Parking Etiquette - Take 2...

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Mercy1

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It's a car - just a car!
Went for lunch yesterday at a local hotel/restaurant and parked up neatly between the car park white lines - no cars either side. Hmm, I thought, those bays look narrow. When I returned, the inevitable had happened - there was a lovely black Range Rover parked in the next bay - no way was I going to open the drivers' door!
Now I am nowhere near fit enough to use the passenger door and shuffle across into the driver's seat, so to cut a long, fuming, story short, I was obliged to start the engine from the passenger seat, push the selector into neutral, switch off the engine, get out and heave my car back 10 feet.
This, I think I can hear you say, was probably pushing my luck - messing with the car gear selector with no-one in the driving seat. But...
What has to be said is that the RR was also parked perfectly correctly between his white lines - the bays were obviously set out in the days of Morris Minors.
My starter for ten on parking etiquette is: Could you walk away from your parked car knowing you had trapped the vehicle in the next bay, even though you were parked correctly??
 
I'm more concerned about my own paintwork than the driver of the other car in all honesty and for that reason I'd look elsewhere for a spot.
 
I'm more concerned about my own paintwork than the driver of the other car in all honesty and for that reason I'd look elsewhere for a spot.

Fair point, but what if all the parking spaces were the same and the restaurant was well off the beaten track? I could have told SWMBO that we can't park (in the 50 or so parking spaces!!) so lunch is off - but I didn't really want a broken neck either!!:dk:
 
RR probably used to tight spaces. Bit cheeky, but real responsiblity lies with the too small parking bay.

Still he must have had room to get out his side. What I do in these cirumstances is (when viable...) reverse my car in, so Drivers door is to drivers door. If I can get out others can get in.
 
The other option would have been to go back in and have restaurant make an announcement for RR driver to come out and move it .

What if it had been an uphill push to get your car out of space , or your wheels had not been straight ?
 
The other option would have been to go back in and have restaurant make an announcement for RR driver to come out and move it .

What if it had been an uphill push to get your car out of space , or your wheels had not been straight ?

Good points, which could add to the dismay of the trapped driver...
Sorry, I did try to cut a long story short - I had tried the tannoy, with no response. Unfortunately, people at this place are not always in the hotel confines...and obviously weren't at this time.
 
Parking spaces in this country are a joke. All part of the money grabbing nature of the country I'm afraid. Squash as many in as possible for fear of losing a customer rather than understanding the simple principle of the more pleasurable your customers find the experience the more often they'll come back.

In such a car park I would continue my one man fight against such stupidity and park slap bang down the middle of two bays and blow the consequences, but then I'm anti-social right? Not the idiot that marked out the car park of course.

Having been bombarded with years of lies and deception from all forms of authority the cynical amongst us might imagine that it's a deliberate ploy to force people to break the rules so they can be fined. Surely no one would do such a thing? :)
 
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Sounds like you need to find a place with wider parking spaces, but if it makes you feel better I wouldn't have wedged you in!
 
My starter for ten on parking etiquette is: Could you walk away from your parked car knowing you had trapped the vehicle in the next bay, even though you were parked correctly??

I couldn't, for two reasons - firstly, I would be uncomfortable about blocking someone in and secondly I wouldn't be able to settle knowing that the owner of the blocked in car might take his wrath out on my pride and joy.

I don't have an easy solution to the parking circumstances in this particular case, but them's my answers to your question.

There are occasions where I take the wife's Focus specifically because I'm not happy about being able to park the MIB.
 
I allways try and park wth the drivers side either next to a wall/bush or at end, making sure that I can get out. Now if my car has crossed the white lines it only goes to show that the spaces must be too narrow.
Making sure that I dont put too large a gap between my door and bush etc, not wishing to appear to take the mickey
 
I never take any of our decent cars to car parks, for just this reason. Unless there's end to end rather than side by side parking, I'm not having dents put in my doors by idiots who don't give a monkey's about other peoples cars/property. If its public car park time then the old banger gets used.

And I wonder, if there had been a passenger in the Range Rover, just how carefully they would have exited the vehicle - surely they wouldn't have smacked their door into your's, as that never happens does it?!! (Rant over).
 
I never take any of our decent cars to car parks, for just this reason. Unless there's end to end rather than side by side parking, I'm not having dents put in my doors by idiots who don't give a monkey's about other peoples cars/property. If its public car park time then the old banger gets used.

And I wonder, if there had been a passenger in the Range Rover, just how carefully they would have exited the vehicle - surely they wouldn't have smacked their door into your's, as that never happens does it?!! (Rant over).

I agree and do exactly the same unfortunatly I have to take the family out in the merc sometimes, instead of the cr*p mobile sometimes ( the girls term and not mine )
 
Is it that the bays are too small or modern cars and drivers are too large... ;)
I'd just open the drivers door and slide in nearly as normal.

Why did you bother starting the engine, the selector can be moved once the Ign is on, but not started.
 
A lot of new builds and refurbishments for public use i.e. Restaurants etc that need planning permission are required at times to have a certain number of parking spaces hence the narrowness of some bays in order to get the necessary amount of spaces. I don't know if there is a legal min/max size of a parking bay on a private car park but threre are guidelines to sizes of parking bays on public roads.
 
is it that the bays are too small or modern cars and drivers are too large... ;)
i'd just open the drivers door and slide in nearly as normal.

Why did you bother starting the engine, the selector can be moved once the ign is on, but not started.

largist
 
I'd just open the drivers door and slide in nearly as normal.

Why did you bother starting the engine, the selector can be moved once the Ign is on, but not started.

Unfortunately, my body no longer does six inch gaps!! Come to think of it, it never has - not even as little ol' me slipped out of the womb:bannana:!!
My gear selector won't move even when the ignition is on. I found out later that it will if the footbrake is depressed, assuming I could reach it, (I'll know that for next time!!)
 
Unfortunately, my body no longer does six inch gaps!! Come to think of it, it never has - not even as little ol' me slipped out of the womb:bannana:!!
My gear selector won't move even when the ignition is on. I found out later that it will if the footbrake is depressed, assuming I could reach it, (I'll know that for next time!!)

You amaze me:bannana:

Though I did have occasion once many years ago to help a lady in distress whose car would not go into gear. Half a dozen people tried to help...I wound the window down and advised foot on brake...what a hero I was that day.
 
Just goes to show how many inconsiderate drivers are out their . Particularly if , as you mentioned , there were lots of parking spaces . I would not dream of parking too close , except perhaps to a B*w :wallbash:
 
In this instance I would park drivers door to drivers door, if I can get out you can get in.
 
You could always let down Mr RR's two tyres further from your car : this would cause RR to lean away from your car , thus giving you more room :D :bannana::bannana:
 

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