where to park

Believe it or not, first time in the Supermarket lot after having the Prius for two days, I was looking for a nice secluded end of aisle parking spot for my '06 Silver Pine Mica Prius. Found it right next to the other '06 Silver Pine Mica Prius parked at the end of the aisle. Twins separated at birth. Was that you??? :lol:

 

I park right outside the office. From where I can sit, I can see my car!

 

I always park away from other cars and try not to park where a run away cart might find me. That means walking a lot but it is good exercise.

 

After 2 years ( well less 4 months) I park in the back of the lot. First it is good for me. Second I try to never park next to a SUV, Beemer, Mercede's, Cadillac, Lexus, etc they are all door bangers. The walk does us all good!

 

Yes...I do much more walking now than I used to...I always park far, far away from anyone at shopping malls, WalMart, etc. It is just killing me that I had to park near a light in long-term parking lot at the airport. Wanted to be safe getting back to my car when I return late at night from my trip.

I can tell you, that for me at least, being here in sunny San Juan, Puerto Rico right on the beach is helping me to not miss my Prius so much!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(gilahiker @ Apr 25 2006, 10:36 PM) [snapback]245340[/snapback]</div>

I park in the "north forty" and walk, but I always have, even before my Prius. I've worked hard for my stuff and try to take care of it, because no one's going to buy me new stuff.

 

I look for a spot away from other cars and walk, but I did this all along. I have to agree with GoldenGirl, no one is going to buy me new stuff.

On a somewhat related note, I love going to my gym where people will actually ride up and down aisles to get a close spot. The gym I go to even has a valet service. That's right a VALET service at a suburban gym.

 

Too funny people will park out in the back forty with a new car until that !#@$%^&*+! parks next to you and dings your door... I park where the usual people park (after I got my ding) the car became used/dammaged at that point & could beparked with everone else lol

I still wash it everyweek though....

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Somechic @ Apr 26 2006, 06:43 AM) [snapback]245452[/snapback]</div>

Or they stop in the parking lot aisle, engine running, drumming fingertips on the steering wheel, waiting, waiting for someone in a good parking space to finish packing up the car and drive out so they can get that space ... and not have to drive all the way over to the next aisle where there are lots of spaces ... then grab the gym bag from the car, enter the building, and take the escalator up to the mezzanine level where the gym is, passing the adjacent stairs. What's the first thing they do when they get into the gym? You guessed it: the StairMaster. (If this scene were in a movie, Steve Martin should do it.)

 

My wife got dinged the other day. Very small dent in right front fender, no broken paint. I'm taking it over to Dent Wizard on Saturday. Where did it happen??? Supermarket where else.

 

I usually park at the back of the parking lot at work. People who park in the back usually leave a space between cars. That way I know my baby is safe from dings. Everybody already said this, more walking is better for you.

 

I park in the farthest corner, away from other cars (to the extent possible) and the door ding nomes. This provides the added benefit of aerobic exercise and eliminates the use of energy driving around looking for the "closest" parking space.

 

If I need to, I park a ways a way and enjoy the extra 30 second walk.. no big deal...

But otherwise,
1. I like to park "next" to a handicap zone if I can find one.... one one is likely to park next to you... esp since there are others to choose from too.

2. If in a parking garage, I choose the end next to a cement wall and park as close as I can safely... this allows lots more room on the other side for the other driver to open his door.

3. If the parking garage has corner spots that are crossed off as no parking areas so cars don't get trapped, I park next to those... maybe even on the line and back all the way up so I don't get trapped.. the car is short enough that that works great too.

4. Parking on the street close to the curb is good to protect against door dings since no one can park next to you.

 

I have always parked my new cars with an eye to adjacent vehicles - trying to avoid SUVs, pickup trucks, junky vehicles, etc. so the Prius is no different. I also try to park at the end of a row and avoid the "compact car" narrow places.

I did quickly add body side mouldings and after 18 months still have only one tiny door ding up near the door handle. I can't tell whether the mouldings helped avoid dings, but feel more comfortable with them... and I do like the "look" as contrasted to the slab-side look without them.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Charles Suitt @ Apr 26 2006, 10:49 AM) [snapback]245606[/snapback]</div>

Good point.. all else fails.. park next to a really nice car.. they will appreciate your car 'as well as thiers" and not ding your door.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Renee @ Apr 25 2006, 06:40 PM) [snapback]245172[/snapback]</div>

When i go to malls, grocery stores, and movie theaters, I try to park next to a tree island so at least one side won't get any dents. Now if only they had tree islands on both sides of a parking spot, lol.

I have also become very paranoid about my finger nails scratching things on the interior. And I barely have finger nails, lol.

Gary
2006 Super White

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Renee @ Apr 25 2006, 05:40 PM) [snapback]245172[/snapback]</div>

I always park away from folks, I had nice vehicles, I think this is a very nice vehicle also. BMW R69S nice bike, the old dodge/mits 3000gtvr4, rolls? i wish. but this is my rolls, today this is my vehicle and i do leave some distance from folks. but, i also always think the very best of each and every person. i'm an optimist at heart and will always be. enjoy this car. i certainly do. also, thankyou, i think you'll find many nice folks at this site. gary in minnesota.

 

Whoa.... you guys actually have free parking spots to chose from?

here in SF I'm lucky if I can even FIND a parking spot let alone choose one that's away from others! ;-)

 

At home I have my own space in our subterranean lot, with a concrete wall on one side of it and my husband's parking space on the other.

At work I'm usually the first one here and park in a spot alongside the front walkway. I always try to park with a portion of the car (1-1.5 feet) on the walkway itself (it's a wide walkway) so that when a person parks on the other side of me, they're that much further away and that much less likely to ding my car when they fling their door open without bothering to pay attention. Or I'll park in the next lot over (a church lot that is not used much during the week) and try to park in a space adjacent to a curb or planter so there's only 1 other car that could potentially park next to me thus lowering the risk of getting dinged.

I try to run errands/go to restaurants only 2 days a week, and I try to go when I think they'll be the least busy (ie: supermarket on a Friday evening). I almost always try to park in a spot that is, again, adjacent to a curb or planter, so there's only 1 other car that can potentially park alongside me. I don't make a concentrated effort to park really far away where no one else is, unless there are no other spots up closer. I hate circling and/or following people to their cars to get a 'good spot'. My husband hates it when I refuse to follow someone to their car and end up parking at the far end of the lot in the only spot available-he says I enjoy making him walk that far. And I kinda do...I like walking.

I'm usually quick about running errands-8 times out of 10, the cars that were parked alongside of me when I first arrived are the same ones still there when I leave....