The Parking Space

"**The Parking Space**"
"The Parking Space"
Seinfeld episode
Episode no.	Season 3; Episode 22
Directed by	Tom Cherones
Written by	Larry David and Greg Daniels
Production code	322
Original air date	April 22, 1992
Guest appearances
	Lee Arenberg as Mike; Wayne Knight as Newman ; Maryedith Burrell as Mother; Shannon Cochran as Sheila; Michael Costanza as Truck Driver; Mik Scriba as Cop #1; Stan Sellers as Cop #2; John Christian Graas as Matthew; Peggy Lane as Bystander; Larry David as Boxing Announcer (voice, uncredited);
Episode chronology
← Previous; "The Letter"	Next →; "The Keys"
	Seinfeld season 3
	List of episodes

Last updated August 03, 2025

"The Parking Space" is the 39th episode of the sitcom Seinfeld . The episode was the 22nd episode of the third season.^[1] It aired on NBC on April 22, 1992.^[1] The story centers on George's protracted struggle with Kramer's friend Mike to claim a parking space they both entered at the same time. The story of the parking confrontation was inspired by a similar incident that happened to writer Greg Daniels' father.^[2]

Plot

Jerry's car is missing again, and Kramer incessantly asks what happened. Tired of Kramer's nosiness, Jerry stonewalls him until he is forced to beg. Finding out that George and Elaine took the car to a flea market, Kramer incessantly asks why he wasn't invited. However, having invited his friend Mike over to watch a boxing match with Jerry, Kramer hints that they talked behind Jerry's back. With the tables turned, Kramer forces Jerry to beg, and swear to secrecy, to find out that Mike called him a "phony".

Driving back with Elaine, George has a new hat but laments that he will disappoint women by inevitably taking it off. Elaine turns the rearview to appraise her new sunglasses, causing George to swerve and get rear-ended. Back at Jerry's building, George insists on finding street parking, claiming his entire family is constitutionally incapable of paying for garage parking. A perfect parking space is open, but George dawdles to flaunt his supposed parallel parking talents, and half-backs into the space just as Mike, arriving, pulls half in forward.

George and Mike argue, hitting an impasse over whether George ceded the space, or Mike muscled in. With neither backing down, George makes Elaine tell Jerry about the damage. Elaine swigs strong whiskey so she can make up a tall tale about a wild car chase to escape lawless, gun-toting teenagers in a "souped-up" convertible, seemingly eliciting Jerry's sympathy.

Mike calls Jerry and Kramer down to intervene, and George is irked that Mike is on good terms with them both. The standoff draws a crowd, with Jerry, Kramer, and random bystanders all divided by their gut feelings. Elaine flaunts her elaborate tall tale to George. Kramer recriminates against George and Elaine for not inviting him, and George blames Jerry for his indiscretion.

A truck driver demands to get through, so impartial third parties move the cars to make way—then put them back in place, continuing the standoff. Jerry figures out George's guilt for the damage, and Sid, the neighborhood car parker, assumes George's parking is again at fault. Failing to exercise discretion, Jerry surprises a neighborhood boy with the news that his father's store is closing.

The standoff continues into the night, as Newman argues that forward parallel parking stands for societal collapse. A woman sympathizes with George, but he drives her away by being too desperate to keep his hat on. Even two passing policemen fail to break up the standoff when they take different sides.

At Elaine's urging, Jerry settles the score with Mike over being called "phony", finally freeing himself, out of everyone, from the unending standoff. However, when he gets home, the match is over.

References

1 2 "Seinfeld Season 3 Episodes". TV Guide . Archived from the original on December 2, 2021. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
↑ Writing 'The Office': interview Greg Daniels and Mindy Kaling Archived 2018-05-18 at the Wayback Machine (NPR, November 2, 2006)

External links

"The Parking Space" at IMDb

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[tvguide-1] 1 2 "Seinfeld Season 3 Episodes". TV Guide . Archived from the original on December 2, 2021. Retrieved December 2, 2021.

[2] Writing 'The Office': interview Greg Daniels and Mindy Kaling Archived 2018-05-18 at the Wayback Machine (NPR, November 2, 2006)

[1]

[2]

v t e Seinfeld episodes
Season 1	"The Seinfeld Chronicles" "The Stake Out" "The Robbery" "Male Unbonding" "The Stock Tip"
Season 2	"The Ex-Girlfriend" "The Pony Remark" "The Jacket" "The Phone Message" "The Apartment" "The Statue" "The Revenge" "The Heart Attack" "The Deal" "The Baby Shower" "The Chinese Restaurant" "The Busboy"
Season 3	"The Note" "The Truth" "The Pen" "The Dog" "The Library" "The Parking Garage" "The Cafe" "The Tape" "The Nose Job" "The Stranded" "The Alternate Side" "The Red Dot" "The Subway" "The Pez Dispenser" "The Suicide" "The Fix-Up" "The Boyfriend"† "The Limo" "The Good Samaritan" "The Letter" "The Parking Space" "The Keys"
Season 4	"The Trip"† "The Pitch" "The Ticket" "The Wallet" "The Watch" "The Bubble Boy" "The Cheever Letters" "The Opera" "The Virgin" "The Contest" "The Airport" "The Pick" "The Movie" "The Visa" "The Shoes" "The Outing" "The Old Man" "The Implant" "The Junior Mint" "The Smelly Car" "The Handicap Spot" "The Pilot"†
Season 5	"The Mango" "The Puffy Shirt" "The Glasses" "The Sniffing Accountant" "The Bris" "The Lip Reader" "The Non-Fat Yogurt" "The Barber" "The Masseuse" "The Cigar Store Indian" "The Conversion" "The Stall" "The Dinner Party" "The Marine Biologist" "The Pie" "The Stand In" "The Wife" "The Raincoats"† "The Fire" "The Hamptons" "The Opposite"
Season 6	"The Chaperone" "The Big Salad" "The Pledge Drive" "The Chinese Woman" "The Couch" "The Gymnast" "The Soup" "The Mom & Pop Store" "The Secretary" "The Race" "The Switch" "The Label Maker" "The Scofflaw" "The Highlights of 100"† "The Beard" "The Kiss Hello" "The Doorman" "The Jimmy" "The Doodle" "The Fusilli Jerry" "The Diplomat's Club" "The Face Painter" "The Understudy"
Season 7	"The Engagement" "The Postponement" "The Maestro" "The Wink" "The Hot Tub" "The Soup Nazi" "The Secret Code" "The Pool Guy" "The Sponge" "The Gum" "The Rye" "The Caddy" "The Seven" "The Cadillac"† "The Shower Head" "The Doll" "The Friar's Club" "The Wig Master" "The Calzone" "The Bottle Deposit"† "The Wait Out" "The Invitations"
Season 8	"The Foundation" "The Soul Mate" "The Bizarro Jerry" "The Little Kicks" "The Package" "The Fatigues" "The Checks" "The Chicken Roaster" "The Abstinence" "The Andrea Doria" "The Little Jerry" "The Money" "The Comeback" "The Van Buren Boys" "The Susie" "The Pothole" "The English Patient" "The Nap" "The Yada Yada" "The Millennium" "The Muffin Tops" "The Summer of George"
Season 9	"The Butter Shave" "The Voice" "The Serenity Now" "The Blood" "The Junk Mail" "The Merv Griffin Show" "The Slicer" "The Betrayal" "The Apology" "The Strike" "The Dealership" "The Reverse Peephole" "The Cartoon" "The Strongbox" "The Wizard" "The Burning" "The Bookstore" "The Frogger" "The Maid" "The Puerto Rican Day" "The Chronicle"† "The Finale"†
† Indicates two-part episode

The Parking Space

Contents

Plot

References

External links