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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

If you own a tiny car?

87 replies

shaggedthruahedgebackwards · 10/02/2017 14:19

AIBU to think that you deliberately park your Fiat 500/C1/Smart as far forward in the parking space as you possibly can so that while the rest of us are driving around looking for a space we get all excited thinking we have found a space only to discover your tiny car when we get closer and feel thoroughly disheartened?

Does the above behaviour give you a perverse sense of pleasure? (I imagine it would)

P.s. It shouldn't need saying but .... light hearted Grin

OP posts:
allchattedout · 10/02/2017 15:08

WaitrosePigeon, I live in a place with no hills... Perfect. Oh and my little car CAN actually get up a hill without decelerating, contrary to the belief of those driving round in giant tanks.

MakeItStopNeville · 10/02/2017 15:09

When you buy a new mini, they send you a Mini Etiquette guide and that's included in it. I sometimes forget that I don't drive a beast anymore though, so if you've ever nearly rear ended my car in car space enthusiasm, sorry!

SlothMama · 10/02/2017 15:15

This annoys me so much! YANBU

Trooperslane · 10/02/2017 15:16

Does my NUT in Grin

HappyFlappy · 10/02/2017 15:18

It takes me 20 minutes to get to 30mph

Sounds like mine - 0 to 60 in two hours.

My son makes fun of it and I've pointed out that it is slower because most other cars have more powerful engines.

He responded that most electric toothbrushes have more powerful engines . . .

ComtesseDeSpair · 10/02/2017 15:20

Yes, this happens with my Smart in busy car parks, though I don't do it with intentional thought! Although some other road users in large cars behave like arseholes towards those in tiny ones, so having something that's a benefit is nice.

However, it also means that I sometimes have trouble finding my own car, or panic that it's been stolen when I can't see it where I was sure I parked it.

GreatFuckability · 10/02/2017 15:22

I drove a tiny fiat for years. It shifted, it fitted all our camping gear and I could fill the tank for £25 and it lasted forever. I bloody miss that car.
Except when it comes to trying to find it in a crowded car park Grin

Vinorosso74 · 10/02/2017 15:25

Ah but part of the problem is people with mahoosive cars park in either side of rge small car

UnimaginativeUser · 10/02/2017 16:02

My OH is so rubbish at finding parking spaces (literally will drive past vast swathes of them before spotting them too late and then cocking up the parking trying to get in at an awkward angle - this fact is a whole other thread on its own - never have I met a man that's so bad at parking) that he'd drive past said small car, suddenly decide afterwards that there was a space then reverse back only to discover small car in the space. Cue much cursing and expletives!

If I had a small car I think I might be tempted to play this game!

AllFurCoatNoKnickera · 10/02/2017 16:09

This used to give me rage when I had a big car, then got a smart and made sure I parked almost sticking out of a space so that people didn't get over excited about a space just to get disappointed.

I will say my biggest bug bear with the smart was that if I was parked on a road, people would park really close at the back and the front - power steering is not standard in those cars (old models anyway) and it's bloody hard to get out of a tight space!!!

Shockers · 10/02/2017 16:09

Waitrose, I drive over the fells in my little UP, to get to work!

We also have a lovely big Volvo, but more often than not, I choose to take my UP out Grin. I drove 140ish miles in it last weekend... it cost me a fiver!

GeorgeTheHamster · 10/02/2017 16:12

I drive an Up and a bigger car. When I drive the Up I do indeed hide it in parking spaces and chortle to myself. When I drive the big one I drive round car parks saying "bloody tiny cars".

I am an idiot.

TondelayaDellaVentamiglia · 10/02/2017 16:12

i do this alllllll the time.

AND I have a refinement....if you have gone in a bit skew-wif then you wait till the couple of cars that saw you parking have passed by. And then you pull back out ...someone screaming around the car park will screech to a halt thinking you are leaving and they can have your space, only you are not, you are straightening up. Give them a cheery "thankyou" wave and watch their faces all as they realise you are not leaving.

You can do this in a big car too if you are mischievous

But Ghosty is right....you do have to wing it to get back out

And not all small cars are slloooow, my fiat is super nippy.

WankersHacksandThieves · 10/02/2017 16:27

Bit of a segway, but since all the small car drivers are on here, can I ask a question?

I'm looking for a nice wee runaround potentially for the DSs to drive too when they learn. However DS1 is already 6'3 and DS2 not far behind him - still growing but not necessarily very much more. Are any of you really tall or have really tall partners/offspring and if so can they fit comfortably in your small car to drive/be a passenger? DS1 is particularly long of leg and DS2 is long of back, just to make life more awkward...

GeorgeTheHamster · 10/02/2017 16:30

There's loads of room in the front of the Up. Not so much in the back.

Rainmaker1 · 10/02/2017 16:31

I drove 140ish miles in it last weekend... it cost me a fiver!

Electric?

WankersHacksandThieves · 10/02/2017 16:36

Thanks George to be fair, I'd rather DSs weren't carrying piles of friends when they first pass anyway so that may be an advantage!

On the other hand if I am driving it with both DSs in it then we may need to fold one of them in half :o

wideboy26 · 10/02/2017 16:37

I drive a large car to compensate for my smaller personal attributes.

WankersHacksandThieves · 10/02/2017 16:38

My DH is 6'2 and found it was the fact that he couldn't see out of the window without crouching that was the issue when buying a car rather than his legs. The sun visor does tend to be redundant...

Eevee77 · 10/02/2017 16:40

YANBU OP. Although it may not be intentional, I have a pretty small car and get equally frustrated when I can't remember where I parked it and dismiss all the "empty" spaces making it far harder to find....

TwentyCups · 10/02/2017 16:51

My partner is 6'3, it's no problem at all!

MakeItStopNeville · 10/02/2017 17:03

We bought my son (6'1) a small car. He's fine in it. He can't fit a whole load of mates in it so that makes me happy too.

WankersHacksandThieves · 10/02/2017 17:06

What car do you have Twenty?

WankersHacksandThieves · 10/02/2017 17:07

and MakeIt

WaitrosePigeon · 10/02/2017 17:25

Crikey some people are touchy about their small cars Grin