CAR PARK NIGHTMARES

Car parks are a thing of nightmares if you love your car.  Shopping trolleys, small children with greasy hands, large children looking cool perched on your bonnet with their mates, and neighbours who use your car to stop their door from swinging too far.  I shudder just to think of it especially as the Christmas shopping season draws near. 

While the average punter will try to get a park as close to the door as possible, you can pick someone who loves their car by their insistence on parking as far from the action as possible.  We willingly walk the extra mile when we have peace of mind that our beloved will not be left in bad company.  Here are some tips for you if you too have car park nightmares.

1. Embrace the walk.  There are a cornucopia of people on the internet telling you to walk more every day.  Take the opportunity to park far far away and enjoy a stroll.  I haven't heard of any documented study but perhaps you could be the first to use car parking paranoia as a weight loss strategy.  I promise this walk will at least reduce your stress.
   
2. Don't park near the shopping trolley return area.  I know folk think they are cool when they push the trolley from a few bays away saving themselves the trouble of walking the last ten meters.  They will use your car like a pinball machine bumper to bounce off and get closer to the target.  Plus this is about the law of averages.  The closer you park to the main trolley dumping ground the more trolleys you will encounter and the more likely it will be to have a trolley hit your precious paint.
3. Park near a buffer.  I like to park near a post or a garden bed as just one more buffer between me and the next car.  I also try to avoid parking on a corner that a Learner driver might struggle with and sideswipe you.
4. Check out the ground of the park.  Parking in that shady spot under a tree or a shade sail might seem like a good idea but if the ground is littered with bird poo, bat droppings, or tree leaves they will all end up on your car.  Try a windscreen shade instead rather than destroying your paint job with tree sap that eats away at it.
5. Remove valuable items from sight.  If you do park away from the bustling crowd you run the risk of being bait for the criminally minded.  Less people means less chance of being caught in the act.  Make sure you remove any valuables from sight such as loose change, digital devices and handbags / laptop bags. 
6. Park in good company.  Don't park near the beaten down Corollas.  Don't park near a "Proud tree hugging hippie" bumper sticker.  Don't park next to a people mover with kid seats.  Try to hang with the cool kids.  I am not suggesting you get snobby and only park with Porsches but try to park with cars that are obviously clean and well looked after.
7. If someone has parked obviously to stay away from everyone else don't crowd them.  Always try to leave a few bays when you can.  It is creepy when you come back to a car that you left parked like the one in the picture and there is one other car parked right beside you.

If you have any other car park tips I would love to hear about them.  Drop me a line at lara@wildedrive.com and stay safe this Christmas shopping season.