Westside SC car park

bobbyss

OK.
7..8..9..10
Exhale.

Would anyone know who designs the layout of car parks in shopping centres? Take the aforementioned Westside Shopping Centre. Take the couple of disabled parking spaces in front of Peter Murphy's on your left as you enter. On a busy day it is near impossible to reverse into this space what with all the cars queuing behind you as it is to drive in normally as you need to give yourself a wide berth ie move into the opposite lane to get the angle right. How about a disabled driver reversing out of those spaces! How about that.

These couple of spaces are conveniently located far from Dunnes Stores just to make life that more difficult. Another disabled space is approx opposite the Credit Union tucked into a tight corner. Again very restricting for users.

How much thought and how much consideration was put into all of that?

The last time I looked there were double yellow lines in front of some shops. I don't know if they are still there. But I thought those lines meant no parking there. I always see cars parked on them.

Has anybody ever been warned not to park there? Is there any monitoring of car parking there?

gordongekko

bobbyss wrote: »

OK.
7..8..9..10
Exhale.

Would anyone know who designs the layout of car parks in shopping centres? Take the aforementioned Westside Shopping Centre. Take the couple of disabled parking spaces in front of Peter Murphy's on your left as you enter. On a busy day it is near impossible to reverse into this space what with all the cars queuing behind you as it is to drive in normally as you need to give yourself a wide berth ie move into the opposite lane to get the angle right. How about a disabled driver reversing out of those spaces! How about that.

These couple of spaces are conveniently located far from Dunnes Stores just to make life that more difficult. Another disabled space is approx opposite the Credit Union tucked into a tight corner. Again very restricting for users.

How much thought and how much consideration was put into all of that?

The last time I looked there were double yellow lines in front of some shops. I don't know if they are still there. But I thought those lines meant no parking there. I always see cars parked on them.

Has anybody ever been warned not to park there? Is there any monitoring of car parking there?

Some of the people who park there are not the type of people youd ask to move.

fergiesfolly

Pretty much what Gordongekko said. But people in carparks are inconsiderate ####s at the best of times, not just there.
People parking in disabled spaces, mother and child spaces. Not giving enough room to exit a space in case someone else grabs it before them. Hanging off your rear bumper as you drive around.
And its a Galway thing, cos I've never experienced the level of ignorance anywhere else.
When I win the lotto, I'm going to buy a dirty old big rusty lump of a jeep and drive around carparks, willing people to come within an asses roar of me.

_Whimsical_

bobbyss wrote: »

OK.
7..8..9..10
Exhale.

Would anyone know who designs the layout of car parks in shopping centres? Take the aforementioned Westside Shopping Centre. Take the couple of disabled parking spaces in front of Peter Murphy's on your left as you enter. On a busy day it is near impossible to reverse into this space what with all the cars queuing behind you as it is to drive in normally as you need to give yourself a wide berth ie move into the opposite lane to get the angle right. How about a disabled driver reversing out of those spaces! How about that.

These couple of spaces are conveniently located far from Dunnes Stores just to make life that more difficult. Another disabled space is approx opposite the Credit Union tucked into a tight corner. Again very restricting for users.

How much thought and how much consideration was put into all of that?

The last time I looked there were double yellow lines in front of some shops. I don't know if they are still there. But I thought those lines meant no parking there. I always see cars parked on them.

Has anybody ever been warned not to park there? Is there any monitoring of car parking there?

I totally agree with assessment OP. It really is pretty disgracefull. I'd say it's probably a private car park. Maybe a petition or a facebook page highlighting the issue specifically for disabled users might make a difference?
I'd definitely support it and know others who would too.

I've always wondered why the disabled spaces are down at the end myself and so awkward. Considering the whole point of them is to provide ease of access for people with impaired mobility it looks like they were just tacked on to fulfill a regulation rather than as any genuine effort to provide parking for disabled people.

Laviski

you guys give out when there is no enforcement within a private car park
then give out about clamping where private car parks do enforce the rules as it is the only method available to them in Ireland.

:pac::pac::pac:

_Whimsical_

Laviski wrote: »

you guys give out when there is no enforcement within a private car park
then give out about clamping where private car parks do enforce the rules as it is the only method available to them in Ireland.

:pac::pac::pac:

I don't think so.
I think people here are very consistent when it comes to disabled parking spots. There's a strong consensus they should be fit for purpose and that they should only be used by people in need.

Parking in general is a seperate issue and Irish people do like to employ some discretion and leniency where it's not actively trampling someone else's rights, I don't think that's a bad thing really.

swine

Am I wrong in thinking there are 2 additional spaces designated opposite the butcher's/Dunnes entrance that are perfectly usable (I imagine)?

I agree the ones near Peter Murphy (and all spots along that side) are awkward.

joeKel73

bobbyss wrote: »

The last time I looked there were double yellow lines in front of some shops. I don't know if they are still there. But I thought those lines meant no parking there. I always see cars parked on them.

Has anybody ever been warned not to park there? Is there any monitoring of car parking there?

Unfortunately due to the nature of the small shops along there (laundrette, convenience store, butcher), a lot of people think it's alright to pull up for "just a minute" to grab something. You end up with a steady stream of people pulling up for "just a minute" all day long.

biko

Yeah this is common practice at many other places too, just quite noticeable there.
The amount of husbands dropping their wife for the messages and then remain in the spot outside the shop with the car blocking traffic is unreal.
I've tried the Irish death stare but they usually are reading the paper.

It's not just "undesirables" but may as well be old folks.

youngrun

biko wrote: »

Yeah this is common practice at many other places too, just quite noticeable there.
The amount of husbands dropping their wife for the messages and then remain in the spot outside the shop with the car blocking traffic is unreal.
I've tried the Irish death stare but they usually are reading the paper.

It's not just "undesirables" but may as well be old folks.

yes it must be the worst carpark in the country for that. never get a clear drive through it , always cars parked up to the door nearly

bobbyss

youngrun wrote: »

yes it must be the worst carpark in the country for that. never get a clear drive through it , always cars parked up to the door nearly

Well actually, another contender for "worst car park' is our friends across the road:Aldi.

How magnificent is that sexy swerve as you enter just giving you inches to avoid a crash.
Do you want to go to the PO on s busy day? Just follow the arrows then. That means going right up to Aldi and making your way back to the PO. Chances are that you will end up at a spot just beside where you first drove in. This would be 10 minutes later.
Ah. The disabled car space. A rare breed here. Check out the one near PO. Due to its configuration it's probably the worst positioned disabled space in the whest.

And finally. Have you ever wondered why all car parking spaces are imprisoned by solid iron stumps. Just in case you go an inch too far, you may as well pick up a fine, deep dent that costs the earth to fix.

Laviski

bobbyss wrote: »

And finally. Have you ever wondered why all car parking spaces are imprisoned by solid iron stumps. Just in case you go an inch too far, you may as well pick up a fine, deep dent that costs the earth to fix.

brilliant idea, every car park should have all its spaces fitted with these, actually make people park between the lines correctly and not damage other peoples cars. The bonus it does not involve clamping! win win

joeKel73

+1 to that Laviski!

I'd rather bobbyss gets a 2inch dent than bobbyss and I share a 1 inch dent each because bobbyss can't park!

bobbyss

Now, a much cheaper and safer bollard type thingy are those bright coloured bollards that are flexible and screwed into the ground. They are highly visible when reversing and if a motorist bumps into it, well no damage done. I passed by a series of them recently but for the life of me I can't remember where. Near Dominic Street? I am surprised there aren't more of them around.