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6) Don't not park next to a (used) pedestrian walkway/crossing. Doing so means that people cut through between your space and the next one/the wall/hedge and can scratch you car with shopping bags or trolleys as they pass.
Additionally, such areas often are frequented in the evening/on weekends by 'youths'/kids as they come and go from retail parks, who think it's 'a larf' to damage the car next to the site's pedestrian entrance.
7) Don't not park next to/nearby a trolley park. Many people leave the trolleys loose (even in the roadway if they're really lazy) and often they roll towards nearby cars if they are caught by the wind or are on a slope.
8) Do not park near to the recycling centre (similar to your No. 5) or the shops refuse bins (especially the big 'eurobins'). Similar issues with people who are more concerned with getting rid of their recycling, rubbish etc asap than avoiding damaging your car with their trollies, bags and recycling. Loose recycling and rubbish when the bins are full can also blow around onto your car.
9) Do not park on the end of a row of spaces if that space is next to a corner of the road/junction and is not a wide, long space - people often misjudge the corner and sideswipe cars parked in corner spaces, especially if (as is often the case these days) your car only just fits in the space length-wise.
10) Always fold in your mirrors.
11) Try to avoid parking opposite or directly next to the 'Parent & Child' or 'Disabled' parking spaces. The former are often more concerned about getting home quickly than with parking/backing out properly or them/their kids not damaging your vehicle as described in 6 & 7.
The latter I would be concerned with some (but by no means all) of such drivers who have lost their skills in old age and cannot judge speed and especially distance, particularly when reversing. On many occasions I've seen OAPs who bumped into other cars that they shouldn't be anywhere near when reversing out of their space, others who were oblivious to them doing so and who just drove off or who kept going into the other car. I suppose you could say the same about cars with an L or P plate on them, just to be on the safe side.
Often a badly parked car (even small ones) are a good clue as to those most susceptible to this. The same would go for any badly parked vehicle. Even worse (both situations) when the road part is relatively narrow.
12) Do not park under a lime tree or in any space that has copious amounts of bird poo on the ground.
13) Park in a shady spot in hot weather that will do so mostly near to when you return to the car (i.e. if it's left there for several hours).
14) Park somewhere that is well lit and preferably is covered by CCTV.
15) Be aware that parking round the side of a shop (less busy with pedestrians and is often shady) can also be on the route to the goods entrance, meaning HGVs may be reversing or unloading with palets/large trolleys near to your vehicle.
16) Do not park next to any vehicle with obvious signs of significant damage to the side of their vehicle. A bit similar to FB's No. 4 - it shows that the owner wouldn't care less if their damaged yours, and would probably drive off without leaving their details if they did.
Not many prime places left!!! Admitedly I was in full rant mode when typing this.
Edited by Engineer Andy on 08/12/2018 at 12:28
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