realize that MOST cars are only occupied by one person, so if you have to park on one side of the spot or the other, park closer to the passenger side of a car rather then the driver side of the other. Thats just probability reduction. If you give the drivers of ALL cars enough room, its less likely to get dinged.

Also, following that principle. If you can park next to a new or nice car, its actually better to park close to THAT cars driver side(think bout it)

those are the only two i try to live by. I prefer to park close to the building rather then alone in the back. Yet to get a single ding.

Remember...YOU are driving a smaller car, so you have more room then most others. PLUS people tend to notice a MINI whereas a lesser vehicle might get ignored and bumped...

 

My people. Its just good to know that there are others who park as obsessively as me... not parking downhill where a door could swing, not parking next to two-door cars with their longer doors, avoiding crowded lots & narrow spaces, parking in the furthest corner... the list goes on. There are a few places I no longer even frequent now in my MINI where the lots always overcrowded & the spaces are small.

 

Of course the down side to that, is if the car you park next to on the passenger side, is full of kids. We've all seen how THEY open car doors!

 

My parking strategy is simple

At work nearly every one is driving alone, so if there is no end space available I try to find a spot where cars are parked oposing directions and park on the passenger side of both cars

Anytime we go shopping, take the wives car....If I absolutely most shop alone I park way out and watch the slope of the ground....Park on high ground! otherwise carts will still find your door

 

I've found that if I park nex to long bed pickups but don't pull all the way forward (eliminate the "phantom spot" syndrome) I also am completely clear of their doors. Lately I've been eyeing the motorcycle spots (which are about as wide as a MINI) since motorcycles don't have doors.
The other thing that's fun is the "abandoned cart" spots; often times a lazy person will leave a shopping cart in the middle of a fairly decent spot and everyone is too lazy to get out of their cars, move the cart, then get back in to pull in. I just pull into the spot, get out and lock the car, and take the cart with me into the store.

 

I just try and park as far away as possible. Of course there is someone who always parks next to me!

 

I'll pass up a good space if I see a child seat in or those name stickers that look like a baseball or soccer ball on the vehicle. Kids have a tendency to swing doors open.

I try to park next to a curb is possible. That way I can get a few inches from the curb and leave enough room between me and the other vehicle that there is no way their door can contact my MINI.

 

At work, I always park next to my co-worker's SUV. Mini-envy? Of course! So why not rub it in? Seriously, I never worry about dings (at least on that side), since I know who to blame.

Otherwise, it's the "park next to the cleanest, most expensive, ****-owner car in the lot" strategy.

 

Not a bad idea... How much time do you spend driving around looking for this owner? hahahaha

 

Pesky H2 owners parking to close?

 

Not sure about this strategy