When parking in a parking lot. Do you prefer to park near the entrance or far away from other vehicles?
Posted by Big_Surround_1100@reddit | askcarguys | View on Reddit | 109 comments
Heavy_Gap_5047@reddit
As far from all the idiots as I can tolerate.
mondaymoderate@reddit
And somebody will still park right next to you for some reason.
VarmintTheCritter@reddit
This. I park in an empty area near the back, come back twenty minutes later, and they're clustered around me.
zz_civic_@reddit
It’s a surefire sign we’re in a simulation, or at least under attack from NPCs
VarmintTheCritter@reddit
And half of them are the same model of car because we don't have enough memory allocation 🤣
Responsible-Milk-259@reddit
Yep, this happened to me. Stupid woman in a shitbox with 2 kids in the back thought it would be a good idea to park next to a Porsche 911. Well, one of her kids flung his door open and dented my car. The paint wasn’t chipped and I felt bad for the woman so I got it repaired by a paintless dent removal guy for a few hundred bucks rather than going to a body shop via my insurance and them wanting to respray half my car for $20k.
Can’t even say it was a lesson learnt. I was being prudent, I was just followed by a moron.
sinkbeneaththesun@reddit
Literally this. Well said.
Rastus77@reddit
It doesn’t matter, someone will park right next to me anyway.
natedogjulian@reddit
Near the entrance. I usually pull through and take up 2 spots. Gives me space to access the hatchback
Intelligent-Win-9412@reddit
I like to park sort of near the cart return
tomnan24@reddit
Before I answer I need to know if I'm with my wife or by myself.
Desperate-Plate66@reddit
Closest available spot to the door
mrhippo3@reddit
I park far away. To save myself from searching, I try to park near lot location signage. KOP mall is an easy place to lose your car.
Downtown_Ad_6232@reddit
At grocery stores, I try to park at the top of the hill so a stray cart doesn’t hit my car.
Single_Historian_861@reddit
Doesn’t matter, I’ve parked as far away from everything that I could and still have some ahole park next to me
Kliptik81@reddit
I always park far away.
400footceiling@reddit
I don’t mind the long walk from the filthy far away spots. 20 year old car with no door dings to prove it.
Ok_Umpire2173@reddit
Wherever a spot is. I’ve had one vehicle damage in a parking lot in 16 years of driving. I don’t know where these people live where door dings are an every day occurrence, but it’s nowhere I’ve lived. Big big cities maybe? Never had an issue in Richmond VA
Choice-Try103@reddit
Away, mostly for exercise.
themodefanatic@reddit
Usually I park close to a cart return.
Wicket2024@reddit
In the shade, wherever that is. I live in Houston, but best parking spaces are those with shade no matter the distance to the door or others.
fad3dm1ndz@reddit
I usually park far away and enjoy the walk to wherever I'm going lol
Colonelmann@reddit
Far away from dings, dents, scratches, and murderers in vans
Expensive-Track4002@reddit
Entrance. I have a handicap plate.
WorkerEquivalent4278@reddit
In the shade if available regardless of how far I need to walk. It's awful hot here.
kingdick900@reddit
Far away from other vehicles but there is always asshole who comes park his shit right next to my car I never ever understood this thinking 🤔
6gravedigger66@reddit
Further away. I can walk.
ReceptionUnhappy2545@reddit
I don't drive anything expensive (99 Miata and 2021 CX5), I park as far away as I can from the entrance. I've learned in my many years that for the most part the general public has no idea how to park.
DoubleWrongdoer1540@reddit
Depends on which vehicle I have. If I have my F150 or Land Cruiser I prefer to park back aways and either pull thru a spot or back in. In my commuter Chevy Bolt I’ll take the closest spot. Can park that thing anywhere easily with plenty of room on both sides even in skinny lanes.
Federal-Carrot7930@reddit
As far as possible, ideally next to a wall or pillar.
upsidedown-funnel@reddit
And as close to the pillar as possible leaving a bigger gap between you and the person parking next to you.
JPhi1618@reddit
Always the corner pocket.
ObviousAlias7@reddit
Back of the lot as far from anyone as I possibly can. If there i a spot where i can protect one side of the car and hug closer to a curb or something like that, i will.
I don't mind the walk. I enjoy getting my steps in.
superdak05@reddit
I park as close to the exit as possible, and I like to park at the very top because nobody hardly ever uses the top floor
AggressiveKing8314@reddit
I park for the quickest get away.
Greedy_Pomegranate14@reddit
Further away. Not like the farthest corner possible but far enough that there’s multiple spaces between each car. Walking is good for you.
E8282@reddit
Both my legs still work. I’m going to the back corner as far away from people as possible.
ppepitoy0u@reddit
My wife requires I park at the closest spot available even if she has to scratch my door to get out. Sucks so much.
jules083@reddit
I fixed that by parking in the back and giving my wife the option to either walk or wait in the car. She hasn't waited in the car yet.
If she gets mad I deflect. 'i know babe, it's quite difficult for you to walk an extra 50 feet. I believe in you though, you're a strong independent woman and you can overcome this difficulty'. She just rolls her eyes. Now she's used to it
bhop0073@reddit
Is dropping her off at the door and parking afterwards an option?
ppepitoy0u@reddit
But then she would have to walk far back to the car which is the issue.
bhop0073@reddit
I assumed you'd get the car and pick her up too. I guess that could get complicated though 🤔😅
ppepitoy0u@reddit
Yeah man it sucks but I just have to deal with it. My car has 175k miles got it brand new and not a scratch on the paint anywhere except the passenger door is scratched to shit along the door edge.
Short_Arrival_6963@reddit
Is your wife fat?
Heavy_Gap_5047@reddit
Does her boyfriend agree?
jules083@reddit
I park in the back. My wife parks as close to the front as she can get.
Completely anecdotal evidence for sure, but she's had her car for 9 years. It's been hit in a parking lot 3 times. Of course that 'wasn't her fault'.
I've been driving for 26 years. The last time I was hit in a parking lot was 26 years ago, 16 years old, didn't realize yet how many people can't drive. Parked in the back ever since.
projectFirehive@reddit
I park wherever there's a space
NYOB4321@reddit
Far away.
LowSubstantial705@reddit
If its a brand new desirable car or a collector car maybe. At the end of the day its just a car. If its sunny out and theres an empty parking lot a little bit away, ill walk. If its raining hard out, ill drive into the building
LowSubstantial705@reddit
Its only the first dent or ding that really hurts on each car 😂
WhenVioletsTurnGrey@reddit
I'll walk.
PaleontologistNo7933@reddit
If I can't get a handicapped spot, then I'll park as far away as I can walk. I have a 2011 Jeep Patriot with no door dings because I watch where I park. I have bad knees but a little walking isn't as bad as stair climbing.
Legitimate-Duty-5622@reddit
Depends on what car I’m driving
SailingSpark@reddit
I park far away. I own one of the smallest vehicles available in the US, a Fiat 500 Abarth, and it still got a nasty door ding and recently I noticed the paint on the rear bumper is spiderwebbed and the clearcoat is pealing off in a spiral where somebody hit it.
31,000 miles on a 2012 and people are beating the crap out of it. A car that usually sits in my driveway aside from a trip or two a week. How do they miss a bright red car like this?
jokerzwild00@reddit
When my car is new? Far away. Once I've had it for some years? Don't gaf, wherever I can find a spot. If I owned something worth a lot of money I would probably park way way back every time no matter how long I've had it. Or if like, pay to have my stuff delivered cause I'd be rich if I owned something like that.
SQWRLLY1@reddit
Far away. The nicer your car, the more walking you'll do if you want to keep it that way.
amibeingtrolled@reddit
I park near the cart return.
Recent_Researcher433@reddit
Same
bevipop@reddit
I park far, mostly because I hate driving around on parking lots.
HKGPhooey@reddit
Depends on how big the spots are.
Expensive_Candle5644@reddit
I park where I can avoid door dings. Typically that’s end spots where one side is protected by being 3”-6” off the curb leaving a ton of room on the other side or out in no mans land. Cardio is good.
I just try to protect my cars. I’m a car guy.
Anothercoot@reddit
Park as close as i can and back in with lots of pedestrians around so they see how cool i am backin inn
seajayacas@reddit
People will go to the gym as well as go out walking to get their 10,000 steps a day in. But walking an extra 50 or 100 feet in a parking lot than is necessary just ain't gonna happen for some of these folks.
docnsx01@reddit
far away and end spot
PhD77777@reddit
Always far away. Too many impatient idiots that refuse to be courteous and let me out of my spot.
Humble_Handler93@reddit
If I’m by myself I park as far away as possible. Started as a way to get extra steps in and now it’s just easier to not have to fight people over spots or doing the whole backing up ballet that happens
0peRightBehindYa@reddit
I'm pretty broken, so I use them nifty blue spots up front. Also, I drive an ex cop car that's already pretty beat up from patrol duty, so a few more dents or scuffs ain't gonna matter much.
MusicMan7969@reddit
As far away from other vehicles as possible.
Recent_Permit2653@reddit
Wherever there’s a pull-through spot. That usually means further from the door.
Except for my two winters in NY I have never been the type who feels a need to park close to the entrance.
Ok-Bison-3451@reddit
I drive a 2003 Toyota Corolla. It’s my doors you need to worry about.
Donutordonot@reddit
First open spot i find which is usually far away and laugh at everyone circling trying to find the best spot while I’m already in where I’m going.
MSampson1@reddit
I don’t typically have a preference, but I’ve recently been put in oxygen and issued a blue placard for my car, so I guess it’s up by the door for me now
Tangboy50000@reddit
Lately, I’d just like to find a space where the car next to it has actually parked like a functional adult and not on the line, over the line, or at some weird angle that causes issues squeezing between the parked cars.
Dolphin_Princess@reddit
As far as possible, especially in stores where shopping carts are present.
Even under rain, I will take an umbrella
PhotonDealer2067@reddit
Depends if I’m driving the beater or one of the nicer cars. Love having a beater.
Unfair_You_1769@reddit
I prefer parking near the entrance but sometimes at Costco, you gotta park in the next county over.
CarScope@reddit
Far away! Plus the extra walk is always nice
RustBucket59@reddit
Depends on which car I'm driving. In my Escape, I'll park as close as I can. If it's my Crown Vic wagon, I'll park at the other end of the lot, all alone.
Born4Nothin@reddit
Near entrance always. My car isn’t nice enough for me to care.
ScotiaG@reddit
I try to find a shady spot.
updatelee@reddit
I don’t have faith in others. I watched a woman get in her car yesterday and pull forward right into a median…. She knew it was there when she parked the car, she knew it was there when she walked up to her car… yet she still hit it
I don’t want to park near these people
Equal-Fee770@reddit
A regular old parking lot I usually go as close to the door as I can find without fighting with anybody. If you put me in a parking garage at a theme park or a mall or a casino, I tend to go for the second to last floor. So if there are six floor floors, and the sixth floor has no roof it’s the very top. I try to go park on the fifth floor, even if it’s not busy just so I don’t have to fight with anybody, but I’m still out of the sun.
Puzzled_Ad_5367@reddit
I drive an 03 Buick. I don’t care what happens to it it’s a liability not an investment . I park close if I can but I don’t mind walking and parking far if it’s a nice day etc
dodadoler@reddit
Near the cart return
roosterjack77@reddit
Walking is okay
toofarfromjune@reddit
https://parkingbydesign.com
ThatAvG33k@reddit
Far far back, I’ve seen too many stationary cars get whacked
bhop0073@reddit
Far away. I've owned my car from new for nearly 14 years now and still do it.
Broad-Stomach-5461@reddit
I have a nice car but its older and looks like new. I have no dings or scratches because I parked far from everyone and I walk. Always park uphill shopping carts do not roll uphill.
Spyderbeast@reddit
I aim for the end spots, so only one person might park next to me, and I leave as much space possible between my car and the next spot
Background-Job-3629@reddit
I use a handicap pass to keep people away from my vehicles more than that I can’t walk any further.
Ahnatos@reddit
I prefer parking wherever is available, I don't really care. I also prefer shopping as late or early as possible to avoid busy times.
AdjustDeezNutz@reddit
Far the fuck away. My wife loves spending a extra 5 mins looking for closer parking.
zach1396@reddit
Far away and I always park as close as I can to at least one object that can’t be moved
sinkbeneaththesun@reddit
Far. Every single time.
Honest_Road17@reddit
I always park next to another PT Cruiser.
DD-de-AA@reddit
Unless the weather is crap I prefer to Park farther out.
comfy_rope@reddit
I’m healthy enough to walk, thankfully. I park far away.
LoneStarGut@reddit
Neither - in the shade. It has been in the 90's in Texas lately.
Cheeko914@reddit
When I’m in my shitbox JDM van I park as close as possible. In my GR Corolla I park far away.
Cobrachimkin@reddit
Depends on which vehicle I’m in.
pflau@reddit
Both. I have a handicap parking tag. Privilege from having to drive my 86 year old parent around.
PurpleSausage77@reddit
Far, and I’m very selective. Exercise is good for me also, get as much activity as I can.
Stay away from all the normies in their 50 shades of grey crossovers.
PeorgieT75@reddit
Far away, which drives my wife crazy.
1971deadhead@reddit
With my truck? Close to the entrance
1Boxer1@reddit
I park as far away from everyone as possible. Try to keep door dings from happening and a longer walk is something that doesn’t bother me. You do sometimes get an asshat that will park right next to you, even if you’re surrounded by empty parking spaces all around.
toiletsurprise@reddit
Away from other vehicles, but you have to be crafty about it. If you park in the way back, trolls park next to you, usually harmless but still. I usually always scope out a spot 3/4 out and next to a curb or median. If I'm driving my shitbox I'll park close to the entrance since I don't care about door dings on that.
rudbri93@reddit
I park a bit away if it means no one next to me, but otherwise i look to how people are parked to see if I wanna be next to em. If they can fit straight in their spot then im cool next to em.
Sbeast86@reddit
Wherever my giant ass truck can back in or pull through comfortably