BBC site - Parking space sizes

[HillmanImp]

This article is on the BBC (sorry if someone has already posted this elsewhere)

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02cyxqc

 

Its asking if spaces are too small for modern cars? Apparently 'Bad parking is causing thousands of pounds' worth of damage to cars, according to research.

 

Accident Exchange, who provide courtesy cars for crash victims, say their research suggests that while cars are getting bigger, spaces are staying the same size.'

 

Ignoring the courtesy cars for 'crash victims' and how that related to the article, surely the amount of damage that is being done to cars is caused by the manufacturers desire to make the bumpers inegral parts of the cars bodywork rather than something to stop 'bumps'.

 

In the past, you could bump into another car and cause minimal damage but in the 1980's bumpers started becoming colour coded which eventually morphed into what we have today where the first point of impact on any car is brittle and expensive to replace.

 

Look how much of this car would need to be replaced if it received a small bump at the front:

 

 

Its just as bad at the rear.

 

You only have to look at EVERY Mondeo ever built to realise what a stupid idea this is. Why cant they build a bump strip on cars so that it doesn't matter if you 'bump' into the car behind when parralel parking?

 

The fact that visibility is so poor out of the back and you cannot see the bonnet will not help either and probably causes more bumps which costs £££££ to repair. 

 

I have to why did manufacturers do away with the bumper?

 

 

 
 

[mercrocker]

Presumably at some point in recent past proper bumpers were deemed to be dangerous to pedestrians.   As cars are only designed to protect in the inevitability that they are driven into something or somebody we have arrived at the current situation.   Coupled with the couldn't-care-less attitude that prevails today it probably will all only get worse....  

[vulgalour]

It's more expensive to produce a multi-part bumper I would imagine, hence the one piece wrap around.  If bumpers were split into three sections or given inserts for the areas most likely to get scuffed and bumped it would be more affordable, in theory, for the consumer.

 

Some of it will be down to aesthetics too, way back in time it was fashionable to de-bumper a car to improve the looks and manufacturers will keep trend with modifying habits.  As a solution, the bumper is now integrated.

[Junkman]

This car would need to be replaced:

 

 

 

FTFY

[Chas4545]

I used to be ashamed when I cleaned my fathers  old sods car of all the parking dings, I hate to think of all the people who had their pride and joy marked by him the selfish b***a**.

 

Can you tell I have a few issues????

 

Locally to me we try to leave someone in the  car at supermarkets, usually me , and I watch people parking by ear. There is a windscreen repair guy in one of the supermarket car parks, I have watched him witness dings, take the number and stick the info under the victims wipers. What a star.

Never park by a coupe in supermarket car parks.  Big doors.

[Junkman]

What we really need is a 1977 US style downsizing. Today's behemoths should come with a postcode, instead of a numberplate.

To reduce the cars back to actual car size would also solve a lot more problems, than merely parking issues.

 

As usual, the BBC has put the cart before the horse.

Parking spaces can't become bigger, since the earth's land surface can't be increased, but cars can be made smaller.

It's interesting, how the simple solution (as always) completely escapes the country's biggest opinion maker.

[mouseflakes]

something to stop 'bumps'

Bump for a real bumper

 

[NorfolkNWeigh]

This thread title made me think of the 'Mini's Only' parking in front of the old Television Centre in Wood Lane.

The spaces were end on against the wall,all along the perimeter each side of the front gates, I often used to wonder if Fiat 500's or equally tiny Hondas or Suzuki Whizzkids would be allowed.

[Junkman]

Ovlov bumpers, pah...

 

 

Imagine woolarding this.

[gordonbennet]

Whats that please Junkman, its absolutely lovely,  want one.

 

Best ever bumpers were those fitted to the last of the 144 Volvos.

 

I hate modern cars and their fashion accessory bumpers, wouldn;t mind if the loss of real bumpers made the cars any smaller, but no they've bloated ever more, paticularly in width, and usually for little if any gain in interior room from the smalley one that started the model range.

 

Wit, first FWD Cavalier/Mondeo and the ridiculously large cars they've spawned.

 

Lots of vehicles i don't park beside, anything with a child seat especially multiples first choice.

[Junkman]

Whats that please Junkman, its absolutely lovely,  want one.

 

1976 AMC Matador

[EssDeeWon]

Parking spaces will not get bigger, because then there would be less spaces per car park and that would mean less ££££ made.

 

You have to remember car parks are there to make money over everything else.

 

i.e. So what if Mr Customer gets his door scratched, as long as there is a space available for Mr customer to park so he can come and spend money in our town / shopping centre, then thats what matters.

[Des]

I'm quite happy with modern bumper design, and delight in the numerous paint traces deposited on my proper metal bumpers.

[PiperCub]

Agree completely, but not just parking spaces, modern garages are still designed built to house Ford Anglia's or the like. They are sometimes OK lengthwise but not widthwise as modern stuff is way wider than that 20-30 years ago.  That's what I found on practically all the garages on houses I was looking to buy, that's why most were either converted to additional rooms or were full of crap and junk.

One of the things I liked most about my house when I bought it was the garage has a standard sized door (it's a 60's house) but is about a third as wide again inside (& a bit deeper too). Whoever built this garage had some common sense - and I'm grateful for it.

 

I make every effort to park away from the muppets in supermarket car parks, even if it means a bit of a hike, seen to many selfish arseholes banging doors into other panelwork without giving a toss.

[Richard]

I got humped for £700 when I scraped the bumper on a 1988 Thema 20 years ago so stupid bumpers are nothing new.

[gordonbennet]

1976 AMC Matador

 

Thankyou, i'm in love with that car.

[overrun]

What we really need is a 1977 US style downsizing. Today's behemoths should come with a postcode, instead of a numberplate.

To reduce the cars back to actual car size would also solve a lot more problems, than merely parking issues.

 

As usual, the BBC has put the cart before the horse.

Parking spaces can't become bigger, since the earth's land surface can't be increased, but cars can be made smaller.

It's interesting, how the simple solution (as always) completely escapes the country's biggest opinion maker.

We have always had small cars avilable to buy.

Only recently has the US took on the Fiesta, Focus etc.

 

IMO they are finally downsizing. It has just took them decades to realise you don't need a 30' long whale with a V8, for every car.

[michael1703]

Nowadays there is 60 disabled bays closest to tesco, then 60 mother and child and then everyone else is crammed in within the space that's left.

 

Has everybody suddenly become disabled? I only remember seeing 1 or 2 cripple badges when I was young, the odd greeves invacar but not much compared with now.

[mercrocker]

Society now is starting to become very ironic.   People driving 30K cars to supermarkets to get their petrol for 1p a litre less if they have spent £50 on items they clamour to pay 99p for.   Then expecting to park in a special space when they get there and banging the door of the car next to them if they can't.   Fuck em all....

[vulgalour]

Second-hand child seats can be got very cheaply.  Put one in your back seat and you can park in any parent & child space with impunity.  That said, I've never been challenged parking an estate car in a parent and child bay nor when parking any 25+ year old car in a disabled bay.

 

Remember, these bays are courtesy bays, there's no law in place to prevent you from using them.  It all depends how much of a dick you want society to view you as.

[overrun]

Second-hand child seats can be got very cheaply.  Put one in your back seat and you can park in any parent & child space with impunity.  That said, I've never been challenged parking an estate car in a parent and child bay nor when parking any 25+ year old car in a disabled bay.

 

Remember, these bays are courtesy bays, there's no law in place to prevent you from using them.  It all depends how much of a dick you want society to view you as.

Asda in Sunderland used to have sensors in the ripple bays, connected to loud speakers.

I am unsure what they actually sensed and I only heard them once - directed at me.

 

'You have parked in a disabled parking bay...'

[chaseracer]

It's interesting, how the simple solution (as always) completely escapes the country's biggest opinion maker.

 

Russell Brand*...?

 

[chaseracer]

Remember, these bays are courtesy bays, there's no law in place to prevent you from using them.  It all depends how much of a dick you want society to view you as.

 

Clearly, the customers of Sainsburys in Oldbury have no concerns about this, if my observations today are any guide...

[robinmasters]

It all depends how much more of a dick you want society to view you as.

EFA.

 

Society already has a fairly low opinion of people who drive 25 year old cars. Good. Most of society are twunts, so I'll take their low opinion of me as confirmation I'm doing it right.

 

(Not that I do park in disabled bays, I use the normal ones and park 0.0001mm from the tosser who's parked right up to the line to try and stop anyone fitting in next to him)

[STUNO]

I always park away from the crowd at the supermarket. But they always find me. Last trip I came back to a huge 4wd people carrier monster no more than a foot away from the lhs of my car, the first thing I thought was "how the hell could (she/he/it) get out of it". There were no other cars in the area.

Also I am old enough to remember when there were NO disabled parking spaces, then someone thought " i'll be nice to the old folk and put a couple of courtesy spaces near the door". Then the users started to pressure the shops and councils for disabled parking, then getting bitterly angry if anyone else dared to abuse the courtesy.  End result is everywhere now!

[RayMK]

Some supermarket carparks are managed by companies which post tiny notices regarding fines for misused bays.  Many blue badge holders do not seem to have anything wrong with them.  I suspect that they have chosen to ignore the rules i.e.  Shopping for your crippled aunty does not entitle you to borrow her blue badge, even if she is sitting in the car.  She has to get out and shop for it to apply. The rules are generally overlooked if you are accompanying the disabled person to collect medicines.  Also, because you have decided to run a huge, bloated expensive 4x4 and don't want common people in autoshite to bang their doors on your posh paintwork is not a valid reason for occupying a courtesy space reserved for cripples or mothers with children.  However, as an official cripple with a blue badge, I will endeavour to accidently fall against any non-entitled space pincher and dribble on its bonnet, particularly if it looks expensive.   

 

Standard spaces are too small for 4x4s and many mid to large saloons/hatchbacks. Add a selfish owner or someone of generous proportions and some door banging is inevitable.  Wiping bumpers down another vehicle when parking is just incompetence.  Find a more suitable space, drive something you can manage or get the bus   

[vulgalour]

To clarify, I don't deliberately park in disabled/child bays unless it's a practically empty car park, I'm not that much of a funt.  There is a certain degree of satisfaction to being told I can't park in a disabled bay because I'm not disabled and then putting the parental's blue badge on the dash.  No, I can't, but if I'm transporting them places I can and bloody well will.

[mat_the_cat]

Couldn't agree more about the bumpers, and that was one of the appeals of the Kangoo - the fact it still has unpainted bumpers which can take a few scuffs without anything to show for it.

[catsinthewelder]

Just playing devils advocate but don't a lot of the 'modern shiney bumpers' have a bit of give in them so most parking taps pop straight back out?  I know Ford didn't get their heads round this idea for a while but my old Megane fended off a few taps without noticable damage.

 

Obviously they are not so great if you scrape them down a concrete wall but even a metal bumper will bear the scars of that treatment.

[Alan_Green]

Just playing devils advocate but don't a lot of the 'modern shiney bumpers' have a bit of give in them so most parking taps pop straight back out?  

 

The inconvenient truth for autoshite fans is that bumpers on modern cars do indeed just bounce back into shape with barely a scratch.  The problem nowadays is people opening their doors right into the side of your door. 

 

Never park by a coupe in supermarket car parks.  Big doors.

So true. But I have only just realised, now that you have said it.