Do you have a parking strategy?

Getting round your DH's monopoly of the driving seat is a difficult one - I assume that it was his car that you kept, so he still thinks it is his to control.

Be the first one out of the door, car keys in hand, when you are going anywhere? Start a rota system, taking turns at the wheel? Return to the house and refuse to leave unless you drive? Tell him firmly that you miss the independence of driving and don't want to sit obediently in the passenger seat?

I don't have that problem. DH was the driver in our family - I cannot drive and have never learnt (and don't regret it when I see the angst it involves) Since he died I have no chauffeur unless I ask one of my children to take me somewhere, or cadge a lift from a friend or neighbour.

So I use my bus pass. I place online orders for bulky cupboard fillers and use shopping for a few items as my exercise for the day. I take a taxi if necessary. I save quite a lot by not keeping a car on the road, and my legs are stronger now than they were five years ago when I didn't do much walking.

I don't drive much these days and have to have a space the length of the QE2 if I am to park successfully. We have lots of helpful bells and whistles on our car - rear camera, anti collision technology (haven't tested it yet!!), front rear and side warning sensors, which, when I am parking, have a full blown nervous breakdown. DH will avoid the most obvious and easiest spaces in favour of trying to squeeze himself into the tightest one possible . Our hospital multi storey is a nightmare - there are pillars all over the place and the spaces are so tight you struggle to get out of your car without playing twister! I will get the bus rather than take the car there. I am happy to let DH do the driving until we go to a smaller car.

I usually head for the spot furthest away from the entrance of the building I am going to. Most people seem to want to almost park in the foyer (I'm not talking about those with mobility problems).

We are NEVER going down to one car EVER! DH does the farthest away parking too which is ok until you are staggering back with tons of shopping.

My car has a camera and sensors and I finding quite easy to park relying on those alone. DH has a small car with cameras or sensors and I can't Park that for toffee.

My Sil has a car that does it all for you.

Parking isn't usually as fraught as that where I live, thankfully! If it is busy, I tend to cruise along slowly and spot somehere.

My new car parks itself, once I've found a place, a gizmo I didn't even know was on it when I bought it! It's taken me a year to trust it, and even so, I'm not 100% sure.

As a relatively new driver I haven't really perfected the art of parking so at the supermarket I tend to stay well clear of other cars and suffer the longer walk to shop. I went with DD and DGD the other day and got into a child space with no problems though, so maybe things are looking up!

Needless to say I haven't even attempted parallel parking since passing my test even though I was amazingly actually quite good at it. We have a bigger car now which doesn't inspire me to try.

1. Take yourself out alone for a spin occasionally telling OH you want to maintain the ability
2. Go to Aldi at quieter times like evenings. I never go between 10am and 6pm.
3. Get the shopping delivered, especially coming up to Christmas
4. Ask to be dropped at the drop off point while your foot's still healing.
5. Mentally allow an extra 30 minutes for finding and manoeuvring into a space so that if it takes less, it's a bonus

We both have our own car I was never going to not have my own car although mine is the one we often use both driving it at different times. OH uses his if he's going out on his own as its lowslung and very uncomfortable for someone with dodgy hips
Don't have a problem parking it although its not often we can't find a parking space to be honest most places aren't that packed thank goodness. I love the reversing camera I have the only parking I can't do is parallel parking as I've mentioned before but I've been making myself do it and am finally 'getting it'

I was never taught to parallel park (30 yrs ago) so that's out unless there's plenty of room. In supermarket car parks I'm stupidly pleased if I can find a 'drive through' into the next lane so that I then leave nose first. Otherwise I park nose first, I can reverse park but usually can't be arsed. I can get myself into quiet a tight space but H often has to get out first as I need extra room on mh side to exit the car.
H has never learnt to drive which sometimes is an advantage

I'm never giving mine up. OH always parks as far away as possible - preferably in the next county and on one memorable occasion south of the river when we were at the theatre in Covent Garden. It has become a family joke. It's really not funny at all. He used to be an excellent driver and still working does over 45,000 miles a year - horrific. But I've noticed he drives too close to the car in front now and it drives me mad. Wont have his eyes tested.

Taking up at least two spaces and also at an angle!!

So grannylyn65 it was you OH was swearing at in Saisnburys

DH gave up driving after his heart operation and for about 2. years so nearly got dumped in a succession of lay-byes as he tutted, sighed, did the sharp intake of breath etc at my driving. Ventually I snapped and he at least holds his tongue now! We kept both cars for a bit, my smaller one for local journeys and his bigger diesel for long distances but that seemed silly so when mine needed a potentially expensive repair we traded both in and bought a new one.
I still find him a nervous passenger so it must be my driving but if he wants to get anywhere he has to live with that. I used to be fantastic at parallel parking, when we lived in London it was the only way, but since moving to the country if a space looks at all tight I just drive on. The present car has a rubbish lock (my story and I am sticking to it!) so reversing into parking spaces can be excruciating, but hey ho, I am only a little silver haired granny do not much is expected of me any more!

We no have Sainsburys

I wouldn't shop where there's inadequate parking - end of.

Sounds familiar DaphneBroon. Except mine will not give up on the yelps, sharp intake of breath etc. Technically he can still drive, but turns me into the nervous passenger when he does. AND he will not relinquish HIS car. Which is a sporty model parked on the drive permanently and gently rusting away
My parking strategy is to drop him by the entrance to whatever "to save him the walk". Then I go away and park in peace.

I never drive around trying to find a space when it's really busy. It has to be counter productive, something to do with never knowing when the next space will become vacant.
I take up a position at the top of the bay (However this does depend on the layout of the car park. Our ASDA is actually in a local council carpark.)

I switch off, listen to the radio and wait for the next space to become available. You then can see when this happens. If you are driving around looking you could easily miss another one.

I have never been able to parallel park and have been known, if I cannot find a parking space in my nearest town to drive home. Long gone are the days in London when one had half a street in which to park.

Be patient (that's my strategy). I love to practice parallel parking, I'm pretty, pretty good at it

Parking anywhere in Malta is a nightmare. Too many cars for such a small island.
Slightly off topic, but I used to be very good at parallel parking until I bought a new car which has a rear-view camera! Now I'm hopeless at it as it just seems alien to me to be looking forward when reversing

When we went down to one car I said to DH that I was not prepared to ASK if I could use it, so now I say 'I am going to X Y or Z on Tuesday you don't need the car do you ?' It seems to work.

Now onto the thorny question of parking DH who is a bit of a perfectionist parks, reparks, readjusts, then moves to another parking spot if there is one. I have to apologise if anyone us with us as they can't understand what is going on. I often say 'that is a good space' he never uses it

Finally if I am on my own and need a parking space urgently all I have to do is say the my dear late Dad 'can you find me a large space now?' and 9 times out of 10 one appears.

DH can drive into an empty car park and be almost totally unable to decide where to park. He always ends up, eventually, choosing the worst space too.

DDil says DS is just the same so it must be genetic?

Lots of different approaches from PPs! NanKate's appeal to her late father reminded me that the Parking Prayer is very effective - "Hail Mary, full of grace, help me find a parking space"!

My parking strategy : in head-first, preferably in a drive-through so that I don't have to reverse out. Cannot reverse into a space, though I have, on occasions, and hopefully unobserved, tried to back into a space in an empty car park but I always finish up in a differect space from the one I was aiming at.
DD says that she can ONLY back into a parking space, can't go in forward!
OH is another that can't make up his mind which space to use but often selects a really tricky one - he is a good parker though, in his defence.