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Maybe those with the need for two parking spaces should buy one of those plots in the Harrods complex that are going for £100,000. Their pride and joy would be more secure that way, perhaps.
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wherever poss, best to leave the motor in far off, quieter corners of supermarket car parks.... and put up with a longer walk
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Ah but then we witness clustering. Just as half the passers-by in the street will stare into the sky if you stand there looking up for no particular reason, so feckless souls will wonder why you've parked in the far corner and so box your pride and joy in.
I call this "clueless Ooops, had to moderate myself there. ND syndrome"
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Despite my car being just a regular hatchback it barely fits in the normal supermarket bay. I'm fairly large guy and I hate wiping dirt off closely parked cars with my jeans and jacket. I used to park in M&C bays but recently mother and child bays in local ASDA were reduced in size to accomodate more disabled bays (now expanded to about 15% of entire parking, and mostly empty), and the massive, wide door Landrovers parked there no longer warrant safety of my car's paint. I'm not going to park in disabled bay, that would be faul play, so I admit, I park my Almera across two spaces always as far from the crowd as possible. I also buy two parking tickets and display them both, next to each other. I think it's fair.
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I like costco because the spaces are that bit wider - makes parking and loading much less of a chore.
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As a Scenic driver with lots of parking dings on my doors, I have noticed that the various people whom I know that have a Zafira do not have a single ding in them!
Is this just a coincidence or is it better door design or tougher door skin?
Any Zafira drivers with dings?
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Try the PU appoach.I park the (scruffy) Defender as close as possible to the most expensive car in the Car Park - just for the hell of it.I would never dream of being other than extra careful when exiting.
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Ohhhhh... in the old days the crown used to send people like you on one way trip to Australia.
I know, let's blame people using disabled bays on people like Pugugly! :D
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easy tiger, that's my name! Ha Ha
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Leoness used to drive a megane which was parked daily in a multi-storey car park for at least 8 hours. The doors had ripples along them from careless door openers. We got shot of the Megane when it was 3 years old. She has had her Golf for just about three years and I commented to her about this very subject on Saturday after washing the car, that there was hardly a mark on the doors. Dont think the car park is any less crowded or that other parkers are more careful.
Think there may be more strength in the metal or construction of the doors.
Leon
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I too like Costco, but I don't like the lazy people who leave their trolleys leaning against my car, god help me if I caught someone doing it!
PP
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Peterperfect, I couldn't agree more. I lost an indicator and a head light to a tesco shopping trolley previously used by someone too lazy to put it away. Actually saw it from 50 m away smack into my car (not nice). Intrestingly Tesco did pay out for it in the end. They weren't going to but they mucked up my claim and felt bad about it taking ages.
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I also buy two parking tickets and display them both, next to each other. I think it's fair.
Sounds fair to me, but I'll believe it when I see it!
--
L'escargot by name, but not by nature.
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I also buy two parking tickets and display them both, next to each other. I think it's fair.
On second thoughts, I'm not sure it is fair. Marked parking bays are a form of rationing, intended to ensure that (regardless of wealth) everyone gets the same share of the available commodity ~ in this case space in the car park.
--
L'escargot by name, but not by nature.
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Hmm, but what happens if the car with 2 tickets has say 4 people in it, is this better than 4 cars with only 1 person in each?
Park far away, because it tends to be the lazy gets that hammer your pride n joy, because they are thoughtless and think the only reason your car is there is to stop their car's door from swinging wide open and potentially damaging it.
Grr
Kev
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wherever poss, best to leave the motor in far off, quieter corners of supermarket car parks.... and put up with a longer walk
This is what I do, and in 40-odd years I've never had any damage caused by someone opening their car door carelessly. The other thing I do is to park in such a way that no-one can drive into the front of my car and break the headlights etc. The front of a car is much more vulnerable than the rear.
All it needs is a bit of thought. And if I considered that a supermarket's parking spaces were too narrow, then I would shop elsewhere.
--
L'escargot by name, but not by nature.
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"And if I considered that a supermarket's parking spaces were too narrow, then I would shop elsewhere.
"
I would have to shop waaaaay outside London...
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"And if I considered that a supermarket's parking spaces were too narrow, then I would shop elsewhere. " I would have to shop waaaaay outside London...
That's not my fault, so there!
--
L'escargot by name, but not by nature.
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I tend to be a lazy parker and go into the spaces where there isn't a car next door and just walk a little further. Not always an option I know.
For all those feeling sorry for themselves over a few door dents then here's a story about the manager in charge of our Chicago site:
He recently bought himself a brand new shiny sporty two seater - very expensive and his pride and joy He always parked it at the far end of the car park and didn't suffer a scratch from other peoples cars. One day about 3 weeks after he bought it there was a bit of a hail storm and the car park was pelted with golf ball sized hail stones. On going out to the car he found the whole thing covered in dents and had to pay an awful lot of money to repair it. Poor chap.
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{Moved from Technical Matters as the latter part of the thread has now become general conversation. DD}
Russbif,
You have highlighted one of life\'s mysteries. I have always sought to park as far away from the main area ( i.e near shop entrances ) in large carparks, as I feel that will in the long term protect my car. The proof is I have just offloaded a blemish free 3yo Mondeo.
A local shopping development has a largish carpark and naturally, the majority of cars congregate as near to shop entrances as possible. Unless of course I come along and choose to park in a lonely spot as far as possible from the bulk of shoppers. Guess what? Come out of the shop, be it only minutes and I will find that other cars will have surrounded mine! Very strange indeed. The Trafford Centre is just as bad and that has a vast carpark.
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{Moved from Technical Matters as the latter part of the thread has now become general conversation. DD}
>> Why is it that bBritish motorists feel the need to park >> next to somebody else ? >> >> Answers on the back of a postcard please..... Or preferably in the Discussion forum, as general conversation about how trolley dents occur isn\'t of a technical nature. DD. BR Moderator.
The answer is I think you will find is that most drivers are unable to park correctly unless they have some form of obsticle to guide them, ie your vehicle or preferably two vehicles with a space between.As they are unable to see or judge the markings on the floor easily they use your vehicle as a guide.
rustbucket (the original)
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There would be less damage if the modern car 'designer' placed the 'decorative' plastic door strips at the height where an opening door, from an adjcent car, was most likely to hit.
It does not need much brain power to realise this is close to the point of maximum bulge.
I have a 2001 year car that DOES have them at the right height and their latest offering that has them far too low and a blue paint mark on the door where they should have been.
Having written and said at what height they should be, I did get a reply "thank you for your letter, we are always interested in improving our cars", but on past experience of pointing out faults to manufacturers, I will not be holding my breath.
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I have been tempted to park in two spaces. My only fear is that someone will try to park in the remaining space next to the car!
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Architects metric handbook mate. Standard parking bay = 2400x4800
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To the people that park/are tempted to park in two spaces - there are many car parks I know where you can be fined for that, ie you have a valid ticket for one bay, not two - and I have heard of people being ticketed or even clamped for having even a wheel over the line between two spaces. This has become much more frequent, I think, since supermarket carparks have adopted the trend of not being necessarily free for supermarket users, and have begun employing wheelclampers and wardens much more freely than they ever did in the past.
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Isn't the door strip is designed for preventing this issue? Mine has a grey plastic strip which is also quite soft.
However, door strip does not work if you have a abnormal sized vehicle, e.g. 4x4. Also, not all cars have door strips.
A friend runs a 80s land cruiser 70-series that has not been washed for at least 3 years, even after many road rallies and trials and mud to half-way up the windows, etc. No one ever wants to park next to it because they don't want to get dirt on their clothes if they try to get out.
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Most drivers who parked across more than one bay are quite simply arrogant people. recently in the Harlequin Centre in Watford saw an example of this. Complete moron Mercedes owner across two bays diagonally what a complete and utter moron.
If you can?t drive a big car don?t buy one it?s that simple!! As for the comments about the spaces being too narrow I think that?s bull. 95% of people can park within the lines so if you can?t maybe you need some tuition!
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Quite an interesting topic this one of big cars and c**p drivers. I have noticed a trend recently of women driving them big X5 and Mercedes ML – can they drive them – NO they can’t because most women can’t even drive a small car let alone one of this size.
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>>NO they can't because most women can't even drive a small car let alone one of this size.
Blimey!! That's a bit harsh Reynolds! Are we an ickle bit stressed with women drivers in general or one in particular??
If women can't drive, how come we have the least amount of accidents?
I don't think many people (especially 'townies') of either sex have much of a grasp on how to drive these large 4x4s. IMHO the only people who should be able to buy them are the ones that live somewhere where the 4 wheel drive is necessary (farmers, country folk etc) .... definitely not the ones who only go off road when they visit a Country/Agricultural show once a year and have to park in a *gasp* field ("I'm not parking in that...the wheels will get muddy")!!
--
If at first you do succeed, try not to look astonished
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"most women can't even drive a small car let alone one of this size"
Wow! I'd get your head below the parapet quickly, Reynolds!
Moving swiftly on.......I would suggest:
1. With increased mechanisation, traditional 'hands on' tradesmen are disappearing, with the result that people are losing basic hand - eye co-ordination. The same is even true in the home, where many household chores are performed by gadgets of one sort or another. Now, sadly, we have reached a stage where we physically cannot hold a car door one inch away from an adjacent vehicle, while pulling our bodies through the remaining gap!
2. Obesity is on the increase. To put it simply, we are all getting bigger and more clumsy - far less able to negotiate narrow gaps between car doors and adjacent vehicles.
3. Consumerism has made cars 'expendable', they are no longer seen as 'valuable possessions' that ought to be treasured and looked after. It's OK to ram a shopping trolley into a £15,000 car, but to do the same to a £15,000 antique would be unthinkable! Why? Is it maybe because that antique was made 'by hand' with skill and the car wasn't? All of which, ties up with my earlier comments on dexterity. Of course, it's a sad irony that one of the few remaining crafts that needs real'hands on' skill is refinishing car bodywork..........
Incidentally, I've always thought that cars are a bit like pianos! A piano's primary function is to make music - yet (traditionally) their cases were finished and polished to a very high standard - much higher in fact, than comparable pieces of wooden furniture. Cars also seem to enjoy a much higher level of 'finish' than other metal objects (washing machines eg) Oddly enough though, the same high finish has never been expected for buses or trains (eg) Why?
Victor Meldrew is dead - long live Victor Meldrew.
Graeme
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If you can't drive a big car don't buy one it's that simple!! As for the comments about the spaces being too narrow I think that's bull. 95% of people can park within the lines so if you can't maybe you need some tuition!
I own a Vectra - not the biggest car out there, and I find some of the parking spaces too small. When I park in a marked out parking bay, I sometimes find I cannot open the door past the 1st click on the door stay because of the narrow bays. When I return I sometimes find that I have to squeeze back in and my shirt has ridden half way up my back during the attempt. Now I'm very careful not to smack my door into someone elses. Other people aren't so careful though.
You say that parking spaces aren't too narrow? What car do you own, a Fiat Cinquecento maybe?
What is the point in car manufacturers making car doors that open fully, when you are unable to when parked?
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I DON'T want to get my car wing/door damaged when I park in car parks simply because some imbecile thinks its okay to swing the door of their car as wide open as it goes, just because it can.
I can see why there is a habit forming of parking between two spaces - I've recently come back to my wife's Ka with two dents and four scratches along the side of it, and SURPRISE no note on the window offering an name/reg/apology, etc. It's going to cost a couple of hundred quid to get it sorted and sprayed, and I don't really want to claim of the insurance so that's money out of my hipper that'll pay for that, so I can see why people do it. Nae the best sense, and it looks dumb as hell, and if we ALL did it there'd be half the number of spaces in a car park available...
CP
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Have you tried to get out of a two door car when some idiot has parked too close?
Many moons ago I had a lovely new red Calibra. It was a devil to park because you had to avoid idiots who parked too close, and it was almost impossible to clamber over from the passenger side. I also tried to avoid those who carelessly opened their doors and gave mine a whacking great thump. I parked one day in a village hall car park, well away from everyone else, at the far end of the park. When I returned a local woman had parked so close I had to get in from the passenger side.
There were only about thirty empty spaces on either side of me, and empty rows of spaces behind me.
I now have a beautiful new Accord and I'm paranoid about parking it in case some idiot belts it with their door.
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Know the feeling Robbie. I too have a beautiful red Accord Sport, *sigh*, and am completely freaked each time I go the supermarket, or multi car parks. I try and park as far away from other cars as I can...but I think there is a Law of Carparking that states that no matter if you have eight spaces on either side of you, the magnetic moron will park RIGHT NEXT TO YOU, even though they have free reign of the carpark all around!!! I DON'T WANT YOU NEXT TO ME, THAT'S WHY I PARKED HERE!!!!! Do I need to put a sign in the window...or I could always park over the white lines and take up FOUR! spaces... ;)
CP
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A certain amount of native cunning can be called into play! Obviously, park beside someone who clearly looks after their car - that will show by careful attention to cleaning detail etc. NEVER park next to a car with either a child seat in the back (parent will stick his/her bum out while strapping in the little sprog and knock the back door flying into yours) - or with evidence of children in the back seat. Don't park beside elderly folks. Although they are often the most respectful of other people's property, they can have (understandable) problems with balance etc. If you're at a supermarket try to park beside someone who has just arrived - if you're lucky they'll come out about the same time as yourself and you can keep an eye. Park at the edge of the car park or next to a bollard / lamp standard etc - at least one side will be protected and you can always park exceptionally close to that side of the bay to allow for plenty of 'door swing' at the other side. I sometimes think it's better parking 'nose in' simply because damage to a boot is easier to camouflage / make good compared to a bonnet and anyway, I've got a towbar......Never park beside a 4 by 4 if at all possible - they have huge doors that can do lots of damage without a scratch to themselves. Never park at the bottom of a sloping supermarket car park - trolleys run downhill! Try to park to the left of a car with a single occupant - the passenger side doors won't be opened.Finally, check all round the car when you return - at least you'll know when any damage occurred!
Graeme
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...or walk or catch a bus...
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C5 Owner - You've obviously been to the SjB School of Parking! ;-) Yes, I use all these observation points and more. I have a an almost photographic memory for telephone numbers and car registration plates, so to your list I add making a mental note of who was parked around me, too. Not sure how useful this might be in the event of a drive away incident unless the damage was major, but it's easy, so I often do.
All this still didn't stop me coming a cropper yesterday though...
Our previously unmarked V70 now has a vertical gouge down to bare metal over the pronounced shoulder along one rear flank of the car. The metal is not creased, but the paint has been impacted with some force in a glancing manner. Given the way the edges have flaked and that the gouge is deepest at the base, it looks like having been caused by retrieval or positioning of a long hard object from/on the back seat of an adjactent car. Yes, I know, get real, use the car, expect damage, blah, blah, blah, but Aaaaaaaaargh none the less.
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All of this could be avoided if people used their sunrooves and boots to enter/exit their cars, rather than the conventional 'door' method.
HF
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May be I could do this if I was posh and had a 'sunroove'! :-)
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Commiserations SjB! I thought I'd cracked it when we started using Tesco.com. Dream on! So far, we've had a large chunk knocked out of our front wall where the delivery van reversed into it and a deep gouge taken out of the kitchen door where the delivery girl came flying in with a large plastic crate of groceries.
Dooooooohhhhhh!
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