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Prius Parking Pointers & Practice

Discussion in 'Fred's House of Pancakes' started by bighouse, Dec 30, 2009.

  1. bighouse

    bighouse Active Member

    Joined:
    Sep 7, 2009
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    Location:
    Guerneville, CA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    I was wondering what the collective here thought about parking in parking lots. Do you have any tips you put into place when parking your prius in a parking lot? Any tips would be appreciated and they can be for any reason so long as it's directly related to parking your Prius in a parking lot.

    I'll start. I try to park adjacent to a landscape strip if possible to lessen the potential damage from someone opening a door next to me...and I'll hug that curb as close as possible to give the car on the other side as much space as possible for opening their door. It' even better if the landscape strip is on the passenger side of my car because I figure a lot of cars may be occupied by only a driver and the passenger side door of any car next to mine may not ever even be opened.
     
    #1 bighouse, Dec 30, 2009
  2. jdcollins5

    jdcollins5 Senior Member

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    Location:
    Wilmington, NC
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    III
    I do the same thing with the landscape strips. Anything to keep distance from my car to another to avoid door damage, especially these big SUV's. My kids even have bets as to where I will park if they get there first !! My wife does the same thing with her Honda Accord.

    I will also park at the far end of a lot and walk to try to keep away from other cars as much as possible. Most people like to park as close as possible to the store. Especially those that don't seem very concerned about their vehicle, much less another.
     
    #2 jdcollins5, Dec 30, 2009
  3. Darwood

    Darwood Senior Member

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    Location:
    Minnesota
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    I've got a few dents already so I park at the closest spot and don't worry about it. Stupid softball games. Never had a softball hit a car in 15 years of playing. Then last year I had both our Prii get dents from foul balls. Oh well, It's just a car.
     
    #3 Darwood, Dec 30, 2009
  4. a_gray_prius

    a_gray_prius Rare Non-Old-Blowhard Priuschat Member

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    Location:
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    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
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    I learned to park like this dude:

     
    #4 a_gray_prius, Dec 30, 2009
    1 person likes this.
  5. Rae Vynn

    Rae Vynn Artist In Residence

    Joined:
    May 21, 2007
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    Location:
    Tumwater, WA USA
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    I like to park where there is some sort of barricade in front of the car - concrete bumper thing, or planter, or a sidewalk. When I had my Malibu, it was hit in a parking lot by someone pulling in to a space in front of it.

    I also like to pre-shoom. That is, pull straight through an empty space into the other empty space, so I'm facing out. I don't do this if the spaces are angled, and I'd be facing the wrong way in a lane, only if it's a two-way lane. I don't pre-shoom as much as my DH does, though.

    My dad taught me to always park my vehicles so that I can get out. Since I learned to drive in Minnesota, and my dad lives in Idaho, it makes sense to be able to pull straight out (also, if you drives vehicles that require the occasional jump, it helps to be able to reach with jumper cables). Here in beautiful Washington, it is less of an issue, but I will park facing out/forward if the weather conditions are iffy.
     
    #5 Rae Vynn, Dec 30, 2009
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