windflowers
New member
- Joined
- 23 Nov 2016
- Messages
- 22
The other day I drove my wife's Mini Cooper to the supermarket and parked in a marked slot. Fifteen minutes later I came out to find a samaritan had put a note under the wipers to the effect they'd seen a car reverse into the front of the Mini. The reg number was included. Fortunately there was only a surface mark so no action needed.
Years ago I had a show car which got admiring looks wherever I went. The problem was, it was a magnet. One evening I parked at a sports club to play a team match. At the rear of the premises was a massive car park with only one car present (the rest were all parked at the front). After the match I came out and guess what? There were two other cars in the rear car park each side of mine! What the hell?
Further back when I had a newish MG I always aimed to park defensively but still got door dings and one ar$e put a dent in the rear. Now as a new Porsche owner as of March '17 I have stirring memories of parking pitfalls. To hopefully avoid dings and dents from careless or deliberate oiks I have this to offer, but would appreciate any tips others may have:-
1 - Aim to park at the end of a parking row of so there is only one side of your car potentially vulnerable to damage.
2 - If you have to park between vehicles always choose the nicest ones because those owners will probably take care of their car and not open their door/s on yours.
3 - As with 2, if you have to park on the street aim for an end space rather than being sandwiched between two vehicles.
4 - Notwithstanding 'magnetic' attraction, park in the farthest space available from the shop/place you're visiting. Most folk going shopping have an aversion to walking and are unlikely to park far away.
5 - Avoid parking next to people carriers full of kids that will think nothing of flinging open doors / bouncing footballs / having a skirmish, etc. next to your car.
6 - I've seen this done several times but only ever once myself:- Take a photo of your parked car and the adjacent ones before leaving it.
7 - If you're eating out or stopping for a coffee, leave the car parked in view and watch when folk arrive and park close to it.
Am I just being paranoid?! Periodic dents and dings suggests not. And over the years I've witnessed several instances of people parking and shunting the car in front or behind. Duh.
Years ago I had a show car which got admiring looks wherever I went. The problem was, it was a magnet. One evening I parked at a sports club to play a team match. At the rear of the premises was a massive car park with only one car present (the rest were all parked at the front). After the match I came out and guess what? There were two other cars in the rear car park each side of mine! What the hell?
Further back when I had a newish MG I always aimed to park defensively but still got door dings and one ar$e put a dent in the rear. Now as a new Porsche owner as of March '17 I have stirring memories of parking pitfalls. To hopefully avoid dings and dents from careless or deliberate oiks I have this to offer, but would appreciate any tips others may have:-
1 - Aim to park at the end of a parking row of so there is only one side of your car potentially vulnerable to damage.
2 - If you have to park between vehicles always choose the nicest ones because those owners will probably take care of their car and not open their door/s on yours.
3 - As with 2, if you have to park on the street aim for an end space rather than being sandwiched between two vehicles.
4 - Notwithstanding 'magnetic' attraction, park in the farthest space available from the shop/place you're visiting. Most folk going shopping have an aversion to walking and are unlikely to park far away.
5 - Avoid parking next to people carriers full of kids that will think nothing of flinging open doors / bouncing footballs / having a skirmish, etc. next to your car.
6 - I've seen this done several times but only ever once myself:- Take a photo of your parked car and the adjacent ones before leaving it.
7 - If you're eating out or stopping for a coffee, leave the car parked in view and watch when folk arrive and park close to it.
Am I just being paranoid?! Periodic dents and dings suggests not. And over the years I've witnessed several instances of people parking and shunting the car in front or behind. Duh.