Hey All!

I'm not piciking up my Lightning Yellow RX-GT (6 SP MT) until next month, but I'm already stressing out about where and how to park my new baby when I take it to work some days. I can't stand door dings and I'm also worried about vandalism --- particulary with the RX-8's ability to attract attention. How does everyone deal with this?? Anybody care to share their experience?

Thanks

 

Pray !!!!!

 

Perodogo....don't sweat it too much. I'm like you in worrying about it, but you just have to accept that sometime Sh*t happens.

Just go by the simple rules...park wisely- This means far away from the door to the mall, out where people ordinarily don't park. NEVER take up 2 spots pulling the old sideways job, as you're just asking for someone to key it. Never leave it overnight in a shifty location....try to park in underground/indoor lots exclusively, that have attendants and security cams.

I'm not sure what the norm is out in Calgary, but sticking to these rules in the Toronto area has kept my 8, and my nice cars before it, door ding and vandalism free (knock on wood)....but again, sometimes it just happens.

Regarding the car's attraction....I've yet to encounter anyone who wasn't friendly and just interested in the car.

 

Deep Blue is bang on . . . I have a small ding from Chinook. It happens and all you can do is be prudent . . . try to park next the nice shiny new upscale cars! Just kidding. Honestly I am careful but not **** and the car has held up exceptionally well.

 

I got my first door ding on my driver side in a parking lot at school. Some idiot, dunno who, opened their door and left two dings. It annoyed me so much that i fixed it. WHat i do now is park away from ppl and if u can, take two spots. Prevents the door dings.

 

I'd be afraid to take two spots. To some, that's the perfect excuse to key a car. The only rules I try to ammend to are:

1) Park as far away from everyone else as possible and walk
2) Park between really nice cars

I found 1) doesn't always work though. One time, I parked really far away, and some dude in this really cheapie car parked right next to me!

 

true on the keying part. yea, i also agree parking next to nice cars. At my parking lot, i love parking near a 350Z and G35. Their rarer and u would know who did it as well.

 

You know, I'd always assumed the reason rule 1 didn't always work had to do with some sort of herd mentality some people have, where they park there just because someone else is parked there (I'm guessing these are the same people that drive whatever speed the person in front of them does, even on divided highways).

But maybe rule 2 is the real reason. If you park your 8 away from other cars, someone else comes along and tries to apply rule 2, so they park next to you, since the 8 is a "really nice car". Someone should tell these people about rule 1...

 

Haha! Hey Jasper, I agree with this! Everyone should know of these 2 rules. That would be funny, having an empty parking lot with a sprinkling of nice cars here and there. :p

In my case though, the guy who parked by me had a real cheapie car. Maybe the car had sentimental value to the owner, so they chose to park it by mine :p

 

I think you should never park very close to entrance where people walks back and forth right next to your car all the time. You can for sure get a lot of unintentional scartches and dings due to the high traffic with people are cars.

However, if you park too remotely the chance of it getting vandalised or stolen increased dramtically since there aren't anyone around.

The Best thing to do in my opinion is to park where there are less traffic but yet you are close enough to see the main traffic of people and vice versa. I think parking next to those Lamp Post space is a GREAT idea, that way your car and anyone beside it are clear visible from anywhere in the parking lot AND most people tends to avoid those lamp post space you are less likely to get a car park on one side at lease.

 

Hello Perodogo:

After five years parking the Miata in Calgary - not a mark.

As far as the 8 goes, so far so good.

Cheers,

 

The only problem with that IMO... bird poop

 

Park in "end" spots so you can hug the curb I do this as much as possible.

Or I try to find the biggest spot possible. Don't park by 2 door cars or SUV's, minivans are usually ok, don't park next to a 4 door with a baby seat BAD BAD idea.

The other day I parked at Future Shop, on an end spot out in the middle of nowhere, and here comes the SHITTEST car you've ever seen (no joke). He parks right next to me! I cringe as I see 2 kids fling open there doors! AHHHHHHH. Glad I huged that curb I was far enough away from the line they couldn't hit me. PHEW!

 

Good point by Wing, forgot about that....always try to take advantage of "end spots"...plus park close to the curb....not too close to damage your rims!

 

everyones pretty much covered it .... I've been lucky so far.

Sh*t happends, sometimes you can't avoid everything.

 

I think i get to work earlier enough the last few times i had a chance to drive my car in to pick a nice spot. I park near the entrance, BUT i'm at the last spot on the right so only my driver door is exposed. I cross my fingers and pray that the next guy that comes it doesn't have a passenger so less likelyhood of a ding. And as luck would have it, I have a perfect view of it from my desk, so she's always in sight. I'm practically sitting on a gold mind.

Now only if i could figure a way to park safely in public places. Does anybody think placing an orange pilon in the next spot would deter anyone from parking there... just a crazy thought, and i just so happen to have an extra orange pilon lying around.

 

This is slightly off topic but related to the idea of avoiding damage in public parking lots. Because my RX-8 is a company car, and despite the fact that I've been driving for 20 years, I had to take a mandatory course on driver safety. In one of the many points covered, the instructors discussed whether it is safer to park in a space facing in or facing out.

What do you think was the answer?

 

I always thought it was best to be facing out, ie. to back-up in the parking spot, although I must admit I don't do this as often as I should.

Many reasons:

1- You find the parking spot you like, you see it empty and can back-up safely from an area of 'traffic' knowing people can see you and will stop for you (hopefully) until you are in the space.

2- When you leave, you do not have those blind spots to worry about backing-up, you are driving forward into a 'traffic' area, can see beyond the cars on each side sooner and can leave the space more quickly.

Is that what your instructor suggested, or is there another argument?

 

That's exactly right. Backing up into a closed parking space allows you to come out forwards - which is safer than backing up into traffic! Talk about dings!

 

Here's what I do to prevent dings. Drive **** box to mall.