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Original poster

Tell me I’m not the only one who struggles in busy car parks !

32 replies

Icantpark · 18/12/2018 11:24

Today has confirmed I’m utterly crap at manouvering in tight, busy car parks.
Anyone else or is it just me and my poor skills? I normally shop at quiet times but Xmas and all that ....
Turning into a narrow car park lane - car coming the other way - I have to reverse, manoeuvre etc to make space to let them out. This happened 3 times with different cars I got so stressed I gave up and went home - there were no bloody spaces anyway. I know it was me - I drive a corsa so it’s not even bog, but I obviously can’t judge the size of my bloody car !

OP posts:
Russiawithlove · 18/12/2018 11:35

No you are not alone. I drive v long distances and am confident on motorways.
Put me in a busy car park and I get the fearShock

JustanotherCHRISTMASuser01 · 18/12/2018 12:04

You are not alone! Some idiots tend to think if they come nice and close it'll mean you go quicker. I bloody hate car parks to the point of its an anxiety about going to places - you take your time and if they are unhappy screw them

Avrannakern · 18/12/2018 12:07

I always reverse park, and I'm super quick and only take one swing at it so I'm not driving in and out to straighten up, but at this time of year the car behind is so damn close that when I turn so I can reverse, they have pulled behind me so i can't. I know they might be doing it to try and steal the space but I refuse to move so they need to get out of the way. It's really annoying; if you don't reverse into the space then getting out when there's a stream of cars going past is dangerous.

EverardDigby · 18/12/2018 12:10

I am generally confident with manoevering but the impatience and aggression and the lack of agreed etiquette (e.g. two people coming from different directions for same space) makes me hate it too. Some car parks have ridiculously small spaces too, I only have a small car but got into a space the other day next to the trolley park and the was no room to get out of my car without going so close to the car the next side that they would have been unable to get back in!

Sirzy · 18/12/2018 12:11

Sounds like the car park is badly designed and needs a one way system if it isn’t wide enough for two lanes of traffic!

cjt110 · 18/12/2018 12:12

I once managed to find a space in the carpark at tescos. It had about a cars width between two rows of spaces. I had to do a million point turn to get out - was rather hot, flustered and panicked by the time we got out!

HiGunny · 18/12/2018 12:13

Best thing I ever did was buy a car with reversing camera and sensors. My parking has improved so much since then!

Travellinghopefully2018 · 18/12/2018 12:16

Nope hate them too! Normally very confident driver and parker but really struggle with busy car parks, especially with low light levels and often rain at this time of year, panic as cars seem to appear as if from no where. Over the years most of our car prangs have been in car parks due to cars scooting up too close whilst we were trying to park and us not seeing them (mainly DH tbf not me Grin). People are so impatient.

Whitelisbon · 18/12/2018 12:17

I've got a minibus (transit van-sized) and can park it in the smallest of spaces, no problems whatsoever. However, if I take dh's Corsa, I really struggle to park it, and don't even dare reverse parking in it! It could be a Corsa problem Grin

CurcubitaPepo · 18/12/2018 12:18

I’ve been driving for 23 years.
Fine on motorways. Still hate parking, probably reverse parking. Particularly if it’s busy. So so stressful

Lottapianos · 18/12/2018 12:24

Why can't car parking spaces be angled, for the love of sanity, so you can just drive in and reverse out without all the need for manoevering? It's so stupid

OliviaStabler · 18/12/2018 12:36

I hate parking. Car parks are crap as the spaces are too small. While I can park, it is others who park too close while you are away and you can't even open the car door to get in.

MrsPinkCock · 18/12/2018 12:52

Not alone. I also hate it. Over the years it’s got to the stage of giving me massive anxiety.

Love parking in America though, the spaces are humongous and nowhere is ever anywhere as busy as it is here!

WickedGoodDoge · 18/12/2018 13:04

Similar to Avrannakern I’m really good at reverse parking, but even when signalling and stopping and making it really clear that I’m reversing into a space, in busy car parks, drivers behind me seem to totally ignore this and get so close that I can’t reverse park. Then there’s a queue behind them so they can’t reverse and I invariably give up. I do my absolute best to avoid car parks at peak times.

Gogreen · 18/12/2018 13:07

The parking spaces are tiny!!! That doesn’t help one bit, I can get into a space...but then can’t get out the car! Stupid!

Original poster
Icantpark · 18/12/2018 13:37

Glad I am not alone ! It’s the meeting situations with other cars I hate the most - not knowing how much room I’ve got when one or both is us swinging around corners etc. When it’s so busy like now, I feel like I’m swamped by other cars and feel trapped and anxious especially as I’m so bad at it ! Give me a quiet car park miles away from the entrance any day

OP posts:
keepingbees · 18/12/2018 13:43

I'm quite confident at reverse parking but I only attempt it if no ones sat behind me watching and waiting - then I panic.
I do hate car parks. I panic when you get back to your car and someone's parked an inch from your door. You can't get in, then you can't get out the space as you can't swing the car round enough.

FlorencesHunger · 18/12/2018 14:24

I'm with you op, they are usually so tight knit with awkward weirdly placed pillars everywhere(nessecary to keep the the building up) Grin but I hate climbing levels on steep ramps with someone right up your arse especially if it's give way at the top.
I sometimes spend about ten mins trying to find my way out of a certain car park. It's sublevel to the building above but you enter it at the street level below. So you go up to park. Don't know why it disorientates me so much. There is one simple car park in my local shopping centre and it isn't signed but it's pretty clear and an unwritten rule with its layout that it's one way, hate reversing out and car suddenly appears going in the wrong direction.

NancyDonahue · 18/12/2018 14:32

I hear you. I hate parking. The trouble is a lot of older car parks weren't designed for massive cars, 4x4s etc. They take up too much room widthwise in the spaces and hang out the back of spaces. In the city I pay extra to park in a new car park that has wide approaches and massive spaces and a one way system. It's nearly double the amount of the old 70s NCP next door but it's worth every penny Xmas Smile

A Tesco near me has the worst car park ever. It's got tiny spaces but is also on a hill, so you also have to deal with controlling the clutch whilst manoeuvring in and out Xmas Shock

Littlepleasures · 18/12/2018 16:07

Must admit, at this time of year, I go to Asda’s at 9pm to get the heavy stuff in, and walk or bus it for the rest. THe car park rage at this time of year is horrendous. Last year a bloke yanked open my car door and yelled right in my face for taking his space..... I genuinely had not knowingly done it. Saw a car coming out, waited, then pulled in to the space. Did not see him waiting on the other side.
Roads are quieter at 9pm too.

NotCitrus · 18/12/2018 16:33

I'm still practicing parking - I drive about once a month if that, and mostly parking on streets so I'm quite good at parallel parking but I don't think I've ever tried to reverse in between two cars - only when there's been two adjacent spaces. I have a large 7-seater so sometimes the spaces are simply too small! Multi-storeys scared me with their cramped spaces even with a smaller car, not to mention the time my friend's cr got stuck in a space by a wall, and how stressed DP gets in them, trying to avoid pillars, wing mirrors, etc - and the time we stuck out a bit onto the walkway having hastily pulled forward to get stuff out of the boot to deal with a sick child, and someone wrote a really nasty note and stuck it on. At least I saw it and tossed it before DP read it.

There's something about car parks that turns so many drivers into tossers.

Cheesymonster · 18/12/2018 16:40

I hate them too. I have my favourite car parks in my town and ones I won’t touch with a bargepole. I have to reverse into the bay, I don’t like driving into a space (even though this means the boot is more accessible) because I hate backing out of a space. My car does not have sensors or a camera etc. I am trying to practice backing out of spaces though in quieter car parks when I feel braver. And I have a whole thread about how shit I am at parallel parking!!

Lottapianos the spaces at Lakeside shopping centre in Essex are angled, it’s a dream!

spidereye · 18/12/2018 19:58

I'm great at parking, manouvering etc. but detest motorway driving, I hate crossing lanes at speed (slow processing) and am always petrified - I wonder if you can only be good at one or the other. Actually, DH is good at both Hmm

IHaveBrilloHair · 18/12/2018 20:01

Oh God, I got stuck in a busy multistorey car park at the hospital the other week.
Some guy was yelling at me when I was trying to manoeuvre out, sweating and crying like an idiot, I hate it.
I ended up putting my car in the staff car park.

Lottapianos · 18/12/2018 20:40

'Lottapianos the spaces at Lakeside shopping centre in Essex are angled, it’s a dream!'

Ooh did not know this!

I'm learning to drive at the moment and really struggling with parking, especially reversing. It's both scary and comforting to know that so many of you experienced drivers are still struggling with it!