers are behaving badly, I think it escalates. And yes, the same for pedestrians. The cars are just a lot more dangerous, and should be held to a higher standard.

Vivienne Armentrout

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 7:31 p.m.

Thanks for your story, Linda. You put the parking story into perspective.

justcurious

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 6:15 p.m.

Great reason to steer clear of Ann Arbor anymore. The only time I really have to go there is for a concert...I can do the rest outside of it.

Lovaduck

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 5:48 p.m.

What's the relevance of this story, Linda, to the story in question? Yes downtown may be dangerous, but that's more reason to not be "saving" parking spaces for people.

Ron Granger

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 5:35 p.m.

Saving a spot like that is typically prohibited by local or state ordinance. But it is a minor thing, and at most a cop would tell you not to do it. However, hitting someone intentionally with a vehicle is a FELONY. And rightly so. It's a deadly weapon. I hope we'll get followup coverage on this.

harry b

Tue, Dec 4, 2012 : 5:43 p.m.

John of Saline When a cop finds someone breaking the law they should write a ticket. It should left up to their descretion if someone gets a ticket. We hired them to enforce the law not decide the law.

justcurious

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 6:13 p.m.

I'm wondering if we know the whole story on this. Were there actual witnesses to the "assault" by the vehicle?

John of Saline

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 6:04 p.m.

Harry, do you suggest a cop waiting by every parking space?

harry b

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 5:49 p.m.

If it is against the law why wouldn't the cop not enforce the law. You know, DO THERE JOB! We hire them to enforce all laws. Not to pick and choose what laws they will enforce. If they dont whats the point of employing them.

Ron Granger

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 5:40 p.m.

Looked for a law that would specifically apply to this and couldn't find one. A cop could probably write it as obstructing traffic or somesuch.

Simon Green

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 5:21 p.m.

This is why I always carry three orange traffic cones, red and yellow spray paint, a portable No Parking sign, and some of that yellow "Crime Scene" tape when I'm out cruzin' for that perfect parking spot.

cruise king

Tue, Dec 4, 2012 : 12:03 a.m.

HaHaHa Simon that sounds like a winner to me!!!

quetzalcoatl

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 7:01 p.m.

These are all wonderful ideas, but they take up lots of valuable space you could otherwise use for your stuff, and fluorescent hues so often clash with today's footwear choices. Why not just use napalm? You can almost always find it, obviously, and when it finishes burning it will leave your parking spot not only free, but sterile.

slave2work

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 6:28 p.m.

makes memo to self... remember to pack said items in truck... ty me.

gofigure

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 6:13 p.m.

You forgot the cardboard cutout of your car to save the spot for next time.

John of Saline

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 6:02 p.m.

You forgot the spike strips and road flares.

Gargoyle

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 5:17 p.m.

Did she put money in the meter? If not, she had no claim to the space.

cruise king

Tue, Dec 4, 2012 : 12:02 a.m.

So what if she had put money in the meter the woman is a person no a car

John of Saline

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 6:02 p.m.

In MOST spots, true. I once got a ticket at a metered spot after 6pm. Found out the hard way that those spots were 6am-10pm meters.

BOBBY

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 5:49 p.m.

no money needed in meter after 6pm

Ron Granger

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 5:35 p.m.

8pm.

a2pilot

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 5:07 p.m.

Sounds like something Larry David would come up with for TV!

Tom Teague

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 5:19 p.m.

Exactly! I suspect he'd have a rule such as "No Space Standing" and that the space holder would have some equally weighted response. That said, there has to be a better resolution than just hitting the person holding the spot.

Blue Marker

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 5:17 p.m.

I can hear George screaming that this spot was saved!

Chip Reed

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 5:04 p.m.

@kyle-Can you find out what the police say about "saving" a parking spot while on foot?

bluetoyou

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 5:28 p.m.

It would be nice to know what the policy is -- I've had people stand in a place that I wanted to park, too, and it's very aggravating. I tried to reason with them, to no avail. I eventually found a spot 10 minutes later, and they were still holding the spot. Does a vehicle need to be there to claim a space?

Kyle Feldscher

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 5:26 p.m.

Chip- A cursory review of the Michigan Vehicle Code's section on parking violations doesn't mention anything about people standing in a spot saving it for someone. I'm not finding anything in my searches of the sections on pedestrians, but I'll post if I find something.

Bertha Venation

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 4:59 p.m.

"Face it girls.... I'm older and have more insurance....."

a2gretta

Tue, Dec 4, 2012 : 2:31 p.m.

Thanks for the smile.

Susie Q

Tue, Dec 4, 2012 : 2:18 a.m.

It was a great and memorable line....Fried Green Tomatoes.

M

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 4:51 p.m.

There is no way the driver's behavior was okay. Having said that, I do find it annoying when people stand in parking spots to "hold" it for someone. These spots are few and far between sometimes and it is only fair that the car that is available to park gets the space.

Kent Jocque

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 9:18 p.m.

Mr. Granville, Genius! The key is not getting upset about minor incidents like this while at the same time finding some way to see justice is done. I applaud your solution. -Kent

Robert Granville

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 6:33 p.m.

This is when you block the spot and wait until they move. The car that they're holding it for can't drive through you. All you need is patience.

justcurious

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 6:11 p.m.

When exactly did this practice start? I never would have imagined that anyone would have the gall to do it. But then society is getting ruder every day.

Craig Lounsbury

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 4:49 p.m.

It does raise an interesting question of whether the pedestrian was in fact violating some law or ordinance?

Tru2Blu76

Tue, Dec 4, 2012 : 8:28 a.m.

On the face of it - unless the person saving the spot was doing something else violent which endangered others - there's no legal or moral support for the idea they can be subjected to a disparity of force to make them move (stop doing something rude, etc). The use of force is the central issue here - just a hint: it's always some kind of crime to do so unless it's in self defense or in defense of human life.

seldon

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 7:36 p.m.

If someone's standing in a public street, not at a crosswalk, she's at a minimum jaywalking, right?

Macabre Sunset

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 7:25 p.m.

Probably not. Ann Arbor is not mindful of the "discipline" gap between drivers and pedestrians.

Kyle Feldscher

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 5:28 p.m.

Perusing state law (Michigan Vehicle Code), I'm not finding anything. I'll keep checking though and get back to you. Something tells me this is one of those unwritten rules of society, but I'm not positive.

seldon

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 5:07 p.m.

I hope so.

FrankOZ

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 4:46 p.m.

I once pulled into a spot downtown where a woman was standing. I thought she was waiting for someone to exit a car she had just gotten out of. She stepped aside. I parked. When I got out, she said, "I was saving that spot for a friend." Honestly, I was so shocked I nearly went back and moved, but then I thought, "what the heck", so I just said "sorry about that", and went on my on my way. When I told the friends I was meeting, I was shocked once again because opinions regarding my actions were divided. Obviously, I am much more on the side of "You can't hold a spot by standing in the spot." I can imagine how well that would go over for a football Saturday parking spot.

mady

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 7:30 p.m.

Hi Frank, being the smart-you-know-what that I am, my response would have been, over my shoulder, as i was walking away,"yes. you WERE saving that spot for a friend, have a nice day."......

seldon

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 4:28 p.m.

Ideally, both people will face consequences: the woman in the space for obstructing traffic (or whatever you call it when a pedestrian stands somewhere they shouldn't be) and the driver for assault (or whatever this legally is). She shouldn't have been in the parking space, but that's no excuse for the driver to hit her with a car.

dotdash

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 4:22 p.m.

We can argue about the advisability/fairness involved in saving a parking spot, but does anyone argue that it is lunacy to hit a pedestrian intentionally with a car? This is one where the driver should have shrugged his/her shoulders, voiced a silent complaint about other people's sense of fair play, and *driven away*.

harry b

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 5:58 p.m.

Or at least put the biggest scratch down the side of their car that you ever have seen.

Blue Marker

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 5:15 p.m.

I believe that's the sole use for the middle finger.

Dog Guy

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 4:12 p.m.

"Road rage" is for hicks. The Ann Arbor intelligentsia practice "parking rage".

justcurious

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 3:59 p.m.

First of all, there is no validity to someone standing in a parking spot to "save" it for a friend. If she was not in a car, then she should not have been standing in the spot. The spot is for a car, not a person. Second, when the car came she should have moved, for the above reason. Third, she played chicken with the car. Fourth, the car should not have struck her. In my opinion, she and her friends are the cause of this whole silly incident.

a2citizen

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 4:13 p.m.

What's that old saying? Don't take a knife to a gunfight, or something like that

sellers

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 4:13 p.m.

I agree - she is the cause, however there was more wrongdoing as you said. Both should be ticketed, for public disturbance (blocking public parking spot) and for hit and run.

An Arborigine

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 3:57 p.m.

And there is plenty of parking in downtown Ann Arbor, right? The fact that people are resorting to such extreme measures to secure a spot is evidence that the opposite is true. I guess neither party wanted to opt for the bomb shelter parking garage, eh?

a2roots

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 4:38 p.m.

There is plenty of parking. This was Midnight madness which occurs a couple times of year and brings out throngs of people. The only thing in that space should have been a car. No saving spaces on foot.

CLX

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 4:31 p.m.

I agree with sellers - there are spots, but people are unbelievably lazy about walking a few blocks. It takes a lot of nerve to "park" your body in a space intended for a car and think it is perfectly acceptable to do so.

sellers

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 4:12 p.m.

Or there are lazy or entitled people who think they are above common sense. I'm sorry the woman was injured, but in a parking garage standing in a spot is dangerous. It's sad that the driver who hit her fled.

glimmertwin

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 3:39 p.m.

Going to you-know-where in a hand basket. Ann Arbor is just plain nuts.

cmdvimes

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 5:05 p.m.

like this sort of thing has never happened before in or out of Ann Arbor. Give them both tickets.

glimmertwin

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 5:02 p.m.

Both. This entire episode is childish - on both parties.

FrankOZ

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 4:47 p.m.

Nuts for hitting her or nuts for standing in a parking spot?

Craig Lounsbury

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 3:32 p.m.

One should never intentionally hit a pedestrian with their car. A pedestrian should never try to "save" a parking spot for a car that isn't there.

BOBBY

Mon, Dec 3, 2012 : 5:47 p.m.

one should never intentionally stand in front of a moving car...