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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:
NoFuckingRoomOnMyBroom · 10/02/2017 17:30

Waitrose I have an Abarth 500, I can happily assure you it doesn't struggle with hills or leaving larger cars for dead off the lights...

Gooseygoosey12345 · 10/02/2017 17:32

Haha I had a fiat 500 and purposely left it nearly poking out so people didn't swing in thinking the space was empty and hit me. Although I park terribly on purpose so people avoid parking close and denting my car, doesn't work half the time

Elphame · 10/02/2017 17:33

The downside is trying to find your own car later when it's surrounded by huge 4x4s.....

Gooseygoosey12345 · 10/02/2017 17:33

Also agree that not all small cars are slow. My fiat was really quick, so was my mito

WankersHacksandThieves · 10/02/2017 17:56

I used to have a 0.8 litre Daewoo matiz.

One day I had to give a lift to an AA driver (don't ask!) and also had two large children in the back. He was gobsmacked when I could leave cars trailing at the lights - not so impressed when they caught up with me 30 seconds later! :o

Rainmaker1 · 10/02/2017 18:53

Also agree that not all small cars are slow. My fiat was really quick, so was my mito

Compared to a push bike?

IHaveBrilloHair · 10/02/2017 19:01

Wankers, my IQ was roomy in the front, it's the back that's an issue, but obviously I didn't sit in there so no probs!

Small cars tend to be nippy, so you can leave others at the lights, and mine would happily sit on a motorway and keep up with traffic, I got it as a town car and it was perfect.

IHaveBrilloHair · 10/02/2017 19:03

Rainmaker, how fast do you need a car to go?

Rainmaker1 · 10/02/2017 19:08

Small cars tend to be nippy, so you can leave others at the lights

No, it's just that most drivers only use a small amount of their available power away from the lights. Even a slow car used to its potential usually leaves the other cars at the lights behind. It's when the other driver's trying that counts Wink

Rainmaker1 · 10/02/2017 19:12

IHaveBrilloHair Depends what aspect of performance you want, but I always find 0-100mph quite useful - tells you quite a bit more about a car than 0-60mph. I'm considering sub 10 seconds 0-100mph as quick enough, but preferably more like 8!

allchattedout · 10/02/2017 19:14

Rainmaker, my small car can easily go at the speed limit on all UK roads. If you're consistently driving at way above the speed limit, you are putting the lives of other road users in danger. Maybe you should do a speed awareness course to learn about what happens when you hit a pedestrian, bike or other car at speed. It's not nice.

If you were a F1 driver, I could understand your obsession with speed though. I am guessing you're not.

boredwithabrokenfinger · 10/02/2017 19:15

Yes, and the space is so narrow you wouldn't be able to get in it in you fuck off Range Rover... Grin

Madeyemoodysmum · 10/02/2017 19:16

Old model mini here. I love that I can parallel park any space . Can always get a free space in town as the biggies can't get in However I pay dearly in maintaining her. Mot cost me dear this year.

allchattedout · 10/02/2017 19:18

I'm considering sub 10 seconds 0-100mph as quick enough, but preferably more like 8!

Good for you. When do you seriously need to go from 0 to 60 very quickly though, unless you are pulling out on a dual carriageway from being stationary? The fiat 500 accelerates in 10 seconds, so I think I can handle waiting those extra 2 long seconds.

RJnomore1 · 10/02/2017 19:19

I was taught to park when the wing mirror was level with the white line at the front of the space which would mean if there's not much car behind you you'd be pretty well in the space wouldn't you?

Isn't that the correct way to do it?

allchattedout · 10/02/2017 19:20

Oh actually, I saw that you were talking about 0-100 rather than 0-60. If you are going at 100 mph on any road anywhere, I hope you are caught and have the book thrown at you. A good friend of mine was doing 70 on the motorway and was clipped from behind by a moron doing 95. She is now a quadriplegic as a result.

sweetkitty · 10/02/2017 19:23

Oh I'd love a tiny car again I have to drive a monster due to 4 DCs.

NoFuckingRoomOnMyBroom · 10/02/2017 19:23

I love old style Minis Madeye for me they've got so much more appeal than the new ones.

Rainmaker1 · 10/02/2017 19:29

Whoa, I said 0-100 is a much better indication of a car's performance than 0-60 not that I speed everywhere. There is a massive performance gap between a car that will do 0-60 in 8 seconds and one that will do 0-100 in 10. I actually do launch quite hard from traffic lights fairly regularly. In addition I do fairly regular track days, drag days and Germany at least once a year. You can rest assured that the German trips see nearly double the 100mph you're all terrified of!

Slightlyperturbedowlagain · 10/02/2017 19:30

I really hadn't thought of that so no I don't do it on purpose, but I may do in future- just to get my own back on the big cars that think my boot is an acceptable place to sit in when I am struggling up a steep hill. (If I could go faster I would, flashing lights and tooting horns so you can overtake dangerously and get to the next traffic lights 5 seconds faster are not required Hmm) I do already get a lot of pleasure though from fitting into a tiny space in a carpark after watching an over-optimistic 4x4 driver try and fail to park Wink

HelloFreedom · 10/02/2017 19:32

wideboy26 Ha! Enjoyed that. Can't decide if you're joking or not.

OP, YABU. Tiny cars hiding in massive parking spaces are an inescapable, unavoidable two fingers up to the giant status-SUVs of this world.

(Disclaimer: my car is not tiny. For shame.)

wideboy26 · 10/02/2017 19:38

Hello Freedom - you'll never know!

allchattedout · 10/02/2017 19:42

You can rest assured that the German trips see nearly double the 100mph you're all terrified of!

Cool- they also have double the road deaths of the UK. But as long as your car is performing well, hey.

Original poster
shaggedthruahedgebackwards · 10/02/2017 19:43

hellofreedom as the OP I should point out that I drive a Golf and not some jumbo sized SUV

The thread was intended to be a bit of fun and yes I do appreciate that it's the massive cars parked either side that allow the tiny cars to hide!

OP posts:
HelloFreedom · 10/02/2017 19:46

Sorry shagged, I was attempting a bit of light-heartedness. No offence meant...