Selfish parking?

I have seen this kind of Parking numerous times on Supermarket car parks and makes my Blood Boil, as a M/Home owner myself I park as far away from the entry to the shop as pos even though I am waiting for a Total Hip & now Oposite Knee replacement and use the bay properly but take up 1 1/2 bays length ways , if there's space at rear 1 Bay.
 
How many supermarkets have spaces large enough for Motorhomes? (I think the answer is none?).
TBH, I don't park across spaces like in the photo, but would typically take 4 spaces up as they are neither Long enough not to use two and not Wide enough not to use two. So simple maths means 4 used. What can you do?
When I go to Morrisons in Berwick, you will see maybe 4 or 5 motorhomes minimum, and they all park like I do. But they (and I) all park in a kind of overflow section which is sparcely populated and are not putting anyone out.
Should I be ashamed of taking up 4 spaces in this busy Morrisons Car Park?

IMG_20201007_125831_3 by David, on Flickr


(If I go to the ASDA in Galashiels, I try to restrict myself to just two side by side as there is a section with a grassy bit you can overhang the rear end).

PS. 1 &1/2 spaces lengthways is not 1 & 1/2 - it is 2 spaces. That 1/2 a space left is no use to anyone, is it?
And if you park centrally in a space and you are overhanging both sides with mirrors, then that is THREE spaces virtually taken as you have taken your own and compromised the spaces either side. Much better to not pretend and just take two fully - that is actually better parking IMO.
 
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1 1/2 or 2 as you point out is still better than what that p**** has done.😡 PS you could get a Smart Car behind mine in the 1/2 left over.
 
To be fair the photo does not show a good view of the car park, if it was the case that there were few cars in to ands plenty of available spaces for other customers I really dont think this is such a big deal, having said that I wouldn't have parked like that and I doubt many others would. On the other hand if the car park was busy and there were not many other space for other customers it would be a different matter. We don't know whether this is a mountain or a molehill.
 
I have a blue badge and will park close to the doors, I do get some odd looks but I am entitled to use the spaces, I do try not to be in the way and if possible I will park opposite a way out so I don't have to turn as it can be tight, but I'd not park as they have, prior to the blue badge I would park at the far side if poss with some grass to overhang at the back.
 
Something that has always puzzled me? Why park in a car park? If you have a blue badge why not park on the double yellows? You have the right to do so? Or am I missing something as usual?
 
Pudsey Bear said:
I have a blue badge and will park close to the doors, I do get some odd looks but I am entitled to use the spaces, I do try not to be in the way and if possible I will park opposite a way out so I don't have to turn as it can be tight, but I'd not park as they have, prior to the blue badge I would park at the far side if poss with some grass to overhang at the back.
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You make an important point there, Mr Pudsey. You need to be able to drive out as well as driving into a space, and have to position accordingly. You park a vehicle like a Motorhome as much as possible in the confines of a car-sized space and you get a car parked either side (so will be inevitably very close to you), you are trapped, especially if in a typical motorhome with a long overhang that stops any kind of tight cornering in a car park.
 
Marshman said:
Something that has always puzzled me? Why park in a car park? If you have a blue badge why not park on the double yellows? You have the right to do so? Or am I missing something as usual?
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Yes, you can, and I do, but have you seen where they put the yellow lines, so if there is a place set aside for parking in I use it if it is closer to where I need to be, if I could walk further then perhaps I don't actually need the blue badge
 
This is our local Morrisons the box is where the disable parking is, the arrow is the only place where you can get in/out with a motorhome, at the bottom of the box there are two ATMs so it's impossible to get in there most of the time despite signs telling the thick feckers it for the disabled, but Morrisons themselves have taken 6 bays at least to erect a big glass shelter for seasonal gardening stuff, compost etc so you have to park at the top of the box.

1688576103218.png
 
I usually try and park lengthways in two end bays or find a space where I can overhang the rear of the motorhome
I have never had to use up 4 bays,
As some of the comments say they could make parking bays for motorhomes, but I have found in the few car parks that do make designated bays there will usually be a cars parked in them because they are large bays it means that the people that cannot drive, will use them
 
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RichardHelen262 said:
I usually try and park lengthways in two end bays or find a space where I can overhang the rear of the motorhome
I have never had to use up 4 bays,
As some of the comments say they could make parking bays for motorhomes, but I have found I the few car parks that do make designated bays there will usually be a cars parked in them because they are large bays it means that the people that cannot drive, will use them
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I am of the same thinking as you 👍
 
RichardHelen262 said:
I usually try and park lengthways in two end bays or find a space where I can overhang the rear of the motorhome
I have never had to use up 4 bays,
As some of the comments say they could make parking bays for motorhomes, but I have found in the few car parks that do make designated bays there will usually be a cars parked in them because they are large bays it means that the people that cannot drive, will use them
Click to expand...
I also try to park lengthways in 2 end bays, in particular to ensure that:
  1. I'll be able to get in when I return to the motorhome
  2. I won't have an issue with being unable to turn in order to leave
  3. I'll be able to access the garage to stow purchases (so ideally in a quiet area as I'll be in a traffic lane).
However, the spaces are seldom wide enough to park clear of the traffic lane and not impinge on the spaces the other side, so yes, often 4 bays or sometimes just extremely close to adjacent vehicles.
 
The car park at Tesco, Stornoway where the photo was taken is tiny. There is on road parking which is much easier to use. According to local fb the driver was paged in Tesco and they were not in the shop. Its not even near the town centre. There is also a huge car park not far away all free.
 
Perhaps the Supermarkets will realise that some of their customers drive bigger vehicles. I try and park in two bays rather than across a row but does depend how the car park is laid out. What gets me is the trees they insist on planting. If they have room for trees they should have bays for larger vehicles.
 
With a 5.99m M/Home, I can just about get into a normal bay, especially if there's a flower bed/soft landscaping area I can get the rear endd over. But, if I have to take part of a second bay, I do find a Security Guard or staff member and ask if the parking is ok before we start shopping. If there is a problem, we find another supermarket. No point in causing aggro or difficulties, just a basic courtesy. On a couple of occasions, I have been asked to park in another area, e.g. close to the loading bay which is larger and safer for the Motorhome etc

Having had a couple of temporary contracts as a Security Guard when I was still working, I am aware of the grief that customers can cause, so getting the Guard's prior clearance gives him/her one less problem and keeps me clear of any unpleasantness ... I also operated my own business in Shopping Centres 2007/09 as a sole operator. To stay safe/profitable, I depended upon the Security Guards to keep an eye on my Stall for 2 minutes if I needed to nip to the loo, and, having asked politely, they would often find a quiet place for me to park my then VW LWB HR LT35 Van. 'Look after the Security Guards and they look after you' never did any harm!

Steve
 
wildebus said:
You make an important point there, Mr Pudsey. You need to be able to drive out as well as driving into a space, and have to position accordingly. You park a vehicle like a Motorhome as much as possible in the confines of a car-sized space and you get a car parked either side (so will be inevitably very close to you), you are trapped, especially if in a typical motorhome with a long overhang that stops any kind of tight cornering in a car park.
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A few months after buying the van, I got trapped in a supermarket because I parked in 1.5 spaces as close as possible to how I'd park a car. I had to wait 3/4 hr for one of the drivers who'd close parked to finish her shopping and move. This is why I now always take up four bays (2 wide x 2 long) [BTW, I always check the car park T&Cs to make sure I'm not required to park in a single, marked bay as well]. The sweep of the rear overhang 'sweeps' the remaining half bay of width on exit. The only exception is if I can get a space where the overhang can be positioned over a verge and I've got a 'straight out' exit.
 
I don't mind poking out a bit, you have to sometimes.

Ideally with the Blue badge, I'd try to park in bays like these three, and reverse park as close to the bollard as possible.

1688657961324.png
 
I mentioned ASDA in Galashiels ....
Decided to do a "parking map" of my own options when going there in the Motorhome ....

asdagalacp by David, on Flickr
Given a free choice, I would go for the following order:
  1. YELLOW
  2. CYAN
  3. RED
  4. MAGENTA
And note how the ASDA vans have to use the normal car park and they take up 2 lengths and the only reason they don't use 2 widths each is one is on the end and the other two are cuddling each other. If that is the best they can do, what are we supposed to do?
 
As a Rule of Thumb, we can just about stretch the food shopping trip to once a week when we're at home, and we use the car to get the supplies, so parking in the standard bays is easy to manage. When we're away in the M/Home, we shop 2-3 times each week, especially if we're moving 'into the wilds', so we spend quite a bit more than the cost of a weekly shop. Unless we are unique [oddball?], or the supermarkets are making such thumping profits [probably] that they don't need to care, it would seem sensible for them to encourage the Motorhomers to shop with them ... Interesting that Sainsburys said today that they are not guilty of using greedflation tactics!

Steve
 
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