Loads of parking spaces & parking right next to a parked car - why?

neris · 03-08-2016 2:18pm #1

Why the heck do people go into practically empty car parks and insist on parking in the space right next to a parked car when all around are empty spaces. I was parked up earlier today in a large car park of a supermarket, the area I was in was practically empty, loads of spaces around me but within a few minutes I had a car parked both sides of me. Went into shops came out few minutes later and car on drivers side had gone. Grand. Back in the car on the phone and then another car decides he,s pulling into the space right beside my drivers door (car parks still practically empty loads of other spaces he could have gone to) next thing his passenger door opens and Bang. The aul one who got out is about to toddle off and I got out the car only to be told "its ok the wind blew it". No "sorry about that" or "is your car ok".

whomitconcerns · 03-08-2016 2:20pm

So you let them away with it???

People always do this...herd mentality...sure it's safer if near another car :P

fancy pigeon · 03-08-2016 2:21pm

Because they are stupid cretins with not much between their ears

runawaybishop · 03-08-2016 2:22pm

Lonely car syndrome. Well known phenomenon.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Lonely%20Car%20Syndrome

Also known as Lonely Vehicle Syndrome, it is a disease affecting drivers of all makes and models. Persons afflicted with this disease can be identified by the following symptom. Despite having their pick of any spot in the entire parking lot, they will pull into the spot right next to your car. The doors of their vehicle are then thrown open with wild abandon, colliding with your car, leaving a fantastic dent.

NiallBoo · 03-08-2016 2:25pm

Parked near the door to the shop?

People well spend 5 minutes driving round a car-park, just to save 20 seconds of walking.

Anyway, the problem isn't really that someone parked beside you, it's that the person beside you was a Muppet.

Alanstrainor · 03-08-2016 2:29pm

This happens all the time. Park car in a largely empty car park, way down the back and some bell-end in a smashed up Octavia will park beside you. I put this down to people being spanners. People are the worst.

neris · 03-08-2016 2:29pm

NiallBoo wrote: »

Parked near the door to the shop?

No I was practically at the other end of the car park which is why it was so empty

shietpilot · 03-08-2016 2:36pm

I guess they don't need to look at the white lines when pulling in and can just park next to a car and know they are parked inside the spot?

Cheensbo · 03-08-2016 2:36pm

You could balance the car on top of a light pole in a car park and come back out and some bollox will have managed to park beside ye.

It's one of those things I suppose, driving is a passive activity to most - they take more of a follow the leader type approach than independent thought.

Colser · 03-08-2016 2:41pm

I always park in the furthest possible space away from the shops but this still happens..sometimes it's a car that is well looked after so I presume the driver knows by my car that I won't be careless with the doors or trolley but when I see a car that's in ****e parked beside mine then I get palpitations walking back to it in case I've a scratch or dent on mine.Puts me off parking in some places completely...

shietpilot · 03-08-2016 2:51pm

Liffey Valley SC is my parking nightmare. Never any spaces and one time a woman slammed her door against mine, said sorry and walked off. The spots are very tight as well

BronsonTB · 03-08-2016 3:20pm

It's partly why I don't own a new car.....very irritating esp if I had a newish car...

I often try park beside a well looked after car, a lot less chance they will open their door carelessly compared to a banger.

And I never park near a people carrier!!

Alanstrainor · 03-08-2016 3:33pm

BronsonTB wrote: »

It's partly why I don't own a new car.....very irritating esp if I had a newish car...

I often try park beside a well looked after car, a lot less chance they will open their door carelessly compared to a banger.

And I never park near a people carrier!!

God damn it...

BronsonTB · 03-08-2016 3:36pm

Alanstrainor wrote: »

God damn it...

It's ok...I never bang my door on another car (No matter how windy it is)

Cheensbo · 03-08-2016 3:39pm

BronsonTB wrote: »

It's ok...I never bang my door on another car (No matter how windy it is)

Its not ok. :O that's the whole point of the thread

mikeecho · 03-08-2016 4:51pm

BronsonTB wrote: »

.....

I often try park beside a well looked after car, a lot less chance they will open their door carelessly compared to a banger.

And I never park near a people carrier!!

Or anything with paw prints from sunscreen, high possibility of kids/buggies and them pawing my paint with their grubby mits

Colser · 03-08-2016 5:05pm

mikeecho wrote:

Or anything with paw prints from sunscreen, high possibility of kids/buggies and them pawing my paint with their grubby mits

Baby seats ,baby on board signs,visible damage on the car that doesn't bother the owner ,cars that are obviously never even washed etc ..I'd rather leave the car park than park beside any potential damages tbh..probably ott but I can't shop if I'm stressing about the car.ðŸ˜

Shint0 · 03-08-2016 5:13pm

Colser wrote: »

Baby seats ,baby on board signs,visible damage on the car that doesn't bother the owner ,cars that are obviously never even washed etc ..I'd rather leave the car park than park beside any potential damages tbh..probably ott but I can't shop if I'm stressing about the car.ðŸ˜

Not OTT at all. Some people value their cars and others value neither theirs nor yours.

Atlantic Dawn · 03-08-2016 5:45pm

On a rare occassion if I have the car gleaming and park it well away from the entrance to the shopping centre another similarly well groomed car might park next to me, leaving plenty of a gap between the cars, perhaps they think they have 50% of their car covered for damage that way. Majority of the time it's a feckin idiot who not only parks next to mine in an empty car park but parks so close as I wonder how did they get out of their car without hitting mine or else they leave so little room they must think I'm happy to get in my car through the sunroof.

TheChizler · 03-08-2016 5:50pm

I try to park between two cars at work because it removes more than half the chances of getting doored; they've already parked so the door will only be opened when they're going home, and they're less likely to door my car getting into theirs than out. The car park is full after half an hour anyway, I wouldn't dream of doing this in a half empty car park.

Furtzy2 · 03-08-2016 5:53pm

Back in the day when I always bought new fairly expensive cars I was the same. Always stressed out about scratchs and car park dings. Now I drive old cars it's a much easier life. Unfortunately cars get little knocks and bumps you'll only drive yourselves nuts by worrying about it

jelutong · 03-08-2016 5:59pm

Never park alongside a 2 door car. Or a Hyundai Velostar!

Harika · 03-08-2016 6:04pm

I prefer parking next to a car as it is easier to reverse back in, as I have the other car as reference. When using only the markings on the ground, I could be off some centimeters and have to adjust. And I don't plan to slam my doors in yours and don't expect others to do the same to me.

mikeecho · 03-08-2016 6:05pm

find out what the staff drive and park next to them, they wont be moving for hours.

My local lidl, i know what the staff drive, cos they are always parked in the same spaces at the back of the car park.

I leave a parking space between me and the staff car, but park a little over the white line, so noone can squeze in between me and the staff car, and it leaves lots of room on the other side for any potential door dinger

robtri · 03-08-2016 9:37pm

mikeecho wrote: »

find out what the staff drive and park next to them, they wont be moving for hours.

My local lidl, i know what the staff drive, cos they are always parked in the same spaces at the back of the car park.

I leave a parking space between me and the staff car, but park a little over the white line, so noone can squeze in between me and the staff car, and it leaves lots of room on the other side for any potential door dinger

that type of parking really annoys me... i would actually try my damnedest to squeeze in beside you or block you in....

mikeecho · 03-08-2016 9:43pm

robtri wrote: »

that type of parking really annoys me... i would actually try my damnedest to squeeze in beside you or block you in....

Ah ha... So you're that guy

dudara · 03-08-2016 9:46pm

Herd mentality, people like to cluster.

Presume it's the same logic why waiters put you next to an occupied table in a restaurant even though all the other tables are free

robtri · 03-08-2016 9:48pm

mikeecho wrote: »

Ah ha... So you're that guy

yep..... sorry but i hate that sort of parking...

dont mind people parking on their own,

but purposely taking up two spaces annoys me....

Shint0 · 03-08-2016 10:07pm

robtri wrote: »

yep..... sorry but i hate that sort of parking...

dont mind people parking on their own,

but purposely taking up two spaces annoys me....

It's the design of some of the car parks. Some spaces are simply too narrow if you have a larger car yet some of the car park operators have signs saying you will be charged if you occupy two spaces but without making adequate provision for larger cars. In the Jervis car park they do have some designated spaces marked for saloons. I haven't seen it anywhere else and there's nothing prohibiting other cars from parking there but it is a good idea. If you have a valuable car parking slightly over the line is far better than relying on the goodwill of others to not cause damage to your car. Too big a risk.

Eric Cartman · 03-08-2016 10:18pm

empty car park - across 2 spaces down the back, even better is at a 45 degree angle so people won't use you as a guide to park their car.

not so empty carpark - park beside the highest end well looked after car you can find (not the newest one if possible , clean 162 means nothing , a 2005 car with no marks and sparkling paint is a good call) , also preferably at the end of a row so nobody can park on the other side .

always avoid - cars with a beige / straw hat in the back window, baby seat, baby on board sticker, any of the 4 corners scratched or a hire car / lease plan plates / company branding, 3 door cars / coupe's. Also never any people carrier or dacia - those people don't even respect themselves, why would they respect your car.

Using these principals I have managed to keep my car with only 7 door dings in 6 months

BettePorter · 03-08-2016 11:20pm

Omg this is my biggest bugbear. Its not even the potential dinging aspect of it that annoys me..... its just the mentality of it ..... like choosing a table right beside someone else in an empty cafe. One day I pulled up in a supermarket carpark just to make a call.... parked in the middle of nowhere ..... a few minutes later this car pulls in beside me on driver side. Tight as u like. Out gets the driver and off to shop he goes. The passenger shimmies out and literally stands with her back to her door facing me having a fag. Wtf like????

Loads of parking spaces & parking right next to a parked car - why?

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