Public Parking Thread
Registered User
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 597
Likes: 1
From: SF Bay Area
One time before I had my S, I had my beater parked at the bottom end of a sloped parking lot. I was standing by my car and noticed a run-away shopping cart about half-way across the lot.
It was started from maybe a hundred feet away and was headed straight towards my car. I just stood there watching the shark as it slowly picked up speed for 30-45 seconds before it finally reached me. Lucky for me, I was there to stop it from taking a bite out of my paint.
So now I try to pay attention to the slope of the parking lot and park at a high point since sharks only tend to swim downstream.
It was started from maybe a hundred feet away and was headed straight towards my car. I just stood there watching the shark as it slowly picked up speed for 30-45 seconds before it finally reached me. Lucky for me, I was there to stop it from taking a bite out of my paint.
So now I try to pay attention to the slope of the parking lot and park at a high point since sharks only tend to swim downstream.
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 2,925
Likes: 8
From: Largo, FL
Originally Posted by obsess2k'ed,Oct 25 2010, 12:24 PM
One time before I had my S, I had my beater parked at the bottom end of a sloped parking lot. I was standing by my car and noticed a run-away shopping cart about half-way across the lot.
It was started from maybe a hundred feet away and was headed straight towards my car. I just stood there watching the shark as it slowly picked up speed for 30-45 seconds before it finally reached me. Lucky for me, I was there to stop it from taking a bite out of my paint.
So now I try to pay attention to the slope of the parking lot and park at a high point since sharks only tend to swim downstream.
It was started from maybe a hundred feet away and was headed straight towards my car. I just stood there watching the shark as it slowly picked up speed for 30-45 seconds before it finally reached me. Lucky for me, I was there to stop it from taking a bite out of my paint.
So now I try to pay attention to the slope of the parking lot and park at a high point since sharks only tend to swim downstream.
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 2,063
Likes: 4
From: Durango, Colorado
The slope of the parking lot is a very important thing in selecting a parking spot in a shopping area where carts are used. Here's another good thing to observe.
Where I live, we have some very high prevailing winds. If you have parked in a direction where these winds tend to blow car doors open wide one they have been opened --MOVE!
Where I live, we have some very high prevailing winds. If you have parked in a direction where these winds tend to blow car doors open wide one they have been opened --MOVE!
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 9,583
Likes: 1
From: Columbia, SC
Originally Posted by dolebludger,Oct 25 2010, 08:29 PM
The slope of the parking lot is a very important thing in selecting a parking spot in a shopping area where carts are used. Here's another good thing to observe.
Where I live, we have some very high prevailing winds. If you have parked in a direction where these winds tend to blow car doors open wide one they have been opened --MOVE!
Where I live, we have some very high prevailing winds. If you have parked in a direction where these winds tend to blow car doors open wide one they have been opened --MOVE!
Registered User
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 99
Likes: 0
I always try to avoid parking on bigger lots, but when I have to I always parallel park over 2 parking spaces to avoid others from parking right next to me.
I get some bad looks from ppl, but no one has ever dared to say or do anything about it.
I get some bad looks from ppl, but no one has ever dared to say or do anything about it.
Registered User
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 5,583
Likes: 2
From: Kodak, TN
Originally Posted by dolebludger,Oct 25 2010, 08:29 PM
The slope of the parking lot is a very important thing in selecting a parking spot in a shopping area where carts are used. Here's another good thing to observe.
Where I live, we have some very high prevailing winds. If you have parked in a direction where these winds tend to blow car doors open wide one they have been opened --MOVE!
Where I live, we have some very high prevailing winds. If you have parked in a direction where these winds tend to blow car doors open wide one they have been opened --MOVE!
Registered User
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 757
Likes: 0
From: Austin, TX
My Rules to Parking:
1. dont park under trees....im tired of digging out brush/leaves from the crevice of the soft top, and get so pissed when there is bird turd on my car.
2. park near nicer cars, not ricer cars....i always avoid a suppa fixed up tricked out whiggy whack car cuz part of me feels my seats/shift knob might complete their "set up"
3. try for a curb spot, but dont worry about parking too far out. as others have said, no matter where you are, people will be next to you in the long run.
4. Activate alarm.
1. dont park under trees....im tired of digging out brush/leaves from the crevice of the soft top, and get so pissed when there is bird turd on my car.
2. park near nicer cars, not ricer cars....i always avoid a suppa fixed up tricked out whiggy whack car cuz part of me feels my seats/shift knob might complete their "set up"
3. try for a curb spot, but dont worry about parking too far out. as others have said, no matter where you are, people will be next to you in the long run.
4. Activate alarm.
Registered User
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 92
Likes: 0
From: Fairsuck, Va
My alarm is so sensitive that if you get within 6 in. it will chirp once. (I actually need to fix that because it gets annoying.)
My neighborhood would be your guy's worst nightmare. The spots are designed for old school mini coopers and yet half of my neighbors (btw it's an apt. complex) have SUV's that are bigger than their appartment. Even a perfect parking job by one of them means about 1 ft. of clearance between their door and mine. Luckily my reserved spot is on an end (literally the only spot of it's type in the place) so I have plenty of room, but if my roommate gets there before me I park at the top of my neighborhood and ALWAYS put the cover on if I think someone will be near me.
It's disgusting looking at the other cars though, I am the only person with a sports car other than a guy that double parks his C5 Corvette (his apt. has two reserved spots....lucky bastard). I don't mean that in a holyer than thou kind of way either. I mean these people really have no care for their cars. I can't tell you how many times my friends will have to let me out of the car before they park because there just is no room left to open the doors on both sides. And abou 60% of the cars have scratches and dings on them. Putting the car cover on really helps though.
My neighborhood would be your guy's worst nightmare. The spots are designed for old school mini coopers and yet half of my neighbors (btw it's an apt. complex) have SUV's that are bigger than their appartment. Even a perfect parking job by one of them means about 1 ft. of clearance between their door and mine. Luckily my reserved spot is on an end (literally the only spot of it's type in the place) so I have plenty of room, but if my roommate gets there before me I park at the top of my neighborhood and ALWAYS put the cover on if I think someone will be near me.
It's disgusting looking at the other cars though, I am the only person with a sports car other than a guy that double parks his C5 Corvette (his apt. has two reserved spots....lucky bastard). I don't mean that in a holyer than thou kind of way either. I mean these people really have no care for their cars. I can't tell you how many times my friends will have to let me out of the car before they park because there just is no room left to open the doors on both sides. And abou 60% of the cars have scratches and dings on them. Putting the car cover on really helps though.
Registered User
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 212
Likes: 0
From: Eastern NC
I think im going to start to park in the back, away from the other cars. not so much to avoid carts/car doors, but more so i can actually find my car. i cant count how many times ive had to walk around hitting the lock button waiting to hear my car chirp. thing is so small just about any car will conceal it.