I hate to admit it, but I've turned into the guy that parks WAY at the end of the parking spots to keep junkers away from my car. Instead of trolling through lots looking for the BEST space, I now troll for the SAFEST space. Six weeks without a ding or a dent. I know it's coming, but I'm doing all I can to avoid the inevitable. Should I seek jelp?

 

No. normal behavior in a Miniac....

 

Neurotic parking is a symptom of owning a MINI.
I never cared where I parked until the MINI was in my possession. Now I will park as far away as possible to get away from other motorists and when at the grocery store or someplace that has grocery carts I make sure to park alone and on any gentle uphill slope. That way if someone loses a cart it can't roll into me.

There is nothing wrong with you, my friend. I think most all of us suffer from this.

 

No comment.

I baby my cars too.

It's awful isn't it?

 

Welcome to my world.

R

 

Whew! Good to know I'm not the only one with this affliction. So I'll just assume it's normal to sleep naked in the backseat each night.

 

I go to work early to get a certain parking spot.

Do you catch yourself looking at your car as you're walking away ?

How bad is that?

 

>>Do you catch yourself looking at your car as you're walking away ?
>>
>>How bad is that?

I do.....every time I leave my car.

 

ditto, ditto, ditto! I'm glad it's not just me. (yes I do that look back thing too..even after 4/12 months the grin is still there, somehow I don't think it will ever fade for a true MINIAC )

 

I was driving down the freeway with a friend last week and he said, "I envy all these people who get to look at us."

 

Guilty as charged...
Both parkin' and grinnin'

 

Oddly enough, I don't always pick the furthest space. .... I think I have a different strain of this complex. I can't bear to be very far away from Molly! I always have to put her someplace that I can see her quickly from the door. I don't want to leave her out of sight for any longer than necessary.

I generally will try to park next to a nice new car, especially a Mercedes, BMW, or something. At the very least, the car beside me needs to be clean and well-kept.

...I don't mind motoring around the parking lot a little longer!

 

>>I was driving down the freeway with a friend last week and he said, "I envy all these people who get to look at us."


I TOTALLY agree! I think that is why I get so excited to see another MINI!

 

Welcome to the club. I get to work a hour earlier than I used to just to get the one primo spot in our parking garage. I work on the seventh floor and I am able to see my car from the glass stair well so I check on it routinely. Needless to say I still go out to look at it twice a day (hey it gets lonely). Only problem I am having is the annoying fingerprints left by curious folk passing by.


ZM

Pure Silver MC Sport & Prem Pack.

 

Do you believe that once you get a noticeable ding that your MINI will be "just a car"?

_________________
=R= #3077
My Sharona (Delivered Nov. 28/02): LY/B 2003 MCS, Stripes, Premium & Sport Packs, Black Aero Grill, Sunroof & Leather. This car ROCKS at http://MINIac.ca

 

It never ceases to amaze me that when I park as far away from others as possible, when I return some clunker has parked as close as possible to me . The thing about the first ding is true . A truck in front of me on the I5 shredded one of it's tyres and put a ding in my hood . Had to get it fixed as soon as I got home otherwise it would have ended up being just another car . Hey but it is , just steel ,plastic,glass,rubber and a MINI badge

 

>>Do you believe that once you get a noticeable ding that your MINI will be "just a car"?

Just a car! Noooooo.. ..say it aint so!


{rib-jabbing mode}
(yes, yes, mcallen, aint is not a word, I know, I know)
{/rib-jabbing mode}

 

Yes, for the first time in my life I seek out "safe" parking spots. And I look back at the car when I'm walking away. Seeing the lights flash when I hit the "lock" button on the remote makes me feel so happy!!!

Speaking of first dings. . . I got mine a few weeks ago, and did it myself! Getting into the car with an umbrella, I wasn't paying attention and speared the metal tip of the umbrella right into the side of my pore ol' li'l cute car. It made a little scratch, but I think it could be buffed out. . . and nobody would ever notice it if I didn't point it out so I guess I was lucky!

 

I don't have a ding or scratch yet after over two months, and the first month of that time was spent parallel parked on Boston streets. Parking is brutal in my neighborhood, but I would cruise around for the extra 10-20 minutes to be able to park at the end of a block or near a hydrant or something.

Kind of ironic that we drive the shortest car on the market, yet we don't want to avail ourselves of those 13-foot long parallel parking spaces that only we (or Ford Festivas) could fit into.

 

Now, what I will be paranoid about is the rocks fly from other cars tires on the highway. Colorado seems to be awful w/respect to this. My old car's front was pitted to hell with rocks. I might have to start leaving an excessive amount of following space in front of me (to the dismay of all the angry tailgaters behind me (come on folks! it's rush hour! your're not getting anywhere faster even if I were tailgating!!!))...gripe gripe gripe...

 

Silk Green Greg wrote:

>>Yes, for the first time in my life I seek out "safe" parking spots. And I look back at the car when I'm walking away. Seeing the lights flash when I hit the "lock" button on the remote makes me feel so happy!!! <<



Yeah, Greg!!

I do the same and I also feel SO happy when those lights flash back at me!

 

>>Do you believe that once you get a noticeable ding that your MINI will be "just a car"?
>>


NO. I won't let myself believe it. I just can't. I don't wanna grow up. *pouty tantrum face*

 

Yes!! I've never done this before! Yesterday, the only space was at the corner at the stop sign. I was afraid that someone might take the corner too sharply and it my MINI, so I backed it up a little, then it was too close to the car in back of me, so I moved it forward a little, got out, looked at it AGAIN, and thought, "I am a FREAK." I left it the way it was, then kept thinking about it, so before I went to bed, went outside and a space opened up in front of my house, so I moved it there! HAHAHA I didn't want anyone scratching my chrome bumpers!

 

I try to keep the trips to the shopping malls to a MINImum, for that same
reason. I'm dreading that first stray cart or the first time grandpa flings
his car door open and finds my door.

When in doubt, take a different car or walk!

Jim

 

My wife used to get mad at where I parked, however now she just says "at least you are getting some exersize"