Out in left field with the other nuts

Out with my other/better half today and she didn't want to take the Box since it looked like rain (south Florida). Went to a local flea type market in my SUV and when we came out there was a sparkling brand new white Panamera squeezed in between cars. It wasn't my car and I cringed. Later on over by Best Buy and beautiful Carrera Cab also squeezed between cars and a shopping cart left against their bumper.

I for one am very anal about where I leave my baby (my car not my wife) LOL. I'll park at the end of lots if I can't find end spots with lots of room. As for lots where there are carts, I won't park there at all. My wife thinks I'm nuts at times but I spend to much time and money keeping it pristine.

Just curious if others are as crazy about it as me.

“Anything really new is invented only in one’s youth. Later, one becomes more experienced, more famous – and more stupid.” - Albert Einstein

though I've learned to park it with the back sticking out a long way lest someone pull in not seeing it hidden between two huge SUVs.

I take the trash to the dump in it, drive to WalMart in it, etc. It is only a car. Though what a car.

Unfortunately, i had what i assume was extreme carelessness occur a couple weeks back in the TJs parking lot. Big deep swirl scratches on my hood. I assume groceries were set down and ground in.

Taught me a lesson.

Grant

I bought my Boxster used with sufficient nicks and dings just so that it wouldn't drive me crazy worrying about every new nick I got. I therefore tend to park it in the first available space.

Now the 993 is another story! It usually only gets parked among other Porsches when out with a group On the rare occasion when it's made it to a store parking lot - well then - let's just say I'll get my daily exercise!

See my other pastime at www.gothamcityracing.net

i usually pull into a parking lot and just park wherever there are the fewest cars and closest to the exit no matter what car i'm driving. it's such a waste of time to deal with traffic while parking and i always seem to get stuck behind someone doing something stupid.
when i was a kid, my father would circle the parking lot for what seemed like an eternity looking for that "perfect spot." I have no problem with the extra sixty-seconds of walking to get to where i'm going. the added benefit of not getting dinged is a bonus.

--
MY 2000 S, Ocean Blue, Metropol Blue, Savanah Beige.
Bought June 2000 - Sold May 2010

usually at an end space so at least one side -- driver's side in most cases -- has plenty of room.

Even so more often than I like I come to the car only to find someone has parked right next to my car. Invariably, if I park in a space that has another space next to the driver's door the adjacent vehicle will be too close to my car and I have to squeeze into my car.

Parking away from the entrance and other cars gives me a chance to walk a bit further and I can use the exercise.

Sincerely,

MarcW.

With any of my cars, I make it a point of parking:
- furthest from the entrance to a store / mall (helps prevent scratches from people walking between the cars with packages)
- in a parking lot on a hill, I park near the top of the hill (shopping carts don't roll uphill)

I'm not anal. I just want my gorgeous Boxster to stay looking the way it came from the factory.

If I am with my wife, I drop her off at the front of the store and I park the car as far away as possible with ME IN IT!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Bart, with $10,000, we'd be millionaires! We could buy all kinds of useful things like...love!"

It's funny...when I first got my Boxster like 8 yrs ago, I parked it anywhere. Home depot, supermarket, hardware store, etc. Heck, I even parked it in front of NYC bars when going out at night. But after I started modding it, and thinking of all the time me and my friends like Maurice, Gundo, JM, et al. put into keeping the car maintained, I treat it like a real special car, and don't like to park it at shopping malls or places like that anymore. My old Boxster is worth the least out of our three cars, but I'd much rather take the Audi or Infiniti for our shopping runs where I don't even care if they get door dings. The Porsche...well, that's something special.

Ruby, I do pretty much what you do. if I have to park the box, and not my daily driver, in a public parking lot, then I park, as my wife says, "In the next state." On occasion, I find other nice cars parked in outer space(s) and I park near them, usually one open space between us. It almost seems like saying "hi" to a fellow car enthusiast.

I usually don't park far away, as I think it leaves the car too exposed. I don't spend time looking for the "perfect" spot.
I look for one where my car won't be nose to nose with another unless there's a divider.
It's a secondary issue, but if there's a long and/or unkempt vehicle across the aisle, I might park elsewhere as I don't want them backing all the way across into my car.
Where a well-kept car will be on either or both sides of mine.
It's good to park next to other cars that just arrived, as you might just leave before they do.
Not next to or between SUVs (visibility.)
Not at the end of a lane as another car could cut the corner short, and being an intersection, there's more traffic (unless it's a dead end or there's a wide mall.)
I try not to take two spaces*, either straight over the line or on an angle because it's "haughty." (Angle parking is a real red flag for sociopaths.)
I look for a high spot so carts will tend to move away from the car.
Wind direction counts, too. A few months ago a cart actually got blown about 30 feet and dinged a door on my car. So on windy days I try to park upwind.

*Sometimes other drivers will park badly, taking two spots, which messes up the rest of the order, but once they and the other cars leave, it might look like you were being rude.

Ok, perhaps I'm looking for the perfect spot, but I'm also a big fan of the Pauli Exclusion Principle.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/07/2011 11:28AM by Laz. (view changes)

I usually get one of those blue bordered spots. They are usually by the door.

I park the Toy Box and my wife's Audi in the most far of the way spot I can find away from all civilization. If I could hire an armed guard or put cones around her I would. I also make sure I lavishly tip when ever I use valet parking.

My wife thinks I nuts, but door nudges are one of my (many) pet peeves. Beside the extra exercise never hurts.

Now the 2000 Ranger and 2003 Accord station car I really don't care that much about and I will normally park in the first available space. There are the cars I normally take when the wife forces me into a mall experience.