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Guide to ding-free parking

17K views 86 replies 55 participants last post by  justkelvin 
#1 · (Edited)
I've read too many parking horror stories, so I figured I'd share my experiences. I've been driving my Challenger daily since April 1 and have zero dings so far. My '85 Omni had 2 dings after 16 years of daily (summer) driving. I must be doing something right.


Exhibit A - my work location.

I am lucky that my work location is in a nice neighbourhood with a decent parking lot. Although it's quite empty at the time, it gets quite full in the with come-and-go customer parking. My work location is the purple circle.

I park in the green area, next to a tree and a curb on one side.

STRATEGY 0 (thanks snipper226) Before going anywhere, assess whether or not there will be ample parking. If in doubt, use a beater vehicle.

STRATEGY 1 - park far away from the building entrance - red zones 1 and 2 above. Two reasons: common folk don't like to walk, so they park close, and because the entrance will have lots of proximity foot traffic near your car.

STRATEGY 2 - park next to a curb. If only one car can park next to you, you reduce your ding chances by 50%!

STRATEGY 3: park next to a curb so that the car next to you would have their PASSENGER DOOR next to your car. As per the green arrow, since most people drive into a parking space (not backing up), the odds of there being a passenger in the car next to you are significantly lower than the odds of there being a driver in the car :)

STRATEGY 4: park as damn close as you can to that curb. I lower my mirror to see the tire and curb, and back into the spot. Every darn morning. Even if your tire rubs, who cares -- tires can take some abuse and are easy to replace.

STRATEGY 5: parking alongside a residential street where there is no sidewalk also works as a second resort.

STRATEGY 6: Notice the nice amber spot. It's a good spot, next to a curb. BUT: someone parking in would get out on the side of your car, increasing chances for a ding. Furthermore, idiots backing out from the spots ahead (see red arrow) may smash your car. This happened to my boss' Porsche just last week.

STRATEGY 7: find a coworker to park next to you. A coworker of mine always defends my car by parking next to it. He drives in, his driver door is facing away from my car, so I have zero chances at a ding.

STRATEGY 8: find a nice car to park next to. Tthe two green spaces at the top-left corner are good choices, since a doctor in a beautiful BMW 5-series parks in one of them. He parks in reverse, tires close to the curb, with the available spot on the right. He follows my strategy, so when my favourite parking spot is taken, I park next to him. It's a bit of a walk for me, so I never park there unless my spot is taken.

STRATEGY 9: avoid taking more than one space in crowded lots. If the lot is full and you're taking 2 spots, you're gonna piss someone off. That someone will scratch your car.

STRATEGY 10 (thanks sniper226): park next to one of those wide handicapped parking spots, giving yourself plenty of room on the public side. Park elsewhere if you think there's a chance someone will use it though.

STRATEGY 11 (thanks My Hemi): park uphill from shopping carts.

STRATEGY 12 (thanks ClevelandChallenger): try not to park next to other 2 door cars. Those long a$$ doors open extreemly wide and can bang another car, fence, etc...

STRATEGY 14 (thanks Joe Syko): Consider backing into all parking spaces whenever possible. Many parking spots have high curbs that will scrape your front skirt. Also, watch out for those concrete parking choks that have rebar sticking up out of them.

I hope this helps you enjoy years of ding-free doors. If you can think of other tips, add them here!
 
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#2 ·
I have zero door dings on my 2003 350Z daily driver following many of the things you wrote about.

Its always a struggle to find that perfect spot though...but I manage.

Before I got married I used to warn my girlfriends that I am going to find a safe spot for my car, just to mentally prepare them for the search and walk...lol.
 
#4 ·
Man, you have really put a LOT of thought into this, haven't you? LOL. This is great info.:bigthumb: I've been using several of your guide tips with success, but there are a couple of things you mentioned that I've never considered (#3 and #5). Really good stuff:bigthumb:
I especially agree with your strategy #9. Someone parking like this is just asking for trouble.
 
#5 ·
You really got to much time on your hands to have illustrations and documented strategies! lol

One strategy I employ all the time is the 'encroachment rule'.

IE find a open spot next to a handicap spot (open of course like always) and park to where your car is on the line of the handicap spot therefore 'encroaching' on their spot. It's not like people really use these spots anyway, right?

Most often the handicap spot has either a super wide spot or some type of no park zone that there is really no loss of space for them. Of course watch someday, some old guy will go to park in one and park between the lines with no regard to where I am parked and ding me! I guess the odds are more in my favor of that NOT happening vs getting dinged in regular spot.

I am so glad I have another daily driver. It is the car I will take to the mall, sporting events etc. Just about anyplace I know I won't have control over someone parking next to me!
 
#6 ·
Really great analysis! I always follow all yours except 7. I especially pay attention to #3.

I also look for shopping cart locations, stay as far away as possible, AND uphill from them! One of them carts hunted a car of my down one day, and it was not a good sight.
 
#9 ·
you're a nerd! :lol:
 
#19 ·
Yeah, what's your point?

Man, you're thorough breakdown is totally hilarious
I go for the entertainment value!

ALSO, don't forget to try not to park next to other 2 door cars. Those long a$$ doors open extreemly wide and can bang another car, fence, etc...
Good point. Added to the list. This goes in the 'don't park next to a junker' bin too.

All great advice. But theres a good chance some brain dead idiot will still get you.
We'll all die also, doesn't mean we shouldn't put chances on our side and take care of ourselves :)

I just leave the car in the garage and take the truck to work. Great strategies though.
So you bought your car just to toss thousands of dollars of parts into it? I enjoy driving mine :)
 
#10 ·
Man, you're thorough breakdown is totally hilarious, but EXTREMELY helpful at the same time. I agree about parking at the end of a lane of spaces & parking next to a car that has it's passenger side facing your side. ALSO, don't forget to try not to park next to other 2 door cars. Those long a$$ doors open extreemly wide and can bang another car, fence, etc...

P.S. I just backed into the front end of a Dodge Intrepid last week (too busy trying to get my tires close to the curb so someone wouldn't pull next to me and ding my door. lol) at my local grocery store, but thankfully I was driving slow enough that it didn't leave a dent, only a smudge of dirt that "Goo-Gone" got rid of. Thank you God!!! :ugh2:

Great thread though!!!
 
#11 ·
Great tips! I back into the last space in my lot, next to a really nice Mercedes, so his passenger door is next to my car. We get to work at different times, so we've never actually met each other, but I feel like we have this unspoken symbiotic relationship. No dings so far!
 
#14 ·
All great advice. But theres a good chance some brain dead idiot will still get you. With 16,800 miles since last November I've avoided all dings from other cars. BUT I did have one crusty old man lean a ladder on my drivers side fender and leave a crease. Guess it was to much trouble to ask me to move the car. Hes been gettin some pay back in some very un-pleasant ways. And they will continue till his attitude improves or he goes bye-bye.
 
#15 ·
STRATEGY 10 (thanks sniper226): park next to an open handicapped parking.
Ohh man, I did that. Had the car less than an hour and stopped to get something to eat on the way home. I parked next to a handicapped parking spot that was widened for van support. I'm inside maybe five minutes, just got my food, sat down at a table looking out the window at my new ride and wouldn't you know it. A big 90's boat of a Cadillac pulls into the handicap spot and the driver flings open her door right into the front passenger fender of my car just above the wheel well taking a nice chip of paint with it. As wide as that space was too. Go figure.
 
#16 ·
Ohh man, I did that. Had the car less than an hour and stopped to get something to eat on the way home. I parked next to a handicapped parking spot that was widened for van support. I'm inside maybe five minutes, just got my food, sat down at a table looking out the window at my new ride and wouldn't you know it. A big 90's boat of a Cadillac pulls into the handicap spot and the driver flings open her door right into the front passenger fender of my car just above the wheel well taking a nice chip of paint with it. As wide as that space was too. Go figure.
I have seen way to many Handicappers park so carelessly that I figured their Handicap was parking. I may park my truck nexxt to a Handicap spot but never my Challenger.
 
#18 ·
I made the mistake of parking in a Parking Garage end space (against the wall). I was extremely careful getting out but getting in, I let the door open a little too much and touched the wall. I mean; just touched it. Darn if there wasn't a little chip on the edge of the door! It almost made me buy those ugly door protectors but I don't want them interfering with the clean lines on my car.
 
#21 ·
While it's not exactly a door ding problem, I was thinking you might want to add the following to your parking tips.

Consider backing into all parking spaces whenever possible. Many parking spots have high curbs that will scrape your front skirt. Also, watch out for those concrete parking choks that have rebar sticking up out of them. I've heard & read too many horror stories about how someone pulled out of their parking spot only to have that rebar rip off their front bumper....ouch :(.
 
#22 ·
Excellent post. I practice most, if not all, of the suggestions. I learned most of these parking tips from my late father.
 
#26 ·
Cool post. Clearly outlines the logic I've been applying :)

You could add "go all around your car before driving off". This way, you can assess that it's not dinged and what the tires could rub against before driving of. Some people also put crap under the wheels.

I've been hit by #4 because nowadays parkings are all kind of angles non perpenticular to the surrounding buildings. Going around the car avoid this usually since you have a good mental picture of where the car is respective to the curb or other debris on the ground. Problem is one day I played with the GPS before leaving and I had forgotten how close I was and scratched one rear wheel. These SRT tires are low..
 
#27 ·
#28 ·
Went to my sons open house this evening and parked carefully next to an SUV on the drivers side and wide open space on the passengers side (we got there a little early). I parked a tad crooked so the next guy beside me would have loads of room. After our meet with the teacher we get to the chally to find the a$$face next to us parked too close to open our door easily so I had to hold it open while my wife and kid got in.

After giving it a quick look I snapped a picture of the other car's license plate and took her home. LUCKILY there was no issues. If there had been, I would have printed the picture out and posted it in the post office to start my hunt for the car. That would have been the start of the war.

LESSON LEARNED: drop the family off at the front door, park and wait. Once the next guys pulls in (make sure he sees that you are still in the car so he gives you extra room) you are safe to exit your vehicle. Rush the family through the function and get back to the car before anyone else that is parked beside you. Home for a dusting...

Another strategy I am contemplating is pulling the big white rubber boat fenders out and hanging them from the windows while I am away from the car...
 
#33 ·
#38 · (Edited)
This is exactly when I look for the handicap encroachment spot. If it's not there, I park way out... Places like this that get lots of lazy people and alot of in & out traffic. As for other comment about not using these because of handicap people not being able to control themselves, I have been doing this for about 20 years and it has always worked great for me. It is my favorite close spot and like I said before, odds are that nobody will even park there and would rather do that than risk parking in regular public spot.

I am sure you results will vary. In TX we find these spots to be mostly vacant. I have seen in other states that handicap spots are used alot by people to f'in lazy to park in regular spots as they have no outward visible handicaps and it is obvious, they skirted the system to get a parking permit.
 
#31 ·
Don't forget - avoid all commercial parking facilities! They ding doors, steal sunglasses and gouge bumpers and take no responsibility for it. 10 years of parking in Manhattan has me convinced that there is a special place in hell for commercial parking employees!
 
#32 ·
I have followed most of these rules and remain ding free as possible. I do not agree with parking next to a handicapped spot. Even though the spots have extra width, the last thing someone with a cane,a wheelchair or a walker is concerned with is scratching your car.When given the choice of keeping their balance or fighting gravity to stay verticle your car will loose!
 
#35 ·
Actually.......the 4 door cars have the worst offenders for dings. Most 2 door cars have doors that are fairly straight edged......as opposed to the 4 door cars with the "sharp corner" on them for the part of the door that goes over the back wheel. Also, these tend to be the doors that the little fat kids open and let swing! I hate parking next to SUV's. I always...I mwean always.......rain or shine.......park as far away as possible from the shopping cart deals and the doors to the stores. back into spots with 9 or 10 spots on either side of you and make sure it is uphill to your car from the rest of the parking lot.
 
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