Parking Space Rage

[MerlintheMad]

Generally. I am always one of the first to arrive and last to leave.

Yeah, like you have a choice.

 

[rocket23]

My parking spot every day....
View attachment 13970

That's as bad as "where's Waldo"?

Generally. I am always one of the first to arrive and last to leave.

Aha!!! a clue!!

 

[rocket23]

when it comes to parking, it's me against them....I keep ''them'' away from me!

 

[MerlintheMad]

when it comes to parking, it's me against them....I keep ''them'' away from me!

I'd like to see how you accomplish that in @StingerNYC 's parking lot.

 

[GRStinger]

I also park strategically - away from others if I can; next to other "nice" cars if I can't find a secluded spot. (Caveat: I look for Audi's and Merc's, generally avoiding BMW's. You know what they say about the difference between BMW drivers and porcupines .)

 

[Ozstung]

I only ever park nose to tail, the car has never seen a carpark and it will stay that way for quite a few years. My WRX took 6 years to get a scratch on it.

 

[MerlintheMad]

Any of us who experienced the Whittier quake ('87) know not to park next to an old brick building:
View attachment 13972

I've noticed that the only place at my neighborhood market where you don't see loose baskets rolling around is near the cart corral, so I always take an empty spot next to the corral if I can. At least I'm guaranteed extra space on one side and can park well within the line on the other side. Besides, in my area, every lot is full to the edges, so it's not like I can park out in the south 40 away from everyone.

Me too. Any parking lot that has shopping cart corrals are as good as an end stall.

I have no idea how to find the thread where one of our own was sideswiped while parked beside a shopping cart corral. But ever since reading that (several weeks ago) I have not parked beside a corral again. I'll walk as far as I have to in order to take advantage of a distant end spot that looks safe. That way nobody will cut across the aisles of parking stalls next to me, or cut around my car in doing so.

Here's the spot I usually took before. I would park right on top of the yellow line with my right wheels.

Today I was using this spot for the first time.

 

[westcoastGT]

I have no idea how to find the thread where one of our own was sideswiped while parked beside a shopping cart corral. But ever since reading that (several weeks ago) I have not parked beside a corral again. I'll walk as far as I have to in order to take advantage of a distant end spot that looks safe. That way nobody will cut across the aisles of parking stalls next to me, or cut around my car in doing so.

Here's the spot I usually took before. I would park right on top of the yellow line with my right wheels.
View attachment 25667
Today I was using this spot for the first time.
View attachment 25668

I would be 6" closer to the curb and on the other side , the car parking beside you will have the drivers door opening toward your ( assuming he parks face forward ) theres a better than 50% chance of no passenger on the other side

 

[MerlintheMad]

I would be 6" closer to the curb and on the other side , the car parking beside you will have the drivers door opening toward your ( assuming he parks face forward ) theres a better than 50% chance of no passenger on the other side

True. I hadn't worried too much about that. But I'll keep it more in mind.

As for "six inches closer", nope, not going to do that. As Long as I am within a foot it's all good. And if I do put the curb on the passenger side, I'm actually not going to do that: instead, I will back into it. Much easier to get closer to the curb that way.

 

[Revvdmedia]

I'm not rubbing it any anyone's face that doesn't have it, but the 360 degree camera (curb side view) makes it really easy to snug up to the curb, about an inch from it, lol. I don't know if all the cars do it but the second best option is to tilt the mirrors down to see the curb - set the mirror to the adjust left or adjust right on the switch and they will tilt down in reverse.

 

[AV8R]

I'm not rubbing it any anyone's face that doesn't have it, but the 360 degree camera (curb side view) makes it really easy to snug up to the curb, about an inch from it, lol. I don't know if all the cars do it but the second best option is to tilt the mirrors down to see the curb - set the mirror to the adjust left or adjust right on the switch and they will tilt down in reverse.

Yep works for me, we have the 360 and my mirrors tilt down in reverse. I do use the front cameras a lot for parking close to a curb at front of car.

 

[MerlintheMad]

I'm not rubbing it any anyone's face that doesn't have it, but the 360 degree camera (curb side view) makes it really easy to snug up to the curb, about an inch from it, lol. I don't know if all the cars do it but the second best option is to tilt the mirrors down to see the curb - set the mirror to the adjust left or adjust right on the switch and they will tilt down in reverse.

Yep. When I back up alongside a curb, I always tilt my mirrors down. They can give you a different picture than the backup camera grid, however. I've snugged right up to the curb with my tire (not my rim, thank heaven!), going more by the view in the tilted mirror than the backup camera grid, which indicated that I wasn't that close. So now I tend to be generous with my distances. Typically, I'll place the red grid at the base of the curb, or slightly (c. an inch or so) out from the base. If the red grid is climbing the curb face, then I am too close.

 

[AV8R]

Are the spaces that tight over there? I would have thought they would be bigger than Australian ones as you guys have a lot of what we call, yank tanks. Lol

 

[MerlintheMad]

Are the spaces that tight over there? I would have thought they would be bigger than Australian ones as you guys have a lot of what we call, yank tanks. Lol

Most parking is generous. Some real estate is over developed and scrimps on parking dimensions. I avoid such places like plague. Other places I've visited away from Utah have very dicey parking amenities. Parking is the single most worrisome aspect of road trips. Last summer I had to park in a plaza in downtown Seattle and it was heart-in-my-throat all the way. I backed into a stall (an end stall it happened, which helped my state of mind). But the Stinger has made me claustrophobic!

 

[AV8R]

The biggest issue for me is the length of the car. Most parking spots are a little short here, especially at my place of work. So I usually try to park on the side of the road but then you have to watch for idiots who bump into the front or back getting in and out.

 

[MerlintheMad]

The biggest issue for me is the length of the car. Most parking spots are a little short here, especially at my place of work. So I usually try to park on the side of the road but then you have to watch for idiots who bump into the front or back getting in and out.

Even Steve McQueen! Watch the first ten minutes of "The Hunter". What an "idiot". He was a terrific driver. But he played a crappy driver to a "T". That's known as good acting.

I don't like to parallel park either. I've given up on backing into a spot. Too stressful! If there is a spot that I can hog (a short curb) by parking in the middle, so that there's no room for anybody else, that is ideal. Just watch out for driveways opposite: I won't take a curb opposite a driveway.

 

[AV8R]

What I find amazing is that despite all the gizmos the Stinger has there is no auto park feature.

 

[MerlintheMad]

What I find amazing is that despite all the gizmos the Stinger has there is no auto park feature.

I hate the concept! If the Stinger had that auto park as an option it would be the first option I'd refuse. As I understand auto park "gizmos", they are very dedicated, complex machinery; even the rear wheels angle to get it done. That has to add thousands of dollars to the cost of a car, surely.

 

[AV8R]

Don’t forget the weight too. How ever it is seeming to be the norm on most cars these days.

 

[MerlintheMad]

Don’t forget the weight too. How ever it is seeming to be the norm on most cars these days.

Luxury models, anyway. When you say "most cars", you're talking about cars that cost as much as a top trim Stinger and go up from there, right? Or am I mistaken about this "auto park" feature being quite expensive? I've assumed that the less sporty, more luxury trims of upper end cars get this.