Parking in multi storey car parks is **** never park in one!!
Do they tend to be narrow, crammed and hard to manuver? Especially if you go up a level? I've driven through a McDonalds drive thru before and it was tight, I turned and hoped for the best, I feel uncomfortable when I can't see all the kerbs in my mirror.
Usually I park in open space, just I have to go somewhere tomorrow and the nearest car park is a council multi storey.
Usually I park in open space, just I have to go somewhere tomorrow and the nearest car park is a council multi storey.
(edited 8 years ago)
Scroll to see replies
I cant parallel park to save my life, and I find parking in big mutli-stories easy.
Entering through the barriers is usually the tighest part, as the kerb usually tapers off sharply and you're right, you can't very well see. It's best to just put your seat as far forward as you can for that part (even if you look a bit silly).
Parking is usually not too bad once in, you may have obstacles such as pillars to be mindful of, so try and find another space if you're not as confident, although sometimes there is no choice.
Best bet it to switch your hazards on and give drivers behind you enough warning that you're intending to park (It also helps prevent them getting up your arse in an attempt to block you from the space you want to go in [happens more than you'd think]
go forward past the space, parallel obviously, and be as close to the adjacent (from the row you want to park in) cars as possible, so when you full lock and turn in to the space, you have room to straighten up and go for a re-entry without having to do it more than twice.
Parking is usually not too bad once in, you may have obstacles such as pillars to be mindful of, so try and find another space if you're not as confident, although sometimes there is no choice.
Best bet it to switch your hazards on and give drivers behind you enough warning that you're intending to park (It also helps prevent them getting up your arse in an attempt to block you from the space you want to go in [happens more than you'd think]
go forward past the space, parallel obviously, and be as close to the adjacent (from the row you want to park in) cars as possible, so when you full lock and turn in to the space, you have room to straighten up and go for a re-entry without having to do it more than twice.
Original post by Dalightfool
Entering through the barriers is usually the tighest part, as the kerb usually tapers off sharply and you're right, you can't very well see. It's best to just put your seat as far forward as you can for that part (even if you look a bit silly).
Parking is usually not too bad once in, you may have obstacles such as pillars to be mindful of, so try and find another space if you're not as confident, although sometimes there is no choice.
Best bet it to switch your hazards on and give drivers behind you enough warning that you're intending to park (It also helps prevent them getting up your arse in an attempt to block you from the space you want to go in [happens more than you'd think]
go forward past the space, parallel obviously, and be as close to the adjacent (from the row you want to park in) cars as possible, so when you full lock and turn in to the space, you have room to straighten up and go for a re-entry without having to do it more than twice.
Parking is usually not too bad once in, you may have obstacles such as pillars to be mindful of, so try and find another space if you're not as confident, although sometimes there is no choice.
Best bet it to switch your hazards on and give drivers behind you enough warning that you're intending to park (It also helps prevent them getting up your arse in an attempt to block you from the space you want to go in [happens more than you'd think]
go forward past the space, parallel obviously, and be as close to the adjacent (from the row you want to park in) cars as possible, so when you full lock and turn in to the space, you have room to straighten up and go for a re-entry without having to do it more than twice.
haha i've driven just over 1 year now and I've only ever parked between 2 cars on either side once. That required going back and forth about 8 times because the car park was full, couldn't reverse into a bay directly behind. I also ended up blocking the car to the left of me from reversing out.
so i think i'll try to avoid full lock parking if possible lol
thx for other advice though
I think car parks were designed when large number of cars were the original Mini. Even French ones are a challenge.
It's normally when you have to drive upwards from the barriers once you enter the complex. When it twists upwards it can get very tight but once you reach a floor that has free space then it's simply a matter of parking like how you would in an outdoor supermarket or shop car park.
I agree with you on the McDonalds, I feel like I'm so close to touching their kerbs lol
I agree with you on the McDonalds, I feel like I'm so close to touching their kerbs lol
Things get a bit tight in the Passat cos the bonnet is half a mile long and the steering lock is like a small oil tanker, but it I haven't found one yet it won't fit in, seeing as multi stories are designed to fit cars like SUVs and exec saloons and estates which are longer again than a Passat. If you drive a normal hatchback then it will fit, even though it feels like it won't.
Don't drive into spaces nose first. The tighter the space, the harder it is to drive in nose first. Say the space is on the left, keep to the left as you're driving along and then just as you go past it give it full lock to the right. Now you're at 45* across the width of the car park road with your ass next to the space. Then full lock right and reverse in.
If you can get over pillars then there are loads of spaces usually as everyone else refuses to park near them for no good reason.
Don't drive into spaces nose first. The tighter the space, the harder it is to drive in nose first. Say the space is on the left, keep to the left as you're driving along and then just as you go past it give it full lock to the right. Now you're at 45* across the width of the car park road with your ass next to the space. Then full lock right and reverse in.
If you can get over pillars then there are loads of spaces usually as everyone else refuses to park near them for no good reason.
Original post by Nuffles
Things get a bit tight in the Passat cos the bonnet is half a mile long and the steering lock is like a small oil tanker, but it I haven't found one yet it won't fit in, seeing as multi stories are designed to fit cars like SUVs and exec saloons and estates which are longer again than a Passat. If you drive a normal hatchback then it will fit, even though it feels like it won't.
Don't drive into spaces nose first. The tighter the space, the harder it is to drive in nose first. Say the space is on the left, keep to the left as you're driving along and then just as you go past it give it full lock to the right. Now you're at 45* across the width of the car park road with your ass next to the space. Then full lock right and reverse in.
If you can get over pillars then there are loads of spaces usually as everyone else refuses to park near them for no good reason.
Don't drive into spaces nose first. The tighter the space, the harder it is to drive in nose first. Say the space is on the left, keep to the left as you're driving along and then just as you go past it give it full lock to the right. Now you're at 45* across the width of the car park road with your ass next to the space. Then full lock right and reverse in.
If you can get over pillars then there are loads of spaces usually as everyone else refuses to park near them for no good reason.
My Saab Aero is probably the same size as your Passat.
From what you said, there'd bit fair bit of dry steering? always avoided doing that.
Original post by thisistheend
haha i've driven just over 1 year now and I've only ever parked between 2 cars on either side once. That required going back and forth about 8 times because the car park was full, couldn't reverse into a bay directly behind. I also ended up blocking the car to the left of me from reversing out.
so i think i'll try to avoid full lock parking if possible lol
thx for other advice though
so i think i'll try to avoid full lock parking if possible lol
thx for other advice though
Yes I'm sure most have a dodgy parking story to tell, I certainly have a few. I am pretty good at getting it in first time now, success rate higher than 85% - but then I have been driving for about 10 years, and also drive a minibus for my school on occasion.
The thing I hate most about driving is manual gear box and stop-start traffic. I really am considering an buying an automatic next time. I quite like the look of the new Mercedes C Class sedan, but it's not cheap, even if I bought 6 months old...
Go as far up as you can onto a deserted top floor - that way you will have heaps of spaces to choose from and no audience.
Original post by Dalightfool
Entering through the barriers is usually the tighest part, as the kerb usually tapers off sharply and you're right, you can't very well see. It's best to just put your seat as far forward as you can for that part (even if you look a bit silly).
Parking is usually not too bad once in, you may have obstacles such as pillars to be mindful of, so try and find another space if you're not as confident, although sometimes there is no choice.
Best bet it to switch your hazards on and give drivers behind you enough warning that you're intending to park (It also helps prevent them getting up your arse in an attempt to block you from the space you want to go in [happens more than you'd think]
go forward past the space, parallel obviously, and be as close to the adjacent (from the row you want to park in) cars as possible, so when you full lock and turn in to the space, you have room to straighten up and go for a re-entry without having to do it more than twice.
Parking is usually not too bad once in, you may have obstacles such as pillars to be mindful of, so try and find another space if you're not as confident, although sometimes there is no choice.
Best bet it to switch your hazards on and give drivers behind you enough warning that you're intending to park (It also helps prevent them getting up your arse in an attempt to block you from the space you want to go in [happens more than you'd think]
go forward past the space, parallel obviously, and be as close to the adjacent (from the row you want to park in) cars as possible, so when you full lock and turn in to the space, you have room to straighten up and go for a re-entry without having to do it more than twice.
I agree with this advice.
It does depend on the individual car park though. Some are better than others.
Best just bite the bullet and go for it. You will feel better about them eventually.
Original post by Emma:-)
I agree with this advice.
It does depend on the individual car park though. Some are better than others.
Best just bite the bullet and go for it. You will feel better about them eventually.
It does depend on the individual car park though. Some are better than others.
Best just bite the bullet and go for it. You will feel better about them eventually.
I bit the bullet and went for it, but it was a horrific experience and I would never do it again. for a supposed council run 500 space car park, 2/3 of the bays were either permit holders (to screw moar money) or disabled. It turned out there was only 1 normal space left in the entire car park.
The turnings were horrific, worse than a McDonalds drive thru because of the elevation. Couldn't see where I was going and took 2-3 attempts of reversing and trying again each time I went up/down. When going down, driving an automatic is so bad, I would not recommend it for multi storey car parks, required massive amounts of braking and the noises my car made was dreadful because car kept trying to go forward even with brakes on down a steep gradient. I also scraped the underside of my front bumper, clearly heard that as I went down a level.
The only multi storey car parks I ever saw was in films or in GTA, set in America, the ramps were always 2 lanes so I was hoping I could swing into the other lane. But no, like everything else, the UK is a rip off, one lane, one way system, cheated out of space. just bloody awful.
(edited 8 years ago)
Always have a reference point for reverse parking, can't go wrong in most cases. For example, I pull up next to the car I'm gonna be parking next to on my left, and edge forward until the left edge of their car comes into "contact" with the back of my rear passenger window. Then I full lock it as soon as I start moving backwards, bang in the bay perfect every time and straighten up when I'm parallel to the bay lines. Since bays are pretty much parallel to each other on both sides of you, you can do this and then full lock to the right to park in a bay on your right as well. Obviously, this won't work for everyone, we're all different heights and our cars have differing levels on sharpness in their turning circles. Alternatively, like I used to have in my lessons, you can have a reference point in your front passenger window that you can line up with the line two lines away from the right edge of the bay you want to park in. Can be a Sharpie mark or something already there, as long as it's always there then you should be able to park perfect every time provided you don't make a silly error like steering too early/late.
Original post by thisistheend
When going down, driving an automatic is so bad, I would not recommend it for multi storey car parks, required massive amounts of braking and the noises my car made was dreadful because car kept trying to go forward even with brakes on down a steep gradient. I also scraped the underside of my front bumper, clearly heard that as I went down a level.
Next time I'd advise using the manual mode (all automatics have them in some form) and fixing the gear to either 2nd of maybe even 1st if it's that steep, 2nd should do though.
Original post by WoodyMKC
Next time I'd advise using the manual mode (all automatics have them in some form) and fixing the gear to either 2nd of maybe even 1st if it's that steep, 2nd should do though.
It wasnt that. It's the automatic creep. I don't like how you can feel the extra pressure at very low speeds. Normally when I come to a full stop, I put into Neutral when cars gets below 15mph.
the only reason why I didn't put it into neutral when going down levels is because I had to do full lock each time and didn't want to engage drivetrain from N to D at bad gradient / wheel turn, or to accidentally dry steer.
I think a manual car would have been better, I remember when I learnt to drive, you could do manuvers as slow as you liked, car wasn't battling you to go forwards/backwards, it would let go when you press down clutch down.
Original post by thisistheend
My Saab Aero is probably the same size as your Passat.
From what you said, there'd bit fair bit of dry steering? always avoided doing that.
From what you said, there'd bit fair bit of dry steering? always avoided doing that.
Not really. You only dry steer if mean to do it. You can always creep forwards or back while steering to minimise it. To be honest though dry steering only puts a bit of wear on the tyres and multi stories usually have pretty slick surfaces which brings the wear down even more.
Reversing in is a far more accurate way to park than going in forwards, especially in tight spaces.
When my new dash cam comes through the post (the old one got nicked with my old car
) I'll do a couple of runs around the smallish multi stories in Cardiff and show you what it's like in a Passat. You just need to know where the corners of your car are.(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by Nuffles
Not really. You only dry steer if mean to do it. You can always creep forwards or back while steering to minimise it. To be honest though dry steering only puts a bit of wear on the tyres and multi stories usually have pretty slick surfaces which brings the wear down even more.
Reversing in is a far more accurate way to park than going in forwards, especially in tight spaces.
When my new dash cam comes through the post (the old one got nicked with my old car ) I'll do a couple of runs around the smallish multi stories in Cardiff and show you what it's like in a Passat. You just need to know where the corners of your car are.
Reversing in is a far more accurate way to park than going in forwards, especially in tight spaces.
When my new dash cam comes through the post (the old one got nicked with my old car
) I'll do a couple of runs around the smallish multi stories in Cardiff and show you what it's like in a Passat. You just need to know where the corners of your car are.ah that's cool thanks. btw which dashcam u getting?
yeah reversing was easier, I only had to go back and forward 3 times instead of 8 when trying the same thing going foward and still failing. i've always had a bit of a fear that if i was between two cars and had to turn immediate when going forward, the side of my car would swing into the right corner of car to my left if i'm going left, or into the left corner of car to my right if i'm going left.
i was surprised as hell that didn't happen, I didn't go forward as much as possible nor did I use full lock. I just turned, prayed for the best but the distance of the side of my car to other cars remained relatively steady while turning.
(edited 8 years ago)
Quick Reply
Related discussions
- University of Leicester parking
- 2024 paramedic science bournemouth uni accomidation
- Parking at city campus - Sheffield Hallam
- Judge Business School: How Do I get There?
- Parked whilst on phone (but had the engine running)
- steering to the left when doing a parallel park
- Where is my car parked during the day? Advice for first car insurance
- Finding parking as Kinsgton Uni student
- Exeter uni
- London to Oxford by car? coach? train?
- Long term parking at univeristy of hull
- Which theme park is bigger? Alton towers Vs Chessington world of adventures
- Parking Permits
- Parking at bath uni
- Bringing a car to Swansea university
- Parking
- Parking on Campus at Sheffield Hallam
- Wolverhampton accommodation
- Best coventry accom with car parking?
- parking at university of York
Latest
Trending
Last reply 5 months ago
Where is my car parked during the day? Advice for first car insuranceLast reply 7 months ago
Will paying £1,900 a year for insurance as a new 21 year old driver be a lot?Trending
Last reply 5 months ago
Where is my car parked during the day? Advice for first car insuranceLast reply 7 months ago
Will paying £1,900 a year for insurance as a new 21 year old driver be a lot?
