Friday Hulk: are car spaces too small?

[ford71V8]

Originally Posted by Peter B - CV8

Yes - car spots are getting smaller (but then so is the average car size).

Not to these eyes

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by auxr

yet again got sucked into his weird and wonderful Friday free for all.

And your posting here doesn't come into this category ?

[jpblue1000]

Originally Posted by Elks

My FG Pursuit ute, is too long for most new car spaces. Whilst it's not a micro car it's no F series or Land cruiser either. I feel for those guys.

Falcon Uts is longer and wider than the current landcruiser, And I'm pretty sure they have always been.
F-truck on the other hand is much longer and wider. Longer than a standard parking bay and only marginally narrower, But I guess an F150 driver doesn't give a rats!

JP

[Itsme]

Originally Posted by HULK_I6T

Another hard week at work, time to wind down with the best way you know... a hulk thread.

Are car spaces too small? Not talking about private garages but communal parking areas, shops, workplaces, entertainment precincts? Creating an environment where cars will inevitably be damaged.

Its almost certain that if you park your car in shopping centres or other entertainment precincts your car will get damage... maybe not today or tomorrow but it will happen.

I contend that carspots are too small, jamming in as many cars as possible creating an environment for damage to occur, absolutely no margin for error. If you open your car fully (to load your car with kids or shopping etc) you will almost certainly strike the next car.

Is it the responsibility of the driver to ensure their doors dont go flying open onto other cars, that they dont back into other cars, hit other cars with a trolley, rest your shopping on other cars, consider a car park as a wrecking yard where you can remove parts from other cars etc etc..but you cant control the mindset, ill intention and recklessness of other people. This situation made worse by the likely cost of repairs. Most people who cause damage to others will try and flee the scene to avoid paying any compensation.

I contend that car spots are just too small... we know people are rough as guts in shopping centres, we cant stop that..but those small spots just ensure the damage happens, zero margin for error..management of these venues should take responsibility to ensure customers cars are not damaged..not create environments where its certain to happen.

For instance, How can you blame young kids for swinging open doors onto other cars? They dont know any better... the other cars are parked too close and not the fault of the person parking their car either.

Yes other drivers should be more careful and take responsibility for their own property and others.... but the car spaces are too small!!

Anyone with a decent car is mad to leave it in a communal carpark. I wont visit places with highly congested car parks.. i like to park well away from other cars in car parks, park next to polls or even hog two spots.

What can be done to ensure the minimum spec size car spot is adequate?...larger? Im sure insurance companies would support this..

Agree with what you say HulK but your tip for hogging two car spots might make your car a target for vandalism from the some one looking for that elusive car spot, not a very good idea IMO.

[FPV+fteT3]

Too small for a falcon in most cases. My Excel fits anywhere, I park it like DILLIGAF The other 2 cars I own don't do any feral parking. You have to have a hatred of cars or a sacrifice vehicle to use some carparks our local Coles is a good example of where not to park your pride and joy.
Having said that even with my POS I am still careful not to damage other peoples cars however when the excel gets another dent it goes unnoticed where as I know every mark on my other 2 and a when a new chip is found reaction is like needs a full respray.

[GTP534]

With the Territory I used to park it at the railway station as far away as I could but always someone picked the spot next to it.

For the past 12 months or so I always try to park between 2 cars that are already parked. It doesn't take long to figure out who leaves before or after I arrive back at the station.

I've found since doing that there are less door marks on the car.

[Sabantien]

Originally Posted by vztrt

But your right someone always seems to want to park next to you even if there are plenty of spots. I've actually jumped in the car and moved it after someone did it to me....looked at me like I was a crazy person.

Yes! This happens far too often. I park away from others, come back and people have parked either side, despite the myriad of empty spaces. I wonder if it's to use your car as a guide when parking.

Mind you, they're probably the same people who sit next to you on the bus or train when half the seats are empty.

[damo76]

I think they are too small. Need them bit wider so the morons next to you don't open there car doors too wide and hit your panels which happens a lot, or reverse out and scrape your rear quarter and now you have to pay $500 eccess so it can be fixed because the dim wits have not left there details.

[Charliewool]

[QUOTE=Ross 1;5429335]Thats been the minimum standard for at least the last 20 years, in the 70,s the era of big Kingswoods and Falcons the minimum width was actually smaller. Try parking a Territory at the council multi storey in Manly.

Got me thinking about car dimensions over the years and have they grown or shrunk? Both Holden & Ford..(below are sedans)

1971.. HQ.. 4762mm long. 1878mm wide
2014.. VF.. 4950mm long. 1898mm wide

1971.. XY.. 4689mm long. 1869mm wide
2014.. FG.. 4955mm long. 1868mm wide

[Ross 1]

Try the UK, lots of the councils have a minimum width of 1.8m ( from memory, feel free to correct) compared to OZ, you need a small car or you don't park in certain car parks.

[FPV0137]

I take up two bays at the empty part of the car park far away from the entrance.
My theory is, the chances of someone accidentally damaging my car are greater than the chances of someone purposely doing it.
In saying that, I avoid taking my own cars to shopping centres. The work vehicles get parked in a car park all day every day, and you would think the sides have been corrugated lol

[2011G6E]

Of course they're getting smaller. Cars are getting bigger...even things like Corollas aren't exactly "small" anymore.

At the new depot at work they've put in a lovely big car park. Nice. Everyone has to reverse park...for some reason...I think because the mines do it. And because, let's face it, 90% of people cannot reverse park easily (not angle park either, straight in), it makes it pretty hard.
And the parks are not only narrow, the line of parks either side are close together. Small parking spaces? Yes...they are. I put my Celica in it...which isn't a big car...and if it's centered in the park each side of the car is maybe 10 to 15cm between the car and the line. There are already plenty of complaints about peoples doors being dinged, and most people have started just parking over the lines where ever, leaving space between the next car as they see fit.

Apparently though the parking lot is all measured up and marked according to the code for parking spaces, and it shows.

Go into any new shopping center and you will see they're jamming in as many parks as they possibly can, ignoring the fact modern cars are bigger and a hell of a lot of people are buying long twin cab utes these days.

Of course next year I may be getting a Fiat 500 (possibly an Abarth) so I'll have plenty of room then...

[SumoDog68]

Originally Posted by jpblue1000

Falcon Uts is longer and wider than the current landcruiser, And I'm pretty sure they have always been.
F-truck on the other hand is much longer and wider. Longer than a standard parking bay and only marginally narrower, But I guess an F150 driver doesn't give a rats!

JP

Observing from my work car park , FG ute tray is longer than 200 series but not wider - D4 discovery is very wide , wider than both.

[Silver Ghia]

Originally Posted by Ross 1

Try the UK, lots of the councils have a minimum width of 1.8m ( from memory, feel free to correct) compared to OZ, you need a small car or you don't park in certain car parks.

I noticed that when I was living there some years ago. I had a Honda Civic (a smaller car then) and the spaces in the local supermarket were too small for even that.

For those who take up two spaces regardless being at the back of the carpark - don't be surprised one day when you go back to your car and find someone parked right next to yours, with minimal gap.

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by Silver Ghia

For those who take up two spaces regardless being at the back of the carpark - don't be surprised one day when you go back to your car and find someone parked right next to yours, with minimal gap.

Or if it's like around here the local council patrol shopping centre carparks, if you're over the line you wear a ticket.

[MITCHAY]

Well my car is 12 years old but in that time I reckon cars are getting pretty big or seem to have. There are a few places I have thought you couldn't fit anything in there.

Though even today, looking over the carpark it is scary how many can't park to save their life.

I saw one person a few weeks ago who went to exit through the entry and took 15mins to reverse back and that is with a spotter and barely missing parked cars. How ******* hard is it! ;

[fps_grandma]

Car park spaces too small?
Apparently not.

Maybe the Falcon would have sold a lot more if it were smaller yet retained the same range of rear wheel drive powertrains?

[MITCHAY]

I have seen one bloke on a consistent basis park a Falcon where I thought it was not possible. In fact I have seen smaller cars touch up their car in the same circumstances

[my_gxl]

Asses are too big. Fat backsides mean they have to throw the car door wide open. Simple physics really.

[HULK_I6T]

Maybe ill buy an old ford 1975 fairlane full of rust.. $300-400 worth

Lurk in carparks and if i see someone swing their doors open onto another car, ill park it next to them and swing open those heavy old rusty fairlane doors onto their car. Not once but 40 or 50 times. Ill bully those carpark bullies!!

Vigilante justice!

[superyob]

Hulk, if you can buy a registerable 1975 Fairlane for 3 to 400 bucks, I'll want to know about it!

[gossy]

This thread was tolerable until that last comment Hulk, even though it may have been said in gest.

Not cool man, not cool.

[FG50T]

Well done to the people freely admitting they park in disabled spots and take up two spots at shopping centres. Morons.

[XB GS 351 Coupe]

Originally Posted by HULK_I6T

Anyone with a decent car is mad to leave it in a communal carpark. I wont visit places with highly congested car parks.. i like to park well away from other cars in car parks, park next to polls or even hog two spots.

You do realise that police, or council rangers can issue a ticket for this (not park in allocated spaces, around $100 from memory)??

Apart from that you are making yourself a target for vandals who will key your car for this.

Originally Posted by FG50T

Well done to the people freely admitting they park in disabled spots and take up two spots at shopping centres. Morons.

I think it's a $519 ticket as well as demerit points in NSW for parking is a disabled spot when not authorised, and again you make your car a target for vandals IMO.

[Brodes]

Originally Posted by FG50T

Well done to the people freely admitting they park in disabled spots and take up two spots at shopping centres. Morons.

I do believe the people on this thread who stated they use the disabled spots also noted they have permits, but I know what you're getting at. I truly realised the importance of disabled spots after I needed to use them after my stroke, finding other useless permit-less people taking up these spots just due to their laziness really angered me & still does today when I witness it, lucky I have repect for other people's property otherwise my anger could turn to panel damage.

Also I've lost count of the number of arguments I've had with people who decide to park a bee's whisker away from my car, even when I've parked right away from everybody else they come right up next to me, I must be magnet with car park charisma, the higgs boson of car parking.

I'll add a funny story where I was parked in a carpark and this women came & parked up on my passenger side. I was still sitting in the driver’s seat & she couldn't have noticed me sitting there when she swung her door open hard as against my door..... I wound the window down & let her have it, she couldn't say anything & was nearly in tears. About 5mins later I enter the real estate agency I was there for to be served by her.... I think that was the icing on the cake for me.

Getting back to the topic... yeh car parks are small.

[1TUFFUTE]

Originally Posted by Charliewool

There are Australian standards for parking spaces...
http://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rc...CdupY36tn_gULw

Now that you mention that...I remember years ago a job code for smaller car park zones came thru for a hungry jacks I was building in Browns plains Brisbane. It was an order to shrink the sizes nearly 200ml from memory. L and W. Couldn't believe how small they looked but that's what they wanted.

[Express]

Originally Posted by XB GS 351 Coupe

I think it's a $519 ticket as well as demerit points in NSW for parking is a disabled spot when not authorised, and again you make your car a target for vandals IMO.

You’re right a $519 fine plus one point and I believe it should be double that.

I take my father-in-law to the doctors and use the Council car park at the back of the shops.

The disable bays are just behind the surgery and the times it is full of cars not displaying permits astonishes me.

It forces the driver’s with disable passengers to have to double park, quickly get the passengers out and then have them wait while you park further away in a narrow bay.

I helped my father-in-law out of the car one morning and a young women parked next to me and got out with a terrible limp.

I took him to the surgery then walked through to the shops and bought some bread.

While I was there I saw the same women walking around as good as gold without the limp.

When I took my father-in-law back to the car hers was still there and I had a look as I passed and there was no permit displayed.

I do occasionally see the Parking Officer issuing infringements but even a $1,000s isn’t enough in my opinion.



If you’re car proud, carparks are a no go area as far as I’m concerned.

[1TUFFUTE]

Originally Posted by FG50T

Well done to the people freely admitting they park in disabled spots and take up two spots at shopping centres. Morons.

Maybe you should calm down and read the whole thread before you go off. I've read every comment and haven't seen anyone who abuses disabled parks
As for parking over two spots.....I don't see it as an issue as long as your far away with loads of free parks around. Don't think anyone's stupid enough around here to do that in full car parks.
Also....most centres will freely allow disabled card holders to double park if they have too. We've checked dozens of places in Ipswich and all say park where and how you like it's all fine. Free parking in any timed street zones as well. That's a good perk.

Not long ago I was at the docs....drove in and there was one disabled spot left. So I drove around the centre island so I could drive straight into the awkward spot. Some woman zoomed straight in front of me, took the spot. I was blown away. Her mum got out and wandered inside, I'm starting to fume as I'm sitting in the middle of the road. She hops out,then I notice a baby seat, so I think, ok maybe it's an emergency so I'll give her a brake.(there was no other parks so I waited there). But Noo she was just getting a jumper out of a bag and she hoped back in. So now I'm fuming again...so I pull straight up and park her in......hop out and ask if she has a reason to be there. Nope she said, just waiting for her mum Gave her a spray.....then her mum comes back and says they have to move as they've called a tow truck inside....lol.(they have a great security system). So I made them sweat for about 2mins while I put my stick in the boot, and let them go...red faced but probably still willing to do it again. People just don't care.

[XB GS 351 Coupe]

Originally Posted by Express

If you’re car proud, carparks are a no go area as far as I’m concerned.

This probably sums it up, I usually park right away down the back where there are heaps of empty spaces and often I return to find a car parked right next to mine with 50 other spaces aailable and free

Not sure what that is all about

I remember doing this once at Bunnings and I returned to watching some guy park a small canter truck right next to my then newly acquired XR8…there were about 30-40 other spaces available and about three or four either side of my car, yet he was squeezing right next to me. Well I told him what I though of him and what he should do with his truck, he subsequently drove off and left the car park, presumably to go to another Bunnings with less angry customers

[HULK_I6T]

Originally Posted by XB GS 351 Coupe

This probably sums it up, I usually park right away down the back where there are heaps of empty spaces and often I return to find a car parked right next to mine with 50 other spaces aailable and free

Not sure what that is all about

I remember doing this once at Bunnings and I returned to watching some guy park a small canter truck right next to my then newly acquired XR8…there were about 30-40 other spaces available and about three or four either side of my car, yet he was squeezing right next to me. Well I told him what I though of him and what he should do with his truck, he subsequently drove off and left the car park, presumably to go to another Bunnings with less angry customers

I am too puzzled at why people do this. Heaps of spots available but choose to park you in. Good on you for telling him off.