For those of us with "Nice" Diesels, whats your Parking Lot Parking strategy?

[Carrameow]

For those of us with "Nice" Diesels,or Nice Cars whats your Parking Lot Parking strategy?
For me its obvious. Never sidle up to a Miniavan or 4 wheel Pick up. Thats because loading will be going on, and a 4x6 or some teenager with a metal belt is gonna swipe your car. Minivans always have multiple passengers and they don't always get out gracefully.
I always stay away from the trucks. I always avoid junkers and teenager cars because the drivers and riders don't care about other people's cars usually.
Likewise never take your car to Home Depot. Everyone buys something big, like a snowblower and then tries to jam it into their backseat often at the expense of your new paint job.
I always stay away from economy and minicar parking. I also dont park near where they collect the shopping carts because you are asking for a 22 car shopping cart train driven by a teenager to smash your door in,
I always look for the Peach Spot. Thats the one where you got a 2004 Corvette on one side and a 2006 BMW on the other side. Their owners dont want their doors dinged and won't ding yours. The other peach spot is the one where one of the sides of you car is protected by a curb...
SORRY for this inane post, but I had my car dinged at the mall the other day!

[TheDon]

Originally Posted by Carrameow

where they collect the shopping carts because you are asking for a 22 car shopping cart train driven by a teenager to smash your door in,

i do not purposely aim at cars.. and i push 5 at a time.. company rule.. i far end of the lot since im an employee but any other time i usually like to occupy 3 spots horzintally

Originally Posted by TheDon

i usually like to occupy 3 spots horzintally

I hope you are joking. Eventually, this WILL get your car keyed (and/or hood ornament taken), and I won't even feel bad about it.

[TheDon]

Originally Posted by Tabor

I hope you are joking. Eventually, this WILL get your car keyed (and/or hood ornament taken), and I won't even feel bad about it.

notice the i usually park in the back with the rest of the Mercedes Benz's and BMW's. ill let the old and people with kids have the close spots. parking in the back is alot easier than searching for a spot like an idiot.. plus walking that distance gives you some much needed exercise

[Boardmonger]

I try to park at far ends of the lot and under trees so the inside temps stay down a little bit. If that doesn't work I just avoid narrow spots. We have so many nice cars here on lease that no one really cares, so you really aren't safe anywhere but away from the others.

[Hatterasguy]

It depends. For example the SDL just doesn't go to New Haven. Chances are to big for an accident or a door ding. SCSU parking lot, hah, thats why I bought the SD.

At the marina I have my own spot, that is on the end of a row. Either no one is next to me, or cars that will be sitting their for a few weeks.

When I take it to a store I either park it all by itself, or if I see another nice older car pretty far out in the lot I will park close to them. I figure they are after the same thing that I am.

I think you are nuts for parking a car you care about close to a store. Most people just swing those doors right open they couldn't care less.

[katja]

I was just talking to some friends about this last night. With a new car or a car with new/nice paint we go to great lengths to protect the finish. When the first scratch or ding happens, it hurts! After a few of these, it's a "used" car and subsequent scratches and dings are no big deal...

I try to take care of my cars and avoid scratches and dents without going overboard about it. Part of the reason I repainted my old Benz with a Maaco paint job. It looks fine and still turns heads, but if I had shelled out for a really nice paint job, I'd be too afraid to take my car anywhere except car shows!

Oh, and why is it that so many parking lots have mostly "Compact" spaces? How many people in the U.S. drive a compact car these days? Try opening your door without hitting something when someone pulls a GMC Suburban into a "compact" spot. Even a VW New Beetle doesn't fit well in one of those spaces....

And finally, is anyone else scared to use valet parking? I don't want them touching my car. I have observed too many horrors: Backing into objects, rubbing tires on the curb, grinding gears, riding the clutch, driving with the parking brake on, starting diesels without the glow plugs and running down the battery, revving a cold engine, bending outside mirrors and of course, the mysterious scratches you can never prove were their fault. And you're supposed to tip the valet for this?

-AC
'76 240D "Katja"

[TheDon]

once with my friend we walked back out to his freshly painted truck and this jerk with a bmw left a nice ding on the door.. so he kindly took out his mallet which was in the tool box in the bed and left a nice dent in his door.. eye for an eye

[rg2098]

High school is the worst. I get their early and get a front row spot. But I park at the end of the row in the last spot (extra foot wider for some reason) and park RIGHT NEXT to the curb so I have 2 almost 3 feet to the next door.

If im in a shopping center its the back spot for me.

[MBeige]

At school I try to park very near (as in inches from) the concrete posts that hold the parking structure up. Since it's a 5 story structure, I usually park at the 4th or 3rd, that way not a lot of people want to walk up or ride the elevator.

Since it's also covered, that saves my dash from cracking. And parking in an open lot, I usually face against the sun that way the dash won't get any sunlight, even with the dashmat on it.

And park exactly in the middle of the lines. That way if the other two cars park askew, you've got (hopefully) enough room to avoid a ding or two. However, my car already has some dings (I think the constellation Cancer can be seen in bright midday sunlight). So another ding wouldn't do much damage since PDR (paintless dent removal) is per panel, not per ding.

On the other hand, when the other car (wagon) is good enough for daily use, I'll bring that along and keep my sedan back home. The wagon's more of a beater.

[dieselmania]

I like the end spot snuggled right up against the median, I back in with my tires 1 or 2 inches from the curb.

When I had my beater 83 F-250 Supercab diesel I would sometimes squeeze in next to the jerk who parked halfway into the next spot with a shiny new POS with only inches to spare! Ah those were the days!

Hey gtmotor, how come I've never seen your Lotus on the streets of Tucson???

Originally Posted by Carrameow

SORRY for this inane post, but I had my car dinged at the mall the other day!

Well, that sucks. I normally look for the end spaces where I can get close to the curb and leave lots of room on the other side. Parking near nice cars works unless the nice car leaves and is replaced by some beater. My wife is the worst, she parks her 240D at the far end of her company lot, about 50 yards from the nearest other car.

[olsaltybastard]

I have owned several nice cars through the years and have come to the conclusion that if nothing you do will prevent dings and such from other people. I used to go food shopping at 2 am (I'm a night owl) and park far away from everyone only to come back and see a car parked right next to mine. So, I bought a 23 year old car and honestly don't care enough to check anymore. It already has dings and scratches.

[TheDon]

where ever i park i always for some reason seem to get a mercedes on each side of me

[Angel]

You should probably clarify what a "nice diesel" is =)

personally, I think that a W123 300D 2.5t is a nice car, but it doesnt (in my mind) need good paint to be a nice diesel =)

Sorry I cant contribute, but my paint is 24 years old and looking it. Its always been a debate in my mind with the wife's 2005 Subaru - park it remote and stack the odds in my favor or park close and risk dings- normally I just park close, having a 1mo old son lends itself to this anyway...

-John