I usually park out towards the back, but not waaaaayyyyy out of the way. Just a few good spaces away from other, or either next to my friends. When Im at school (college), me and my friend who has a 94 Cobra get spaces several spots away from others and we park next to each other. I dont mind if I park away from others and I come back and find another Vette, or nice car/sports car beside it. You people are right about people jealous about the car. I was at my g/f's house yesterday and I parked the Vette in a place in their yard where I thought it would be out of thier way without blocking anyone in. Well, after her dad comes home from getting her mom's car worked on, I overhear him making a negative comment about 'because he's got a Corvette' with a sarcastic emhpasis on Corvette. They just dont understand how Im so **** about my car and how I take special care in washing/waxing it and why I drive > 10mph on the dirt road they live on

 

My original post was made at least partially tongue-in-cheek ... of course other people have the right to park wherever they want, and if it happens to be beside me, then so be it (we do not have any reserved slots in our lot, from the CEO on down). I do find it irritating when other people are not careful and seem to think nothing of banging doors and the like, but some are just like that. And if they go out of their way to park next to an isolated car, then I find that ridiculous. But, once again, there's not much that can be done about it. Personally, I think that banged doors should be a reportable and ticketable offense, just like any other accident. But the guy in the Jetta can certainly park anywhere he wants.

Ironically, yesterday I parked in my usual isolated spot, and the maintenance crew decided to mow the grass. Every car in the lot got filthy, and if someone happened to leave their windows down, they got a carful of dead clippings. That's not a good thing.

About 10 years ago, I had a new Mitsubishi 3000 GT SL. I took it to Home Depot one Sunday morning and parked it on a 'safe' end spot, nearest the building. When I came out 15 minutes later, there was a deep gash on my rear bumper. Apparently someone had cut the corner in one of those low-boy carts. No note or anything. Cost $600 to repair, and I paid $500 of that because of my collision deductible. It wasn't covered under comprehensive since it wasn't intentional vandalism. So it pays to be reasonably careful when parking.

Most of us are fairly **** about our cars, but we have to realize that the largest segment of our populace does not share our opinions.

 

Yeah, us government types get some dozzies to drive when we travel, huh?

Check your PM.

 

Can someone invent a shocker whereas the uncaring individual who takes it upon himself to ding your beautifull car gets a zap of about 10,000 volts over the course of 6 hours?

 

Sounds like a plan to me!

 

I normally try to park next to the curb or an island if possible. That way you only have 1 side at risk

 

I generally try not to park like a jacka$$ (parking at an angle, taking up more than one space), and thus I don't get losers parking next to me. It's an open invitation to screw with your car. I highly recommend against it. Park like the rest of society.

Dope

 

I know exactly how you feel! I have "my own spot" in the office parking lot, and invariably someone that doesn't have a clue parks next to me in a 4-door sedan ....omg...as soon as I see this happen, I run out and move it to a more secluded safe spot.

 

A couple guys at my work do this (park at an angle in the back lot): one in a Mustang GT, the other one in a Mazda Protege. I parked at an angle right next to them once (since MY spot was taken by some other numbskull). They jokingly told me I couldn't park there because my A4 was not a real sports car. I just laughed and said, "Yeah, but mine looks better!" and kept walking. LOL

 

You could try parking like this:



Although I don't have a picture of it because it was dark outside, the night before this same car was parked in six parking spaces. This was in a crowded hotel parking lot; if I'd been the manager, I'd have had the ******* towed.

 

Did you get the license plate and leave a note for the owner explaining what happened? I'm sure if that was your C5 you would have appreciated knowing who vandalized your car...

 

I take it a step further: I park with my passenger's side to the curb or island. Why? Because if a car does park next to me, he will be parking on my left side, and his driver's side door will open into the car to his left, not into my car. Chances are pretty good that his car will have no passengers, hence nobody will be opening their door on the side next to my car. Of course, the best parking places are the ones that are protected on both sides. Sometimes you'll find these in grocery store parking lots right next to the cart corral, or maybe there's a clothing donation box or something with room for one car to park between it and the curb. One thing I never to is park diagonally, or take up more than one space. I feel this will be viewed as obnoxious by those who are just looking for an excuse to trash somebody's nice car, so I don't give them the excuse.

I also make it a point to park in a high-traffic area, as opposed to some lonely spot on the South 40. This increases the chances that a thief or vandal, if he is bold enough to strike at all, will be seen by someone.

Call me ****-retentive, but I had owned my very first brand new car for less than a week when some doddering old fool opened his door into the side of mine in the company parking lot, leaving a big scrape. That was in 1991, and since then, thanks to reasonable diligence, I have not had even one dent, ding, or scrape.

Thinking "it's going to happen no matter what" is a defeatist attitude which I don't happen to share. I think 13 years and half a dozen ding-free vehicles is proof that you can avoid this kind of careless damage.

 

Tics me off also. If I see a porche or MBZ close then I figure they are just being careful like me but the clunkers are another matter. I know there are certain 'types' that would take great pleasure in smacking your car with their door, it has happend to me with other cars. I think I would lose it if I ever saw it happen.

The last guy that broke a side window in my car trying to steal my wife's purse spent 20 minutes with his face in the dirt and me on top until the police came and arrested him. If it had be my vette I might have been the one arrested.