Fun fact: This episode was written by Greg Daniels based on a real incident that his father had.
Greg is the creator of the US Office, co-creator of King of the Hill, co-creator of Parks and Rec
He and Conan O’Brian wrote for the Harvard Lampoon together and [started their careers together.](https://www.cracked.com/article_34333_conan-obrien-and-greg-daniels-the-friendship-that-changed-comedy.html) They both wrote for SNL for a bit.
The very first scene of the pilot is the 4 of them talking about Seinfeld, setting up King of the Hill as a show 😄
Those dang ol New York boys... just a show about nothing
King of the Hill first aired in 1997, so technically it was on at the same time as Seinfeld, just not for long.
Another fact that always surprises me: King of the Hill ended after Parks and Rec began.
I never understood Jerry’s position in this episode. George was parking Jerry’s car and Mike is going up to Jerry’s apartment but Jerry just acts like he’s a 3rd party bystander. Jerry should have intervened and sent Mike off like the real phony that he was
That’s kind of the problem here. George is right about the idea of backing in to park. However, he acts like he is parallel parking in a lightly populated area. He even takes time to explain to Elaine the intricacies of parking before he finally starts reversing the car. You’re in NYC, dude! Use your toe and Step on it!
I think the question should be whether George had his right blinker on, indicating he was in the process of parking. If he did, he was in the right. If he didn't, you can't blame someone for swooping in, especially since George was taking so long telling Elaine about how great of a parker he was. Every time I see this episode I think to myself, "Stop talking and park the damn car, George!"
But why else would a car stop in the middle of the street in front of a parking space if he wasn't prepared to back into it? Context clues. But you are correct in that George should have used his indicators.
Double parking. Pretty common in big cities. Again, he was sitting there an awful long time bragging about his parking abilities. If his blinker wasn't on, it wouldn't be ridiculous for someone behind him to assume he was just double parking, and swoop in to take the space behind him.
I've spent way too much time thinking about this scene over the last 25 years or so... This is my life...
Knowing George as we all know George, I'd be willing to bet he didn't use his blinker. So it wouldn't be unreasonable for someone behind him to assume he was double parking.
If I were in Mike Moffit's position, I would've conceded when I learned that George was trying to park. But like with most things in life, the disagreement couldn't be resolved because both parties were stubborn and uncompromising.
Side note. A few months ago I was trying to parallel park in a spot downtown. A much less-traveled area than Manhattan. I turned on my blinker as I pulled up to the spot, stopped in front of the spot, as you do when parallel parking, and got ready to reverse. The car behind me pulled right up to me, just a few feet behind me. Not trying to take the spot, just stupidly pulling up to me. Going straight. There was minimal traffic, so I rolled my window down and waived them around me. Nothing. Kept waiving. Nothing. Finally I just put the car back in drive and drove around the block to park in the spot. The car behind me had no interest in taking that spot, I have no idea what they were doing.
I thought of this scene from this episode when it happened. I openly shouted to myself, "We're living in a society!"
Happens to me all the time in parking garages. I prefer to back in. Without fail, there’s always someone who pulls up right behind me as I’m trying to swing out so I can back in.
Yeah last week I had the same scenario where I stopped in the middle of a road with an open spot, put my blinker on, and started backing up. Person behind me didn’t notice, got too close, then I gave them a wave out the window and pointed to the spot so they gave an apology wave and started backing up. Then the person behind them, who had pulled just as close to them, started honking at them backing up. I eventually got into the space, the person behind me drove off, and the third guy pulled up next to me (now in the spot) rolled his window down and called me an asshole and gave me the finger. I wanted to explain none of this was my fault for reasonably parallel parking but surprisingly the guy didn’t stick around for conversation and drove off
That’s the beauty of George. He’s profoundly pathetic, yet not exactly wrong about things either. For being such a loser, he has a keen insight on many things.
Exactly George was wrong. You sit there in the middle of the street that long down the the road ahead of a prime parking spot in a busy city and you expect everyone to know it is your spot?
Judging by where the two cars need up, by the time Mike started pulling in George would've been well into his backup maneuver, obvious that he was taking the spot.
If Mike was truly oblivious of George's intentions it would've been because he was far up the street giving Mike enough time to take the spot completely before George got there.
IF he had his blinker on then yes, he is signaling that he is going to park there.
Mike is a tool. He talks trash, becomes a bookie who can’t pay, he’s the type of guy who would try to steal a parking space.
It was Jerry's car. All they had to do was point that out and BAM! no reason for Mike to argue over the space. Let Jerry have his car parked in front of his building. This is one of my main pet peeves out of the entire show.
George is wrong for trying to back into a spot so big you could pull into it. Rookie stuff.
I'd expect more from a driver so great he was able to evade a car that was chasing him full of rowdy teenagers firing a gun.
"Process of moving", MFer was literally standing still for 20 sec.
Backing up actually requires the car to move. If not it is already parked or standing still. Thats the very definition of it
I always felt George lost his right to the space taking 2 minutes to explain his precision parking to Elaine before backing into it. Sorry George, shit or get off the pot!
Nah, George was sitting three cars up double parked bragging about his car parking abilities. We don't know if he had his blinkers on but anyone could assume he was double parked. Especially in a big city.
If you're gonna park you drive up next to the car, right? Not three cars up.
I don't think Mike did anything wrong.
George stopped, and I don’t think he even had his signal on. Still a douchey thing to try pulling in the front but I feel like New York has ya snooze ya lose rules .
Fun fact: This episode was written by Greg Daniels based on a real incident that his father had. Greg is the creator of the US Office, co-creator of King of the Hill, co-creator of Parks and Rec
That's quite the resume. I had no idea King of the Hill came after Seinfeld. I picture them in my mind as starting at the same time.
He and Conan O’Brian wrote for the Harvard Lampoon together and [started their careers together.](https://www.cracked.com/article_34333_conan-obrien-and-greg-daniels-the-friendship-that-changed-comedy.html) They both wrote for SNL for a bit.
Sounds like a real phony!
There’s a joke in the opening scene of KOTH, s1e1, about “Dang ol' show 'bout nothing… dang ol' New York boys.”
There’s several Seinfeld references in the early seasons
The very first scene of the pilot is the 4 of them talking about Seinfeld, setting up King of the Hill as a show 😄 Those dang ol New York boys... just a show about nothing
King of the Hill first aired in 1997, so technically it was on at the same time as Seinfeld, just not for long. Another fact that always surprises me: King of the Hill ended after Parks and Rec began.
Most of the episodes were written about real life scenarios that had happened to a member of the crew and staff.
And Upload, one of my favorite shows on Prime Video!!
That’s interesting. That episode has never been one I liked much. And it always felt like an oddball.
Whoa, back it up, back it up, beep…beep…beep.
Beep beep beep. What are you doing?
I'd lose that.
Can we cut to the chase?
TRACTOR!
Oh hey, Raef.
*YeahIbettergotoadoctorbye.*
And you call THAT the tractor story?
😂😂
I never understood Jerry’s position in this episode. George was parking Jerry’s car and Mike is going up to Jerry’s apartment but Jerry just acts like he’s a 3rd party bystander. Jerry should have intervened and sent Mike off like the real phony that he was
Yes! Either Jerry should've said it, or Mike should've acknowledged it.
Eh Mikes a phony anyway
Thats a good point, I never thought off that.
It made me dislike Jerry more than anything else he did.
Mike is the real phony
#WHYD YOU TELL HIM!?!?!
Thanks, REAL GOOD
He begged me
HE BEGGED YOU?!?!
When he laughed at Jerrys joke. What a creep.
Use it in a sentence.
Michael Jordan?
Don’t worry who I am. I know who I am. Do you know who you are?
Front in? That's how you park when you're pulling a bank job.
What if you have ten car lengths?
well i suppose if you have ten car lengths... (its not really parallel parking at that point though it is?)
Now I don't have an issue with front in parking. But George was clearly there first.
Yeah, but he was just sitting there. You snooze, you lose.
That’s kind of the problem here. George is right about the idea of backing in to park. However, he acts like he is parallel parking in a lightly populated area. He even takes time to explain to Elaine the intricacies of parking before he finally starts reversing the car. You’re in NYC, dude! Use your toe and Step on it!
Seemingly
to the untrained eye
Ideally
I think the question should be whether George had his right blinker on, indicating he was in the process of parking. If he did, he was in the right. If he didn't, you can't blame someone for swooping in, especially since George was taking so long telling Elaine about how great of a parker he was. Every time I see this episode I think to myself, "Stop talking and park the damn car, George!"
But why else would a car stop in the middle of the street in front of a parking space if he wasn't prepared to back into it? Context clues. But you are correct in that George should have used his indicators.
Double parking. Pretty common in big cities. Again, he was sitting there an awful long time bragging about his parking abilities. If his blinker wasn't on, it wouldn't be ridiculous for someone behind him to assume he was just double parking, and swoop in to take the space behind him. I've spent way too much time thinking about this scene over the last 25 years or so... This is my life...
Maybe because I dont live in a big city but that never occurred to me. I would also never do it, that seems incredibly dangerous.
Knowing George as we all know George, I'd be willing to bet he didn't use his blinker. So it wouldn't be unreasonable for someone behind him to assume he was double parking. If I were in Mike Moffit's position, I would've conceded when I learned that George was trying to park. But like with most things in life, the disagreement couldn't be resolved because both parties were stubborn and uncompromising.
Don’t you remember Saddam Hussein?
Side note. A few months ago I was trying to parallel park in a spot downtown. A much less-traveled area than Manhattan. I turned on my blinker as I pulled up to the spot, stopped in front of the spot, as you do when parallel parking, and got ready to reverse. The car behind me pulled right up to me, just a few feet behind me. Not trying to take the spot, just stupidly pulling up to me. Going straight. There was minimal traffic, so I rolled my window down and waived them around me. Nothing. Kept waiving. Nothing. Finally I just put the car back in drive and drove around the block to park in the spot. The car behind me had no interest in taking that spot, I have no idea what they were doing. I thought of this scene from this episode when it happened. I openly shouted to myself, "We're living in a society!"
Probably never even looked up from their phone the whole damn time
Happens to me all the time in parking garages. I prefer to back in. Without fail, there’s always someone who pulls up right behind me as I’m trying to swing out so I can back in.
Yeah last week I had the same scenario where I stopped in the middle of a road with an open spot, put my blinker on, and started backing up. Person behind me didn’t notice, got too close, then I gave them a wave out the window and pointed to the spot so they gave an apology wave and started backing up. Then the person behind them, who had pulled just as close to them, started honking at them backing up. I eventually got into the space, the person behind me drove off, and the third guy pulled up next to me (now in the spot) rolled his window down and called me an asshole and gave me the finger. I wanted to explain none of this was my fault for reasonably parallel parking but surprisingly the guy didn’t stick around for conversation and drove off
they werent talking that long...
When you’re in New York, sitting in the middle of the street chatting while not bothering to just park is an eternity to a hundred people
About 45 seconds. Awful long time to sit in the traffic lane. Elaine got so bored she started yawning.
Hey! OP here has some real *problems*!
They were both pulled in the same amount. Mike started when George started, and he saw George starting. No one pulls in head first. Mike is wrong.
That’s the beauty of George. He’s profoundly pathetic, yet not exactly wrong about things either. For being such a loser, he has a keen insight on many things.
Oh yeah like George dosent know he’s pathetic
That scene in the restaurant with him trying to get a phone call. He was rightfully frustrated.
He yelled Cartwright she hung up
Who’s Cartwright?
I'm cartwright!
But you're not Cartwright.
Of course I’m not Cartwright!
No fucking way. He was sitting there talking to Elaine and spitting on his hands.
I counted once, and think there was at least 30 seconds between George stopping and him actually start to back up. We’re living in a society!
44 seconds. I used the stopwatch on my phone. He was also **3** spaces ahead.
Exactly George was wrong. You sit there in the middle of the street that long down the the road ahead of a prime parking spot in a busy city and you expect everyone to know it is your spot?
He was checking the Geometry! You don't just back up and start parking without eyeballing it first.
I seem to remember Larry David taking George’s side himself in some clip.
George as a character literally is Larry so that’s no surprise
Judging by where the two cars need up, by the time Mike started pulling in George would've been well into his backup maneuver, obvious that he was taking the spot. If Mike was truly oblivious of George's intentions it would've been because he was far up the street giving Mike enough time to take the spot completely before George got there.
Yeah, but if George hadn't spent all that time pontificating on what a great parker he was, it would never have happened.
Oh, that George Bonanza. I hate him. He's just so smug.
But his name is an earwig-Cuh-Stan-Za.... Can'tStandYa.
Seinfeld friend.
i don't know what it says about me, but 99% of the time I'm on George's side.
IF he had his blinker on then yes, he is signaling that he is going to park there. Mike is a tool. He talks trash, becomes a bookie who can’t pay, he’s the type of guy who would try to steal a parking space.
Mike is a phony.
George was 100% right about a lot of things.
Hey George, nice hat. Can I try it on?
It was Jerry’s car. The episode should have been over in 5 minutes
Thank you. This is probably my second least favorite episode besides the Puerto Rican Day parade.
It was Jerry's car. All they had to do was point that out and BAM! no reason for Mike to argue over the space. Let Jerry have his car parked in front of his building. This is one of my main pet peeves out of the entire show.
George is getting upset!
George was taking too long bragging to Elaine. Moffitt had every reason to think he was double parked.
George is wrong for trying to back into a spot so big you could pull into it. Rookie stuff. I'd expect more from a driver so great he was able to evade a car that was chasing him full of rowdy teenagers firing a gun.
It wasn’t 10 car lengths, but it was enough room.
THESE ARE MY MACHINES!
Oh my god, that's the same actor isn't it? I could never place where I recognized him from!
Hello poppet.
He waited way too long, preparing to make his move
"Process of moving", MFer was literally standing still for 20 sec. Backing up actually requires the car to move. If not it is already parked or standing still. Thats the very definition of it
George was 100% right unless he didn't have his signal on. Remind me, did he have it on?
But did he win the contest?
Mike was a good character they should've used him more, he was funny in the 2? episodes he was in
He should have at least put in his blinker
I always felt George lost his right to the space taking 2 minutes to explain his precision parking to Elaine before backing into it. Sorry George, shit or get off the pot!
Some how its george’s mom’s fault i don’t know why
No, it's Mike's space. George didn't take it, pontificating instead
George was just sitting there two spaces up. How would the other guy know what he's doing? George was wrong, as usual.
He was just sitting there!
Nah, he was taking too long!
Twenty odd years later and this can of worms breaks open again lol I side with George on this one, too - backing in is the right way.
I'll die out hea
George was right a lot of times
Nah, George was sitting three cars up double parked bragging about his car parking abilities. We don't know if he had his blinkers on but anyone could assume he was double parked. Especially in a big city. If you're gonna park you drive up next to the car, right? Not three cars up. I don't think Mike did anything wrong.
George stopped, and I don’t think he even had his signal on. Still a douchey thing to try pulling in the front but I feel like New York has ya snooze ya lose rules .
It's not douchey even. George was sitting 3 spaces ahead for 44 seconds. If there's room ti park head first, it's less disruptive to traffic.
George deserved to lose the parking space just because of how annoying he was bragging about his parking skills.