Are the spaces really shrinking?

[hawk20]

Look how big the latest S class is compared to a w126 S class ... yet they still share the same name ....

(waits for someone to tell me that the new one is actually smaller )

The new one is actually smaller.

Councils have been making parking spaces smaller. The typical space in Hampshire and in Surrey is about exactly the length of a C class.

And all cars are not getting bigger. Go and measure an old Humber Hawk or Super Snipe or a Rover 90 or a Vauxhall Cresta. Try an old Bentley.

4x4's are not all big -in fact few are. Measure a Honda CRV, a Toyota Rav 4, the Nissan whatever it is and they are all about C class length.

Big 4x4's like the ML are no longer or wider than an E class and the 'monster' looking GL is no longer or wider than an S class. They are just taller! And if people with large families need an MPV why the heck shouldn't they have one? If we didn't let so many people into the country illegally and in other ways, there might be enough room to go round.

 

[C43AMG]

I would much prefer bigger spaces too!! I just don't like people parking closeby. I'm an "end space" kind of guy!!

Me to

 

[BenzComander]

Comments from MPV and 4x4 drivers that they cant find spaces big enough for their cars and Councils should provide bigger spaces for cars.

TW*TS.

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpressnews/204545/mpv_owners_in_parking_battle.html

Just shop at CostCo, spaces there are great

 

[DieselE]

Cars may not be getting longer but quite a few are getting wider. My wife's car is a current model Focus and it's certainly wider than the version it replaces. A few months ago, there was a feature on BBC news showing that the new Focus was wider over the wing mirrors than the standard council provided parking bay. It doesn't help that the wife's car is a three door. It needs greater width to open the doors than my W211.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

I really hate parking in multistorey car parks. Why can they not angle the spaces?

With you there chomper.

Our local multi-storey has toddler bays with wider spaces to allow for getting babies in and out of cars with ease. You need a permit and a child below a certain threshold. Trouble is the fact it's closest to the shops, and with wide bays, everyone wants to park there - and do, even without a permit and child!! Very frustrating!!

They also have about 20 diagonal spaces like thes ones chomper describes, which are hot property too. Why not make the entire car park diagonal, as even though they're less efficient spacially, it wouldn't matter too much given that the top couple of floors are only used on the Saturday before Christmas!!

 

[BenzComander]

With you there chomper.

Our local multi-storey has toddler bays with wider spaces to allow for getting babies in and out of cars with ease. You need a permit and a child below a certain threshold. Trouble is the fact it's closest to the shops, and with wide bays, everyone wants to park there - and do, even without a permit and child!! Very frustrating!!

They also have about 20 diagonal spaces like thes ones chomper describes, which are hot property too. Why not make the entire car park diagonal, as even though they're less efficient spacially, it wouldn't matter too much given that the top couple of floors are only used on the Saturday before Christmas!!

Dont start me on the eejits with no kids who park in the toddler bays. It is hard enough going shopping with four kids, without having to park miles from the entrance. Have you ever tried to herd cats!!

Seriously, I do think that the balance of disabled to toddlers bays is wrong in our local Tesco. We often see empty disabled parking slots, when the toddlers is full.

 

[BTB 500]

It is hard enough going shopping with four kids, without having to park miles from the entrance. Have you ever tried to herd cats!!

These work on kids

Cats are more of a problem

PS the disabled bays at our local Sainsburys are normally full of arrogant able-bodied t*ssers who can't be bothered to walk 50 yards to the store entrance.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Seriously, I do think that the balance of disabled to toddlers bays is wrong in our local Tesco. We often see empty disabled parking slots, when the toddlers is full.

Ours is the same.

We have large numbers of consultants who stay in a big local hotel Sunday to Thursday. One of them gave up counting the number of disabled spaces on the hotel car park when they got to 20!! In 13 months of staying there they have never once seen a car with orange badge parked in the bays!!

My brother-in-law celebrated his 30th birthday in the same hotel recently. As you can imagine there were lots of babies and toddlers given the age of our circle of friends. It was lashing down with rain, hotel residents had arrived earlier, and had the closest non-disabled spaces, so we all had to park miles away and lug our babies and associated paraphanalia across.

Why not make some bays disabled or toddler, and keep a smaller number for disabled-only? Orange-badge holders should get priority in my view, but often the number of designated bays is inappropriate.

Or why not have a nationwide Government-backed scheme like the orange badge, but for child/toddlers, as most car parks worth their salt have toddler spaces, but little power to enforce restrictions. Present a birth certificate each year to renew for 12 months, and pay a small fee to cover admin. If you don't opt in then you can't park in the bay - easy. Great idea IMHO. Surprised a major supermarket isn't trying to do something like it TBH.

People without toddlers ought to be backing these sort of schemes as it will minimise creases and scratches on their bodywork due to their neighbouring car having to open the door wide - which is definitely a problem as cars get bigger.

 

[Satch]

The "standard" car parking space is 2.4m x 4.8m. But that is just a guide and it varies a bit by reference to the parking layout.

Which is all a bit sad as my E Class Estate is 4.888m long and Land Cruiser is 4.985m long (but a bit of that is thanks to a wheel hanging off the rear door.)

Now of course that makes me (along with car owners in general it seems) an evil planet destroying fatherless and a natural enemy of the right thinking socialist uber-class who thus deserves to be done down. So across the country local authorities are being encouraged to review and limit car parking in new residential and office developments to "encourge" use of public transport.

Where parking spaces exist they do seem to be tighter after "relining" exercises. Now this is usually sold as being to provide extra spaces where layout makes that possible but since the trend is also to provide greater numbers of spaces with extra side access area that is only true up to a point.

Seen a couple of multi-stories with areas marked as "suitable for small cars only" and no doubt that will spread.

Joy.

 

[SG CL500]

On parent child (as a parent of two) I would prefer the designated spaces in supermarkets to be futher away from the store specifically to deter the lazy "arrogant able bodied t*ssers" from parking there (particularly in my local store where they're right by the cash machines). I do sympathise with somebody who has 4 kids tho!!!

Went into an old shopping centre in Leatherhead the other day - the spaces were OK but the ramps up and down ... oh boy, I breathed in on a couple of occassions.

Out of interest - does anybody know whether widening cars is a fashion thing or a saftey thing (i.e. extra space/protection between passengers and incoming cars)? I've always presumed the former but the latter may hold water.

 

[lotusmark2]

Just out of curiosity how many of you that have larger cars and find multi-storey car park etc tight, really need to be driving a car that is that big on that trip, and how long was your journey to get there?

I hold my hand up and say ok, I drive the Smart everywhere in town and on my 60 odd mile commute. Then get the Saab out for longer or “in comfort” trips and yes it can be a pain to park but then that’s my choice for not taking the Smart.

Oh and the weekly shopping trip even gets done in the Smart, 2 people 10-12 carrier bags no problem at all, that even with the bass box in the boot area!

 

[BTB 500]

Out of interest - does anybody know whether widening cars is a fashion thing or a saftey thing (i.e. extra space/protection between passengers and incoming cars)? I've always presumed the former but the latter may hold water.

I think it's largely to preserve interior space when things like side / curtain airbags and improved side impact protection (door bars etc.) are added. I also seem to remember a (serious) article though saying that seats are being made slightly wider to accomodate the US market, where people are getting bigger

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

I think it's both.

It also provides a nice way of broadening the range, as it makes room for an even smaller derivative. As the VW Polo has got bigger, it made space for the Lupo/Fox beneath it.

 

[SG CL500]

Mark - I rarely use my car for short/shopping trips, we nearly always use the wifes Passat (which has an admirable turning circle) - it's still larger than a Smart but with 2 young kids and the associated paraphenalia the size makes life, on balance, easier.

The example I gave above was during a trip to my parents where I had taken my car as it's better for the motorway cruise down there.

 

[Dieselman]

Councils have been making parking spaces smaller. The typical space in Hampshire and in Surrey is about exactly the length of a C class.

Which has grown since the first C class.

And all cars are not getting bigger. Go and measure an old Humber Hawk or Super Snipe or a Rover 90 or a Vauxhall Cresta. Try an old Bentley..

Oh yes, I remember everyone driving around in those when I was young..NOT.
So lets look at comparable cars.
Super snipe= jag XJ. jag bigger.
Rover 90, actually not very large, but I bet modern Rover 75 is larger.
Vauxhall Cresta. This would definately be in the MB S class range at the time.
Bentley. I bet the new Bentley is both longer and wider.

Why not try typical cars of the day.
Ford Escort
Hilman Minx
Talbot Horizon
VW Golf
Ford cortina
Vauxhall Cavalier.

In every one of these cases the modern equivelant is notably larger.

4x4's are not all big -in fact few are. Measure a Honda CRV, a Toyota Rav 4, the Nissan whatever it is and they are all about C class length.

So why do cars like Golf Plus, Corolla Verso, Vauxhall Zifara, Ford C-Max exist.
They are all bigger to give more occupant space and most still only seat five whilst being bigger al round.

And if people with large families need an MPV why the heck shouldn't they have one?

I've no problem with that as long as they don't bitch to the rest of us.
They should just accept they have purchased an overweight car and accept that they will encounter more problems as a result, just like I do with my car.
Guess what, I sometimes have to look for another space because one isn't large enough (not very often as I can post it into a letterbox), but I don't blame anyone else. It's the concequece of driving a larger car.

 

[nickg]

The new one is actually smaller.

Councils have been making parking spaces smaller. The typical space in Hampshire and in Surrey is about exactly the length of a C class.

And all cars are not getting bigger. Go and measure an old Humber Hawk or Super Snipe or a Rover 90 or a Vauxhall Cresta. Try an old Bentley.

4x4's are not all big -in fact few are. Measure a Honda CRV, a Toyota Rav 4, the Nissan whatever it is and they are all about C class length.

Big 4x4's like the ML are no longer or wider than an E class and the 'monster' looking GL is no longer or wider than an S class. They are just taller! And if people with large families need an MPV why the heck shouldn't they have one? If we didn't let so many people into the country illegally and in other ways, there might be enough room to go round.

Of course. How foolish of us Its those damn foreigners that are stealing our parking spaces.

 

[hawk20]

Of course. How foolish of us Its those damn foreigners that are stealing our parking spaces.

So do you think they all ride bikes then? In case you hadn't noticed the govt plans major house building programmes, plus extra places in schools and hospitals to accommodate the planned and unplanned inflow. Half a million people a year are not inconsequential if you bear in mind the population of Birmingham is about a million.

As for the size of cars from other posters, think back before the typical 3 box saloon was largely replaced by the hatchback Yes the hatchbacks have grown but as a compact FWD breed thay are much smaller than the cars that preceeded them.

It is a matter of choice whether as a society we want to provide parking spaces for larger cars. By and large councils have chosen not too. It may be a sensible choice in an overcrowded island but it would be odd if nobody complained.

Lastly, not just the Americans that are getting bigger, overweight Brits are rife according to all govt figures. As important, heights have gone up a lot with increased food supply. Short men and women in historically poorer parts of the UK are bringing up some pretty tall sons and daughters.

 

[Dieselman]

So do you think they all ride bikes then? In case you hadn't noticed the govt plans major house building programmes, plus extra places in schools and hospitals to accommodate the planned and unplanned inflow. Half a million people a year are not inconsequential if you bear in mind the population of Birmingham is about a million.

I take it you think raising Birminigham to oblivion every other year would be a bad thing.

 

[Spinal]

Space the Final Frontier....

Who really knows if space is shrinking?


Is the universe endless?


Did the egg really come first?



Sorry about that
John

The chicken or the egg? Simple really, the egg! Where did the egg come from? A creature that was not a chicken, but a step "back" in the evolutionary ladder... (if you believe darwin that is...)

 

[guydewdney]

My missus is disabled (wheelchair, bike accident) - oh - its a blue badge these days, not orange... and even she has agreed that there are times when it seems a bit OTT wrt the number of disabled bays to normal bays. BUT - she counters with "what happens if the wheelchair basket ball team want to go to the pub for an after game pint?" - hmmm.

Our local Tesco has 4 or 5 disabled spaces directly in front of the door - one evening I went in, only to see all the spaces taken (and the rest of the car park virtually empty) - I commented to the security guard that none of the cars had a badge - his response was "well, theres no disabled people out at night" - I nearly lamped him! - what - cripples must be locked up after dark?

They also have the laughable situation that, after parkign there, you have to go out into the 'road' (next to a blind corner, no marked pedestrian bit) to get into the store, as they havent installed a drop kerb in front of the spaces.

My Nav' is too big for most spaces round here - but then I dont care, I just stuff it on the verge