Trust me. I have more experience with this than you

[Apathy]

Fish3k1 reminded me of a recurring pet peeve of mine.

I worked furniture. I helped take furniture out to people's cars. (Which usually kicked ass: killed 10-30 minutes, could stand around talking with a friend while waiting - just awesome.)

However, people tended not to understand size issues. Trust me, stupid consumer, I've been doing this for a couple years. If I say it won't fit, it - very, very likely - won't fit. I wasn't always right, just almost always right.

So they buy their giant 200 lb. wardrobe. Fine. We wait for them to pay, take it outside, and BAM. Geo. Or some other ridiculously small car.

Me: "This isn't going to fit."
Idiot: "Just try it."
Me: Thinking - "Whatever. If it kills time, that's good for me."
*Giant object doesn't fit in non-giant automobile*
Idiot: "Huh. It doesn't fit. I'll come back with a truck in an hour."

1. No you won't. If you come back, it'll be in three days.
2. If you had access to a truck, why did you not bring it?

Now I'm remembering the "Can you hold this for me? I'll be back in an hour." I stopped bothering after a while. They never came back. Maybe one in twenty. Maybe.

[friendofjimmyk]

I just wish people would listen.

I remember when I bought my small t.v. It's not much - 20" - but all I need and could afford.

I didn't ask for help taking it out - but I had a hell of a time getting the box into the back of my Beretta. Meantime, while I struggled, someone sat in their car glaring at me because they wanted the parking spot next to my car. That only made me move slower.

[marasbaras]

What's with those folks? You can get into the store far, far faster if you park out at the edge of the lot and just walk in.

[rerant]

Let me just say that working at Ikea I see this every. single. day. without fail.

[Apathy]

Let me just say that working at Ikea I see this every. single. day. without fail.

/pity

The bad thing is, there's nothing you can do. Twelve giant signs with flashing lights and blaring sirens wouldn't get the info into people's heads.

[protege]

Let me just say that working at Ikea I see this every. single. day. without fail.

Speaking of Ikea...I know for a fact that one of their 'Billy' bookcases will fit into the back of my Corolla. Along with a small display case, various plants, dishes, and other Swedish goodness. Of course I have to put the seat down, but oh well

[fish3k1]

Speaking of Ikea...I know for a fact that one of their 'Billy' bookcases will fit into the back of my Corolla. Along with a small display case, various plants, dishes, and other Swedish goodness. Of course I have to put the seat down, but oh well

It's true, you can fit some amazing things into small cars. I got a 14' trampoline and enclosure into a Ford Ka (my personal record) by dropping half the back seat and the front passenger seat (it would have been both back seats, but the guy had his girlfriend with him). But the only reason that was possible was because the trampoline box, though long (and obscenely heavy) is fairly narrow - only about 3 feet by 2 (about 6 long).

When it comes to something like battery powered vehicles, cotbeds, hell even some pushchairs, the box is just so damn wide you've got as much chance as I have with Johnny Depp :P

[JesseCuster40]

Nothing will beat the time I watched two guys try to fit a 50" plasma TV in a tiny, tiny car. The best part was, I was off the clock so I just got to watch instead of having to worry about fitting the TV in there, "Holding it for them" while they went to get a truck, or anything else.

They were trying it for twenty minutes and still gamely attempting the impossible when I went home.

[Primer]

Back about 1981 I bought my first stereo set-up. At the time I drove Pinto station wagon, with lots of room. The BF decided he would go pick it up in his Camaro. I only wish I could have seen him struggle with getting the box in and out of that cramped vehicle!

Yeah, I do believe in having a vehicle big enough to haul my purchases!

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

These morons account for almost 50% of the people I end up schlepping furniture to.

It's even better when the vehicle would otherwise be large enough to accommodate the item, but the people brought their kids with them. Kids pose an additional challenge because one wrong move and that entertainment center is going to splatter Junior's noggin all over your Grand Caravan.

Also, when buying huge 27-inch TVs, I refuse to take them out of the box so they can fit in your vehicle better. Those things are heavy and bulky and awkward to carry and if I happen to drop the TV and break it while trying to stuff it in your vehicle, then it becomes my fault for not being careful. This isn't as much of an issue anymore since flat screens are becoming more common.

I also don't really have the luxury of standing around killing time waiting for a customer, or shitting around trying to unbox and disassemble items for customers who think they can fit that dining set into their Ford Festiva. Ever since my company created a new position specifically responsible for furniture carryouts, co-workers seem to feel that they don't need to pitch in and help out with carryouts unless they're just coming in so fast the carryout person can't be expected to handle them all at once.

My solution to this problem: A $20 improper vehicle charge, payable directly to the person loading up the customer's furniture, for every item that can not be fit in the customer's vehicle at the time of purchase, or adequately secured if it does not fit completely inside the vehicle.

[edible_hat]

Speaking of Ikea...I know for a fact that one of their 'Billy' bookcases will fit into the back of my Corolla. Along with a small display case, various plants, dishes, and other Swedish goodness. Of course I have to put the seat down, but oh well

My Barina's awesome like that. An earlier model's popular among thieves because it's got a deceptively huge amount of space. My one's much harder to steal but still has the huge interior space.

I've had a 5' long TV unit and coffee table in there at the same time... sure I had to put the seat down and take the legs off the table, but I got them both in there.

[XCashier]

I'm waiting for the day when a SC buys a sofa bed, then expects the employee to load it onto his Schwinn...!

[smileyeagle1021]

I have to admit that I'm somewhat guilty of the too big shit in too small car. I got a friend telling me that he had just ordered a desk, I asked him how large, he said, oh standard size computer desk, assemble it yourself. I figured, no problem fitting it in my car, I may have to make 2 trips to get both him and the desk up to his apartment (he has no car) or make him take trax... I got there... this standard size desk came in a box 15 feet long (my car bumper to bumper is a bit shorter than that)... we got it to work though.

[MadMike]

I once misjudged the size of the box a grill I bought came in, and I had to take all the pieces out and lay them loose in the trunk.

But when I went out to buy a TV, I was smart enough to have my friend bring his pickup truck.

[XCashier]

But when I went out to buy a TV, I was smart enough to have my friend bring his pickup truck.

Exactly. Better to have too much room than not enough. You can always brace or pad it somehow.

When we bought furniture for our new apartment, we rented a U-Haul truck with a ramp and took it to all the stores we bought the furniture from. The employees were very happy with us.