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Multistorey Car Parks - what do you do?

(80 Posts)
kittylester Sat 11-Mar-23 16:40:15

Our small town has a useful, fairly cheap, multistorey car park right in the middle of town (and very near my hairdresser).

It drives DH mad when people holdup the traffic trying to squeeze into the first space they come meanwhile there will hardly be anyone parked on the top 2 floors. There is a lift.

What would/do you do - park as soon as possible or keep going to the top?

JaneJudge Sat 11-Mar-23 16:45:15

the one in town is so tight that i generally park on the top floor as there is hardly anyone up there smile

NotTooOld Sat 11-Mar-23 16:47:46

I hate multi storey car parks myself and would always prefer to park on the lower floors. And a lift would not encourage me to park on the upper floors either. Sorry, Kitty. I'm afraid I would be one of those drivers annoying your DH!

peli Sat 11-Mar-23 16:48:29

I go right up to the top - the inner levels feel too claustrophobic to me.
(& yr dh is right, the "1st available spot takers" do faff about!)

Washerwoman Sat 11-Mar-23 16:50:38

I wait patiently.I hate parking feeling someone can't just allow me a couple of minutes to do it. And I always reverse in especially if it's a tight space. Very competently I might add !Why should I drive past a vacant slot because someone has no patience.

Redhead56 Sat 11-Mar-23 16:50:52

Never would I park in one tried years ago that was a nightmare. Don't like them in any respect I would sooner park miles away and walk.

dragonfly46 Sat 11-Mar-23 16:53:56

I know which one you mean kitty and I always go to the top because there are no pillars! Also I walk up and down for the exercise!

dragonfly46 Sat 11-Mar-23 16:54:57

I find it annoying going to Sainsburys and someone has to reverse into a space just as you drive in holding everyone up.

Janiepops Sat 11-Mar-23 17:08:35

Yes I know that car park well kitty!!
Hate the pillars, very unforgiving! I try and spot two spaces together so I get more manoeuvring room ( to get into one space! )

kittylester Sat 11-Mar-23 17:23:58

How could I forget the blinking pillars! I have hit them often enough. angry The M&S one is nearly as bad.

Joseanne Sat 11-Mar-23 17:26:02

The first space I see is mine. I drive a Volvo estate which despite its size turns beautifully into parking spaces.
I don't like the lifts in car parks, I always use the stairs.

tanith Sat 11-Mar-23 17:34:53

I usually go up to one of the emptier floors my cars been scraped twice in multi-storey car parks so I prefer less cars

Washerwoman Sat 11-Mar-23 17:36:24

Well not apologising for reversing in here.It is far easier to do that and then drive out.Driving out I have better visibility and can exit faster.So that should could those in a hurry happy .

kittylester Sat 11-Mar-23 17:39:22

I always look for drive through! There are usually more of those higher up, too.

dragonfly46 Sat 11-Mar-23 17:42:02

Why do people reverse into spaces in supermarkets though when you have to put your shopping in the boot? I have had my car scraped by someone pushing their trolley past it to get to their boot.

Fleurpepper Sat 11-Mar-23 17:42:11

I go higher up as I think spaces on ground floor should be for the 'elderly' and people with mobility issues. And also because it is much easier to park where you don't have to squeeze into a space. One car-park I go to the very top as I like to see the view over the town. And again, hardly anyone there, so very easy to park. But as on 5th floor, I do take the lift.

Farzanah Sat 11-Mar-23 17:53:06

Cars are basically getting too wide for spaces now, and this is apparent in multi storeys because of the pillars. It is nearly always safer to reverse in and drive out.

TerriBull Sat 11-Mar-23 17:54:33

Yes those people who have to park in the first available space damn annoying! I go on and find a space once the scramble has dispersed.

Joseanne Sat 11-Mar-23 18:05:54

TerriBull

Yes those people who have to park in the first available space damn annoying! I go on and find a space once the scramble has dispersed.

Can I ask people, is this because you don't like hovering with clutch control (or applying the handbrake) on the slopey inclines while someone parks?

rosie1959 Sat 11-Mar-23 18:14:17

Don’t use a multi storey very often if I do go into the city I tend to park higher up because there is more room.
In supermarket I never reverse in a bit pointless when I want to put shopping in the boot.
I agree spaces can be very narrow if out with my husband in his car I have on a few occasions had to reverse out for him as someone has parked close and due to mobility issues he just can’t get in the drivers door

Siope Sat 11-Mar-23 18:21:42

I have no idea why this country has so many straight, instead of angled, parking spaces. Angled spaces make it easier to drive in and easily reverse out, which is quicker for everyone, and they take up very little additional space.

I will normally look for a further away/higher up space, as there are generally more of them.

TerriBull Sat 11-Mar-23 18:26:50

Joseanne, not wild about clutch control on an upward incline, I cope though. I personally don't like a line of cars behind me. I use my local Sainsburys car park the most, it's flat not a multi storey, I use one or two of those sometimes when it's generally quiet. When I did use multi storeys in my previous vey busy town in Greater London, it was noticeable how many really big 4x4 would take the first available space, sometimes depending on the driver they would be a palaver to park with a queue behind.

cc Sat 11-Mar-23 18:27:36

I go right to the top too, or to the first floor that has lots of space. I hardly every use a multi-storey now though as I'm back living in the city and use the buses when I can. I think that the one at IKEA is the only one I've used in the past year.

NotSpaghetti Sat 11-Mar-23 18:38:41

I don't have a plan.
I take an early space if the cars either side have parked properly in the middle of their space and I keep on going if I think they are badly parked or way too big for the space.

Sometimes I back in and sometimes I go in forwards according to the space and the architecture of the car park - irrespective of whether I'll be using the boot or not.
I won't try to take a trolley into the gap though!

NotSpaghetti Sat 11-Mar-23 18:40:37

Some multistorey car parks are excellent - and some are quite poorly organised in my opinion.

Some have very poor signage too I think.