|
When I park my car I don't park it in a space surrounded by empty spaces - who knows who could turn up, park next to me and fling their doors open with gay abandon? IMO avoid getting close with Rover 200s, Daewoo Nexias, late 80's and early 90's 4 cylinder 3 series. Spend a minute driving round and put it next to a Lexus, Jag or Honda.
|
|
As a special treat, I park the Astra as far away from other cars as possible in any given mass-parking situation to stop the numptys dinging our doors when they park next to me. SWMBO loves it - not.
|
|
Many people (not just females) cannot park straight in a car park bay without another vehicle to line up with,
|
Yes, why do they do this? I?ve got replacement hipjoints and need to open my car door as wide as possible to get in and out. Because the marked out parking spaces in this country seem designed for Triumph Heralds and bubble-cars I purposely park well away from other cars, even going up several floors in our local car park until I can do this. Inevitably when I get back to the car some twit has parked right next to me making getting in difficult.
The same multi-storey has one floor at the same level as the shops. I often see people spend ages trying to get into impossible spaces with giant urban assault vehicles. Totally uncaring about causing queues of other cars trying to get into the park. All just to save a few seconds on the stairs or in the lift.
Some weeks ago I was waiting for SWMBO in said park. In the parking lane opposite was the only other car on the floor, a Mk3 Golf. Enter a large brand new Jeep driven by Mr Priggy Pinstripe. He parks with his left door almost touching the Golf driver?s mirror. He?s about to flounce off when Mrs Golf appears and asks ?How am I supposed to get in my car?? ?There?s another door isn?t there?? he says, and legs it to the accompaniment of (probably accurate) descriptions of his parentage from Mrs G. She gets into the driving seat with the aid of some contortionary tricks via the passenger door and drives off shaking her head to me. Re-enter Mr PP who examines his car?s left flanks in great detail and is about to get in when I also tell him what I think about his manners, and expressed the hope that any scratches weren?t too negligible. Needless to say an altercation resulted.
|
In the heady days, soon after the purchase of a new car, I too, make a point of parking in the furthermost corner of the car park, preferably with at least one flank being up against the boundary wall or curb.
What happens? That's right, the brainless ones will seek me out and park next to me - is it the flies and honey pot syndrome?
With reference to the urinal scenario, much research has been carried out in this field. The optimum is an odd number of urinal bowls. Each male - if he chooses carefully - can pick a bowl with a vacant bowl next to his. This will avoid being seen to choose a bowl next to one which is occupied and any intentions being inadvertantly misinterpreted.
|
|
|
My preferred parking slot is one which
(a) Is at the end of a row, preferably with one side shielded by a wall or a hedge etc.
(b) Enables me to park with the front of my car shielded as in (a)
(c) If (a) and/or (b) are not available then a slot which is as far away from other vehicles as possible, or at least has empty slots either side
(d) Is not next to a vehicle which has been left with the front wheels turned at a large angle
(e) Is not next to a vehicle which has visible accident damage
(f) Is not next to a vehicle which encroaches on the vacant slot
(g) Is not next to a vehicle which has large ground clearance and/or large doors with sharp outwardly-turned lower corners
I think the fact that there after three years there is still no parking damage on my car indicates the prudence of my choosiness.
--
L\'escargot.
|
I use the L'escargot system too.
Back to urinals - theories are fine for explaining behaviour as the positions are occupied - but isn't it embarassing if suddenly all the others clear, and you are left standing next to the only other bloke in a row of eight? Instinct is to shuffle along one, but probably not advisable. (Motoring relevance - you can read the car hire advert)
|
|
|
I think the fact that there after three years there is still no parking damage on my car indicates the prudence of my choosiness. -- L'escargot.
Are you ever able to get parked up, L'escargot? This is/would be my basic strategy but most times I am unable to employ it. But I am very fussy about parking equidistant from the adjacent cars and parallel to the bay markings.
I suspect that in car parks with plenty of empty spaces, people just like to make up a nice big block of parked cars. I'm wary of parking i some remote part of a (?dark) car park sice doing so and having my motor broken into some years back.
Now, the folk posting replies here are like-minded 'why do they do that?' types. I want to hear from the 'close means comfort' (or whatever) people. Come on, tell us why you do it.
|
|
I like to find two that are vacant,end to end.I can then drive through and avoid reversing in or out.
|
Re the empty car park.
I am a Londoner, born bred and experienced. Its pretty crowded on the roads and in the car parks down here. I can spot the single empty space in a car park of thousands from two miles away. This explains why, when I get to an empty car park, I get instantly confused. My brain goes to mush and the inability to make a rational choice sweeps over me. It has been known for a TVM car to straddle three spaces in an otherwise empty car park.
Re the urinals., I a;lways choose one with space on either side. Too many times men have turned to me and said "Hey aint you the famous TVM?" < TVM looks down at his now sodden shoes >
------------------------------
TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
|
|
|
I used to park at the empty end of car parks, to return to a banger parked either side.
Nowadays, I tend to pick end spaces, or park next to nice cars that look as though the owner wouldn't bang their door on mine. I don't park next to cars in poor condition or ones with chips on the edges of doors where they have banged walls etc... I also don't park next to ones with baby seats, or that look a tip inside.
|
|
I'd always choose to park between two tidily-parked, clean, smallish cars, reasoning that the greatest likelihood of damage to my car is someone carelessly parking next to it. If the neighbours have reversed in, so much the better, since reversing in is so much easier than reversing out. (The safety-mad managers of the National Grid building I used to work in even introduced a site policy to make nose-out parking compulsory, which might have been overdoing it slightly.)
|
|
In some states and locations in the US nose out parking is compulsary, Fixed Penalty Fine applies. North Carolina sea front parking is one or was if south Carolina. Friend done for it last year. Regards Peter
|
In some states and locations in the US nose out parking is compulsary...
OTOH, I remember seeing a sign in a car park in Staunton, Virginia that said 'Do not back into parking spaces'. (I have a photo of the sign and a brown car backed into a space right next to it.) I presumed at the time that this was because many cars in the US have a number (sorry, 'license') plate only at the back and, US policemen being the shape many are, they wanted all the cars in a row parked the same way so they could check numbers without having to squeeze through to look at the other end!
|
In some states and locations in the US nose out parking is compulsary, Fixed Penalty Fine applies. North Carolina sea front parking is one or was if south Carolina. Friend done for it last year. Regards Peter
Careful! We were told off in Florida for nose out parking, it's because the cars there don't have front licence plates, so have to be parked showing their rear licence plate.
|
The clustering or cars in remote parts of car parks is astonishing.
I was on a trip last year and arrived pretty early and spotted a nearby Tesco, so I parked in a remote corner of its gigantic car park while I ate my sandwiches, and I realised that around me were various (generally very new) cars.
I was confused about this, because the car park was split in two by a service road so we were basicially at the far side of the far car park! We really were so far from the shop that I couldn't believe people would park there. Low and behold shopper after shopper came back to their p&j trundling a Tesco trolley.
|
The clustering or cars in remote parts of car parks is astonishing. I was on a trip last year and arrived pretty early and spotted a nearby Tesco, so I parked in a remote corner of its gigantic car park while I ate my sandwiches, and I realised that around me were various (generally very new) cars. I was confused about this, because the car park was split in two by a service road so we were basicially at the far side of the far car park! We really were so far from the shop that I couldn't believe people would park there. Low and behold shopper after shopper came back to their p&j trundling a Tesco trolley.
Could have been mine there.
My last car had dents everywhere as a result of careless parkers. Since I've had my new Honda I park in the remotest part of Tesco's car park and straddle a dividing line. Hardly any other cars around, and a long walk to the store entrance, but, touch wood, no marks after over two years.
I never visit when it's likely to be busy.
|
I try to follow the 'best practice' regimes of several of the previous posters, with the general priciples of: furthest away from exit/entry point, abutted by wall/fence, and/or next to a well-cared for car if necessary. Despite my best efforts, I tend to be a banger-magnet
too..ho-hum.
One incident, that still raises my blood pressure is one occasion when an elderly-ish bloke in an absolutely ragged Freelander (dents,scratches, wing mirror hanging off etc.) tried to 'manoeuvre' his supermarket trolley betwwen my car & another, to save carrying his shopping 2metres. He pushed the trolley between the 'wing mirror gap' & was stuck, but continued to try and push & bang his way through. I was standing 1metre away.
How I summoned the Ghandi-like composure in the face of such idiotic behaviour & provocation I stll marvel at. In measured, but insistent tones, I enquired what his game was. He then launched into a tirade at me!!! 'It's only a car, what's the problem...etc, blah..'
Well, dear readers, I went through all the risk/reward/outcome analysis in 2-3 seconds & only my desire not to get a criminal record for assault swayed the outcome. I simply walked away. If I'd said anything, or engaged, I know fisticuffs would have followed from me.
Regarding the urinal 'shoulder surfing' debate, having previously lived for many years in Brighton, the trials & conundrums of other posters are well known to me, but magnified many fold. Since urinals in said place are also 'entertainment' venues for a certain section, my priority, if having to use one , was in & out as quickly as possible (no pun intended) whilst all the time maintaining a straight ahead gaze. The absolute worst scenario was if 'flow' was not immediate, (cold day, full bladder whatever) which meant a more prolonged stay, with just silence & shuffling all around.
|
Yes, I too try to follow the best practices outlined above - though this is not always easy in a supermarket car park that is 90% full.
In the original post, I was specifically observing behaviour in a large municipal car park that was 98% empty. I just wonder if it's down to a very basic 'safety in numbers' instinct - like herding in wildebeests (sorry, Will) or shoaling in certain fish species.
|
Must be human nature because it's not limited to car parks. Happens in cinemas, happens on picnics, happens in bookshops, happens in supermarkets. You find a nice quiet place with your trolley while the wife is off looking for margerine and before you know it ten people suddenly desperately want the obscure sauces and pickles right behind you.
I reckon it dates back to thousands of years ago when we shared the earth with dinosaurs and found safety in numbers.
|
Or maybe they just like to park in clusters to spread out the chances of a break-in.
I often park with other groups of cars if I'm hesitant about the parking restrictions, not in car parks but around town.
|
It would be a bit difficult to define nose-in or out in the usual double-row type of car park, because people can drive in, or out, through the other row..
There's a hidden penalty in parking next to a small car, in the belief one is achieving more space. They can be the very drivers who are the most careless with their doors. In between two vans with sliding doors might be the optimum position.
|
It would be a bit difficult to define nose-in or out in the usual double-row type of car park, because people can drive in, or out, through the other row..
That's exactly what I did (drive through a double row). However you can't (in Florida) leave the car in this. In practice it doesn't make sense in a UK supermarket car park either, because it then makes it awkward to load shopping into the boot.
|
You find a nice quiet place with your trolley while the wife is off looking for margerine and before you know it ten people suddenly desperately want the obscure sauces and pickles right behind you.
Good example, Dave, but I would submit that the effect is even more noticeable when you go into any shop with a pushchair containing your offspring. It happens even if you are standing next to a blank wall - people come up and glare at you as if it is somehow their wall and you are In Their Way.
Returning to the original topic, I once parked in a quiet car park in which a few spaces (starting with the one next to mine) had been coned off for some unspecified reason. When I came back I found that a few people had actually moved the cones aside, such was their haste to park next to me. I can only agree that it is some vestige of herding instinct.
|
|
|
|
|
Your a good person for pointing out the person in that Jeep was being a pain.
Your first and middle paragraphs don't make too much sense. Is it not better for these big urban assault vehicles to squeze into the spaces on the lower levels, than to park right beside you on the higher levels where you are.
I do agree that the owners of these big vehicles are being selfish, but that system may be to your advantage.
-----------------------------------------------
Torque means nothing without RPM
|
Should have adressed by prevose post to Mag Drop
-----------------------------------------------
Torque means nothing without RPM
|
|
|
|
|
|
