I searched through the forum and didn't really find anything relevant to this...Just curious of how much easier it is for you guys to park your Minis compared to your old (larger) cars. My Mini comes in July so I haven't had any parking experience yet with one. In Az, theres a LOT of SUVs, so theres always small spots since they take up basically the lines on both sides. Do you guys just scooch right in and not worry about it?

 

Haha I'm from N. Scottsdale too, and I hear ya with the vast amount of SUV's. But to answer your question I don't squeeze in spots like that. I don't want one of the dumb bimbo's that drive one of those Esclades on 26's to slam her door into my car, or worse yet bump into it as they are backing out/parking.

Although the MINI is small...it's no Smart Car and isn't that much easier to park than any other car. It is nice though cuz its short, you don't have to spend a lot of time judging your parking procedure lol.

Being that your from Scottsdale, I will tell you that there is a spot at the Keirland Commons which is not actually a parking spot, but I can fit the MINI in it everytime I go there, and never get a ticket for it either. It's great...my friends will spend forever trying to find a place to park (its terrible as I'm sure you know...) and I'll zip right over to my handy spot and park within a minute.

 

I go into Manhattan quite a bit on the weekends and always find a place on the street to park my MINI. I once parked in a 13-foot space that other cars (except the Smart car of course) had to pass by. So tis easy to scooch right in and I just love not having to pay a parking garage. I do the same parallel parking in my town and the surrounding ones in Jersey.

Best of luch with your new MINI.

 

The funny thing is that I was talking about Keirland. I see H2's and Escalades parking in the "compact parking only" all the time. Its so frustrating; Its alright though, their taking it up the __ with gas prices. I wouldn't park in one of those spots, I was just curious.

 

I park in BFE!! (As FAR away from EVERYTHING as I can get.)

 

Yea, they can all afford the bi-weekly $100 fill-up's though...they beauty of Scottsdale!

 

I know, I hate it...Are you on any local forums like dynamic?

 

With cars in the past I was always like that, and whenever I decided to take the plunge and park like a normal person I'd get a door ding . I just hope I don't get lazy one day and say $#%@ it, park between two strangers and come out with another one. I will always park out in the boonies

 

I park way out too --- don't want anyone near my baby! Hey, at least we get exercise along with the pleasure of a great driving machine

 

I'm also in the "far end of the lot" club. I had my last car six years without a single door ding or scratch from another wayward door. It's also good exercise! Most people drive around looking for a closer spot, I drive around looking for the most protected spot!

 

Whenever we can we park at the far end of the lot to keep away from all the crazies who don't care who is parked next to them when they swing their doors open. However, yesterday when we parked in the very empty last row of the lot we came out to see someone parked on either side of us! Oh well you do what you can!

The MINI is much more maneuverable than anything we have driven and has gotten through many a tight spot.

 

Sometimes that park in the boonies thing backfires. The day I got my windows tinted, I stopped for lunch on the way home. I put my car all the way out in the corner of the lot, tucked in to the corner of the space, with a parking lot full of spaces close to the storefronts. While I'm sitting in Subway eating my lunch, and admiring the new tint job from afar, I see this chick in a monster truck pull in. She has the entire lot to choose from, but instead decides to park nect to the MINI! On top of this, she backs in, and not very well. Luckily I had just finished my sandwich and quickly went out to the lot to make sure she did'nt open her door onto my car. She was still sorting throught her purse, or making a cell call, or something. I walk over, and she is so close that I cannot enter my vehicle. If she opens the drivers door, there WILL be a ding, not maybe! I squeeze between the vehicles blocking her door from opening and had to knock on the glass to get her attention. She rolls down the window and looks at me like I am some kind of nut-job. When I explain that she is parked too close and I cannot enter my vehicle, and that she would probably damage my car upon exiting her truck, she acts like I am causing her a great inconvenience to make her move.

The nerve of some people's mothers.

 

^ Typical Scottsdale right there

 

I always end up having to park out in the boonies, mostly so that I will be able to find my MINI later. Where I live, street parking isn't an issue, it's all about finding a good spot in a parking lot.

For me, the problem comes in when two big, extra wide load, double stretch pick-up trucks that have never hauled a pound in their lives are parked in such a way that there is a spot between them. The problem is, there is no actual room to park my MINI in the spot because the owners of the extra wide vehicles don't know how to park between the friggin' lines!

Not that I really want to park between these two idiots, but I really wish that everyone else around me would bloody well learn how to drive!

 

 

I plan on keeping some cones in the boot to set up my perimeter.

 

Parking is made easier by the small turning radius.
Piece of cake!
The problem with parking IN vs. Way Out is that your windows will have finger smudges when you return. It's a curse.

 

Well you'd think it'd be easier to park an itty bitty MINI but I think you'll find it is actually harder. Why??? Because we care, that's why. As others have alluded to, one finds oneself becoming a master parking stategist in no time. Some spots are acceptible...some are not. And when it's not is when you take another lap around the lot. I shop at certain stores because I like their parking lot arrangement. I also will have places (like my favorite local restaurant) where I have identified four or five acceptible spots and will wait 10, 15, 20 minutes 'til one of them opens. It's crazy, but I learned the hard way (bad door ding once) to take no risk. Sometimes pulling in tight against a shopping basket return will buy you some extra space, but for obvious reasons those have to be carefully evaluated. Generally I optimize my parking between several potential risks: door dings, tree sap, bug and bird droppings, sprinkler systems and.....worst of all.....weed wacker dudes. I stay far away from fireworks, too, which is an interesting story that I won't go in to. In the end, it's all great fun!!!!

 

See, you CAN fit in small places with a mini, but you are going to end up being like those suvs and take up 2 spaces just because you don't want any door dings

Best thing to do is look for end spots...anywhere where you can hug one side all the way, then that leaves enough room for you to fully swing your door open and still be in your space haha....ensures no dings

 

I always try to park in the last space next to an island, as close to the island as possible. Another good spot is next to a handicap space. If nothing is available like that I'll look for a space next to another car that looks well taken care of. If the parking lot is really full I won't park at all and return another day.

 

+1

Walking further for piece of mind is well worth it (who needs good exercise as an excuse )

 

You guys are pretty nuts about parking!! I dont think I could say the same, but I def stay away from small spaces, cart stalls, and old cars with big doors.

 

These are our babies, dude! You can't own a MINI and not love the stuffin' out of these cars! I've only had mine a week and I can't see myself ever driving anything else.

Heck, I went to pull my old Corolla (passing it down to my son, who will be driving soon) into the driveway to give it a bath yesterday and man you should have seen me. It was a comedy of errors. I've gotten so comfortable driving my MINI, that going back to the Corolla, even for five minutes, is completely unthinkable and is nearly undoable.

 

First stage of denial...trust me, once you get it, you will take back this saying because if you got a door ding in your baby, you would cry...i know I would

+1
Yep I can only see MINIs in my future now...I could not find any type of pleasure like this from another car

MINIs for life

 

Parallel parking is a snap. After driving my giant e90 around europe, the R56 feels like a dream in the USA.