This may seem like a simple photo of a vehicle in a parking lot, but I think there are a lot of things going in here that warrant some sort of discussion.

First, you may notice that someone appears to have parked their SUV in a parking spot reserved for small cars. I guess technically the Lexus RX is a "crossover", which means it has a car-like base, so it is smaller than a typical SUV, but I digress. However, upon closer inspection of the sign and the specifications of this second generation Lexus, it appears that it actually qualifies as a "small car", according to the sign.

Second, I know we like big vehicles in North America, but has it really gone this far? A Lexus RX is classified as a small car? I don't even park in those spots because I figure my car is too big, but my car is definitely smaller than the Lexus RX. I guess I can start parking there, although this brings me to my third point.

Third, why would you want to park your big car in a small car spot? It is easy enough to get dings in a regular parking spot... why would you cram your luxury vehicle in a tiny spot between two other SUVs? (I have noticed that about 80% of the "small car" parking spots in this parking lot are usually inhabited by SUVs and minivans.)

Fourth, and this is only marginally related to the photo, I have heard grumblings from a few different people for "buying foreign" in a recession, specifically referring to Toyotas. Although my car and Angela's car were both made in Japan and shipped across the ocean on a big polluting boat, Toyota happens to be one of the major employers in this region. Among other vehicles, the Toyota plant in Cambridge makes ALL of the Toyota Matrix and Lexus RX vehicles that you see on the road. Anyway, I just wanted to put that out there, especially if you are considering buying a car and want to buy one made locally.

Technical details: This image was taken with my Sony Ericsson k790a at 5.2mm, ISO 80, f/2.8 for 1/400th of a second.

Comments

Here I thought you might comment on how a small car is the width of Mini and
the length of a Prius, or I guess some kind of Insight.

Yes, the question of where to draw the line is a tough one... I think anything
smaller than a Focus is "small".