snaproll

I always park in the far reaches of the lot and usually the car stays clear, but there's always some dimbulb who'll slide in next to me with plenty of spots closer in.

On a related note, sometimes the dimbulbs get theirs. I was leaving a lot behind a gal in a Toyota who insisted on going left (across two lanes of oncoming traffic so she could try to fit into two lanes
going her direction). She gets out across the two oncoming lanes but there's no break in traffic on the side she wants to merge into, so she's brought the two oncoming lanes to a halt. Among the haltees is a motorcop. She sees him and starts backing. I'm at the edge of the driveway waiting to turn right and when she gets within about four feet of me without yet turning her head or using the mirror I lay on the horn. There's a guy behind me so I can't back, and she creeps right into me. Fortunately, no damage, not even a scratch.

The motorcop pulls her and me over, has me stand by while he writes her for unsafe backing and some other mover, and then apologizes to me for her backing into me after seeing him.

nycebo

I think the safer thing to do for parking is to look for an 'optimal' spot. This is a spot that has a curb or wall on one side, and a nice car on the other. Then you park as close to the curb as you can to give the nice car all the room it needs. The preference of course is to park next to cars that are already there; you know, the danger you know is better than the one you don't.

peachboy

When I was younger and riding a sports bike I once found a lovely young lady who had fallen asleep on it when it was parked right outside a bar. She appologised and told me it was the only seat she found as she was dead tired....I've never had such luck with my p-car....maybe I should let the doors unlocked.

Gretch

"You toucha my car, I breaka you face"

dmw

They do it out of spite. I remember in high school (years ago) parking my POS Datsun so close to a guy's fancy car (he parked way out in the parking lot and took up two spots) that I had to climb out my other door to get out of my car. I laughed for hours at the thought of the guy coming out to see his car parked a mile from the store but 2 inches from my car. Of course, I would never do that now but it sure was funny then.

Just my $.02, but I think the more effort you take to guard against door dings (taking up 2 spots, door protectors, etc) the more you are asking to get keyed.

Chris 996

Always remember that if you have to park in a tight spot always park on the right hand side of a car if possible with the curb between you and that car. The odds are 50/50 that there is only one driver and that they will only open the driver side door of the car thus not hitting you.

I like the bright orange cone idea but I would worry it would invite intentional damage as well as diagonal parking.

Nicolaasdb

just take it like a man!! The world is full of ignorant idiots!! and that is the reason they don't drive a fancy car...they don't understand "freaks" like us...who spend days detailing, buffing and modding their cars....their cars are transportations tools (A to B and back)... I almost gave up worrrying about it...but still park on corner spots (yes Chris 50% less ding change) or far away (take my wifes bitching for granted)....and still I had dings....on top of my fender for crying out loud!!! ...I think I am going to make my P higher. like those monster trucks....

fast1

Three years ago my wife bought an Audi S4 convertible. She always parks as close as possible to the stores where she shops. The car is also her daily commuter and she parks in a multi-story garage in Baltimore city. So after three years and 50K miles , she only has two small door dings on her S4. If she was so inclined she could have both of them removed for about $125.

Most parking spaces are much larger than they were 20 years ago, and unless you are unlucky enough to park next to a jerk, it's easy enough to open a car door without banging into the car parked next to you.

nycebo

Ah, where do you live? Fantasyland?!

Come visit me anytime you want in the tri-state area and I'll show you some lovely parking spaces.

Joe2000C4Cab

I have to agree, where do you live? Spots are smaller and monster SUV's are everywhere. Round these parts, I think the worst offender is the Valco mall. I think those spots were sized for the old communist east German cars I saw when I visited there back in the mid 80's!

Patric F.

I dont think it is the spot size as much as it is idiots parking on or near the edge line of their spot. I try and park next to a curb on the right so that I only have one side exposed, and that is the passenger side of the other car. I also try to pull as close to the curb on the right side typically leaving nearly 3 feet between the driver side of my car and the line. However, I still get idiots parking with their passenger side tires on the line between me and their car making the distance between the cars within door ding range. Maybe I am just **** about this stuff, but it seems like they do it on purpose in most cases. OK, I have said my peace. Serenity Now! Serenity Now!

andrew911

I have to disagree with the theory that people park close to get a look at the Porsche, because I've noticed that even when I park my daily driver out far at a strip mall/supermarket/mall (a grey BMW- nothing exotic that anyone would want to look at ), I almost always come back and find 3-4 cars parked around me. It's crazy...my theory is just that people see another car and for some strange reason feel compelled to park by it- there will be 20 cars in a line, 8 empty spaces, then my car and 3-4 others when I come out- crazy! We need a psychologist to do a study (on the people who park by cars in the middle of nowhere that is, not on us porsche lovers )

I've got 63K miles on the BMW and only one small ding which was my fault, unrelated to parking...I've been using the methods that many on here use- end spots, park out far when possible, never valet, etc... No dings on the porsche so far (knock on wood)- that would **** me off, but it is only a weekend car so I can select where I drive it

nycebo

Andrew, you're spot on. It's the wisdom of crowds theory. You ever notice when people leave an auditorium (for sports, a movie, whatever), a few trickle out at first, followed soon by a mass exodus. I suspect that when someone see a car parked alone on a lot, they park next to it much like people crowd together on street corners for traffic lights. In the end, we're all lemmings.

Riad

My theory is that parking next to a 911, you're almost certain that the 911 driver isn't going to open his door and ding your car.

4s

The way I see it is-Parking spots have stayed about the same size but cars/suvs just keep getting bigger and bigger. And some of the doors are so big that they need 4-5 feet of room to just open them and get out. Unless your the Brady Bunch, who the hell needs that much room.