Kaitlyn2004

With my new car due this week I've been trying to think of all the things I plan to do differently to keep it that much nicer and cleaner. One of my concerns is others in things like parking lots. I do plan to park further away and try to be a bit more selective in spots but there will be other tings where the parking may be smaller/tighter and I just wouldn't have any of the same options...

So what do you guys do to help protect your car in parking lots and similar? Anything can be done at all?

MAMOHT

Just ask yourself why all kind of weird stuff happens to new cars. Right! Because you start treating it differently and parking away from the rest and so on. That is where it gets hit by shopping carts and or other things. I never get anything on my old cars. Just behave like it is a car. Do not pay attention to its age.

koobah

Park far away and walk. If you have to park next to someone, park next to nicer cars if possible. If all else fails, there's always dent removal. Don't ever park over two parking spaces... you'll look like a douche and increase your chances of getting your car keyed.

soonerfan

Avoid parking next to two door cars because those doors are longer and that increases the possibility of an edge into the side of your Q. Also avoid parking next to "beaters"....they don't care about their car and they sure as heck don't care about yours. I'll park at the end of a row and leave a space or two around mine.....most folks try to park as close to the store or office as they can.

Wunsch

Parking further from the entrance and walking is a good general principle, and decreases the odds of anybody bothering to park next to you. Looking at the condition/type of cars you're parking next to, if you have to park next to anybody at all, is valid, but remember that they'll probably leave and somebody else will pull in before you leave. If you park at the end of a row next to a curb, then there's only one side of your car at risk from somebody parked next to you. If you're concerned about run-away shopping carts, pay attention to the slope of the parking lot and park on high ground (in large lots, there can be many high points, because the lot is sloped for drainage).

Audirings4

^ I agree with the above and will add get yourself a dash cam to record any intended and unintended damage to your vehicle.

Q5 Bob

Over the years I've learned to not obsess too much about what might happen when parked. I use common sense and try to be careful where I park, but most of the time it's just not possible to get the perfect spot. So far, I've been pretty fortunate with no major incidents.

I had company cars for years and would park them anywhere with no major incidents with them either. That was pure luck.

koobah

Anyone have more experience with video cameras? I was entertaining the idea of a camera, but thinking about an all around setup giving 360 deg view of what is going on around the car while driving as well as parked.

awryexperiment

You should probably do all of the things already suggested.

However, there are a ton of pigs out there that just don't have any respect for other's property.

GBadger

I definitely second watching the slope of the lot. I witnessed a kid pushing a shopping cart away from him in a Walmart lot one time -- that cart picked up a ton of speed as it went down the slope and eventually smacked straight into the side of someone's car who had parked far away from the near-door madness. Always park on a high spot if possible.

To me, minivans are a mixed blessing -- sliding doors mean fewer opportunities for traditional dings, but careless kids (I have some too, so I know what it's like!) getting in and out can result in scratches and more.