Do you have a parking strategy?

welshwife I laughed out loud at that. I hate that windmill arm thing telling me which way to turn the b****y wheel.

There was a whole news item about car parks on This Morning.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/video_and_audio/headlines/38044867

So we shouldn't feel its just us, as cars have got wider and older car parks have not widened their spaces making it more difficult to park and still be able to get in and out easily.

Ooh Nannymoo my strategy exactly - find a 'drive through' space! I just hate parking and would rather walk up to a mile rather than park the car! I can parallel park but NOT if I have an audience! If it is OH watching me unless I am lucky and get it right first time --- I get out and hand him the keys! I cannot have him giving me instructions and motioning which way to turn the wheel etc. He is a dreadful passenger (although not as bad as he used to be) so if I am driving before we set off he has instructions to keep his opinions to himself or walk.
The supermarket we use the most has redone a large section of the car park and they have double lines so you have more space either side of you.

I'm glad I can drive but not a confident driver. ?Wouldn't venture anywhere unless I knew the route, which lane I need to get in & be 100% certain I can get parked easily when I get there! I am happy to park in the furthest space at the supermarket & walk. Would never reverse park & love it when I can drive through to space in front pointing the right way for leaving. Would rather get train or bus if I think I couldn't get parked easily. We now have our first automatic car which is so much easier to drive. Never going back to a manual!

Trouble with that is Deedaa if you have a trolley full of shopping you can't get to the boot to load it without squeezing down the side of the cars. I do reverse in if I don't need boot access and I agree its easier.

Can I just say that reversing into a space is much easier than driving into it. It also has the advantage that you can just drive out. No faffing around trying to back out into the cars that are driving round. DD was an HGV driver and there are very few occasions on which he will let me drive into a space.

Parallel parking is one of my niche skills, can get into the the tiniest space. Think it's a spatial thing that I have.
Ex is spectacularly hopeless at it, car usually ends up half way into road. He will also spend ages trying to park as close as possible to venue. I'd rather park further away and walk for a few more paces.

sorry I posted it again! couldn't see it! (must be the glasses!)

Oh I can so identify with these posts. DH can't park in an empty car park. He is a terrible 'back seat driver' - even tells me when and how to turn into our own drive. I usually let him drive, it is just easier. My own fault really, I should have just told him to be quiet from the start! Bit late now to train him... Don't take him to supermarket, he re-arranges everything in the trolley! As to parking, I can't reverse in really and need a large space. Since I have had to swap to glasses, rather than the contacts I wore for fifty years, i find it hard to get the car straight in the parking slot!!

Yes, Rosesarered the slanted parking spaces seem to make life so much easier. I don't know why they don't do it in the UK.

Some of the car parks (sorry, 'parking lots'!) we've used in America have a system of small lights above spaces. Red means someone is parked there, green means it's empty. You can spot any empty spaces as soon as you get inside, saving on all that driving round and round.

If I was clever with computers, I'd invent an app to be used in car parks that when you took your ticket it would also give you the number of a reserved parking slot you could drive straight to. I've no idea how you'd police it - maybe with a barrier with number-plate recognition that would lower when you approached?

Parking in small Australian towns is a doddle as well in comparison rosesarered; wide streets with two lanes on each side plus slanted spaces all along the main street on both sides.

Why can't we have parking spaces like they have in the US, slanted ones, much easier to drive into and reverse out of.
Anyway, my own strategy is to find somewhere near the store to park, but that will not be too busy with passing cars when later reversing out.I have no problems with reversing out, so never reverse in.If you need the boot for shopping , it seems a strange thing to do.
However, Mr Roses drives all around the car park, ignoring all the easy spaces as he has to get as close to the store doors as possible ( why? We have no disabilities.)
Finding that all the really close spaces to the store already have cars parked there, we then embark on a journey around the whole place, find a space, go into it, shunt about for a bit, then , not liking it, reverse out and find another space entirely.
Not long ago, I found the whole thing so embarrassing ( we had a friend with us) I muttered a quick apology and she muttered back ' my DH is exactly the same!'

These comments sound so familiar. D H is a terrible passenger. Even tells me how to turn in to our own drive. Try not to drive with him. Guess it's my own fault as I should have refused to accept such behaviour from the start. He too is bemused as to where to park in an empty car park. Must be a male thing! Though must admit I am pretty lousy at parking. Since having to switch to glasses from contacts (after 50 years) can't seem to park straight!

Definitely don't let you OHs do all the driving - should you find they become unable to drive it will become more difficult to get back on the road. My DH used to do most of the driving as he drove for a living but I had my own car as well. When he retired we went down to 1 car (I took Early Retirement to care for him). after we moved he began losing his confidence as he was unsure of his route no matter how many times he drove it, never went out in the car on his own. He was however a bit of a nightmare as a passenger - I usually told him to shut up as it was distracting

By the time we changed our car he had given up driving altogether, he had lost his confidence I am so thankful that I continued driving even if it was occassionally as now I'm widowed my car is my little lifeline

I'm not good at reversing into spaces so don't bother, I can "parallel park" despite never being taught. I almost drove out of our Aldi last year as I couldn't find a space (I was only going for a look round) & usually use our Surgery Volunteer Drivers for Hospital if DD can't take me - hard to find a space & I can do without the stress

He managed to do that all by himself tanith
Luckily I wasn't with him when the Waitrose wall came out and scraped the front bumper.

If you think Malta or the UK is bad try driving in Gibraltar, a tiny space with thousands of cars and I believe 11000 scooters and thats not counting tourists cars,its a total nightmare of a place to own a car.

I think that to men their car is their baby and wo betide anyone who scratches it so they find a space where they don't think it will be at risk. I'm not bothered if my car gets a scratch so what! It still works and gets me from A to B which is what my car is for. (even though its newer and much nicer looking than his )

Bellasnana
Try living in the UK if you think Malta has too many cars for your island.
A family of three, mum, dad and twenty something daughter
nearby to me have a car each.That is a family I know of.How many more like it.

School closing times are a nightmare
Having accompanied my friend when she picks up her grandson from school,his mum is at work as is dad I have lost count of the bitter arguments that go on from mothers who have claimed someone has taken my place claiming they always park there.

There is no allocated parking for school pick ups you take pot luck.These rows must be bad for the children.

This situation can only get worse.

sarah We used to have that in our New England seaside town. But sadly the main store chains have stopped as many of the stores got bigger and bigger with up to 30 checkout lanes which is weird for that town! They could not get enough staff to continue. They will still pack for you, using a lazy-susan device with plastic bags already in place so the clerk does it as well as scanning the food. As they are filled, they whip it around for you to pick up and put into your trolley. I haven't seen a brown bag in quite a few years now on visits back there, except in specialty small stores. Miss those a lot.

Not a parking strategy but I think you must insist on driving because as we all know, if you don't use it you lose it. My husband loves driving and would always automatically get into the driver's seat so I suggested one of us drives there and the other drives back so I keep my hand in.

I wish there were supermarkets in the UK that give service like many of the larger out of town ones do in the U.S.A? My experience was in the midwest
Trolleys were coin free and under cover.A guy usually a retired person , and this service is optional, packs your purchases in large brown paper bags, not plastic, places it in your trolley and accompanies you to your car wheeling the trolley for you.They then unload your bags into your car and wheel your trolley back.
It's normal to give a small tip but this too is optional and you give what you wish. Well worth it.Letting someone else do the work. The best part is not having to take your trolley back especially if its pouring with rain .

I avoid parking next to those great big, four wheel drive things because they usually take up the whole space between the lines. Sometimes it's difficult to open the drivers door! Heaven help me if I return to my car and find it trapped between two of the monstrosities. I'd have to crawl in through the boot!

I do my best parallel parking if I'm on my own and nearly late for an appointment. Necessity seems to lend me increased skill!

By the way I do 99 percent of the driving nowadays, so he has reverted to telling me where to park. Of course I just ignore it. On principle.

I thought that trawling round a near empty car par and ending up in a remote space was a trait unique to my husband. Now I see others have the same problem. What is it with men? If I deign to suggest a suitable space, in any kind of car park, he just ignores me. Weird.

Cherrytree59 To save your sanity and until you are up and running and can drive, order your groceries and anything else online and have them delivered.Make yourself a nice cuppa, switch on tv and let him do his own thing.
But would you be without him, warts and all ?????