150 cars too big for modern parking spaces
Discussion
Interesting article here:
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/aug/26/m...
I'm guilty of owning a large SUV as we regularly travel with a full load of passengers and sports kit around the UK. I concur that some parking spaces are too small. If I can park in the space, I would struggle to exit, and cars next to mine would struggle too.
I would welcome provision of extra wide spaces and would expect to pay more for that compared to a standard width space. No doubt though that we would end up with smaller cars availing themselves and not paying. So solution to new problem will bring another one (like lack of etiquette at EV charging points).
Sad that some people see it OK to deflate tyres. I would take issue with anyone touching my car.
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/aug/26/m...
I'm guilty of owning a large SUV as we regularly travel with a full load of passengers and sports kit around the UK. I concur that some parking spaces are too small. If I can park in the space, I would struggle to exit, and cars next to mine would struggle too.
I would welcome provision of extra wide spaces and would expect to pay more for that compared to a standard width space. No doubt though that we would end up with smaller cars availing themselves and not paying. So solution to new problem will bring another one (like lack of etiquette at EV charging points).
Sad that some people see it OK to deflate tyres. I would take issue with anyone touching my car.
Edited by TUS373 on Monday 28th August 11:24
Spaces in some newer build retail parks etc. are borderline too small for cars even 10-15 years old let alone the ridiculous SUVs about today, it's partially a case of developer greed. At the same time our infrastructure can't handle larger and larger cars, SUVs should not be encouraged.
1 Make the spaces bigger - they won't do that if it's a pay car park (less revenue)
2 Make the cars smaller - manufacturers won't like that because they won't be able to charge inflated prices for larger vehicles that make people they think they are buying more for their money.
3 Put sliding doors on all new vehicles.
2 Make the cars smaller - manufacturers won't like that because they won't be able to charge inflated prices for larger vehicles that make people they think they are buying more for their money.
3 Put sliding doors on all new vehicles.
Then you have stupid modern car parks like this.
40 odd less spaces than before and all of them smaller than before, plus a stupid high curb 1/4 into the space meaning anything other than an SUV sticks out of the parking space.
Oh and don't get me started on all the EV spaces that never have a car in them.
40 odd less spaces than before and all of them smaller than before, plus a stupid high curb 1/4 into the space meaning anything other than an SUV sticks out of the parking space.
Oh and don't get me started on all the EV spaces that never have a car in them.
TUS373 said:
Interesting article here:
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/aug/26/m...
I'm guilty of owning a large SUV as we regularly travel with a full load of passengers and sports kit around the UK. I concur that some parking spaces are too small. If I can park in the space, I would struggle to exit, and cars next to mine would struggle too.
I would welcome provision of extra wide spaces and would expect to pay more for that compared to a standard width space. No doubt though that we would end up with smaller cars availing themselves and not paying. So solution to new problem will bring another one (like lack of etiquette at EV charging points).
Sad that some people see it OK to deflate tyres. I would take issue with anyone touching my car.
I don't see an issue with premium XL spaces - a fee for those while 8x16 is free. If you're in a Fiesta why would you stump up the premium? https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/aug/26/m...
I'm guilty of owning a large SUV as we regularly travel with a full load of passengers and sports kit around the UK. I concur that some parking spaces are too small. If I can park in the space, I would struggle to exit, and cars next to mine would struggle too.
I would welcome provision of extra wide spaces and would expect to pay more for that compared to a standard width space. No doubt though that we would end up with smaller cars availing themselves and not paying. So solution to new problem will bring another one (like lack of etiquette at EV charging points).
Sad that some people see it OK to deflate tyres. I would take issue with anyone touching my car.
Edited by TUS373 on Monday 28th August 11:24
The downside is more that xxl cars have been around for a couple of (automotive) generations and they've trickled down to people who do watch the pennies. The prospect of parking in a standard space next to a battered Cayenne or L322 is never attractive!
It always boggles my mind how big cars actually are. When I think of a "small" car, say a Fiat 500 and I try to imagine how long it is, I think it must be about as long as an averagely tall man is tall, or perhaps a bit more. Say 1.8m. But no, a Fiat 500 is 3.6m long, which is two averagely tall men lying down head to toe. I always struggle to reconcile that in my mind. My biggest car is an old 7-series which is 4.9m long. That's as long as three averagely tall women head to toe! When I park it the rear of the car is always overhanging the end of the space. But I guess a 7-series was never conceived as a shopping car!
LunarOne said:
It always boggles my mind how big cars actually are. When I think of a "small" car, say a Fiat 500 and I try to imagine how long it is, I think it must be about as long as an averagely tall man is tall, or perhaps a bit more. Say 1.8m. But no, a Fiat 500 is 3.6m long, which is two averagely tall men lying down head to toe. I always struggle to reconcile that in my mind. My biggest car is an old 7-series which is 4.9m long. That's as long as three averagely tall women head to toe! When I park it the rear of the car is always overhanging the end of the space. But I guess a 7-series was never conceived as a shopping car!
Even small modern cars are fairly big - have a look at the long running classics dwarfed by moderns thread. The only genuinely small cars being produced new are Kei cars and they generally aren't sold in the UK. A Caterham is 3.1m x 1.575m from memory but that's not exactly a daily driver.Not just SUVs, all cars have got wider and longer.
There are some odd rules the Councils could employ if they wanted to make a few quid.
In Plymouth and Devon (so probably elsewhere) there is a 1500 kg weight limit on several public car parks..
https://goo.gl/maps/kAPhqQTfBWdWiGxf7
I wonder how many of them have got car chargers in - and would that be entrapment?
There are some odd rules the Councils could employ if they wanted to make a few quid.
In Plymouth and Devon (so probably elsewhere) there is a 1500 kg weight limit on several public car parks..
https://goo.gl/maps/kAPhqQTfBWdWiGxf7
I wonder how many of them have got car chargers in - and would that be entrapment?
ex-devonpaul said:
Not just SUVs, all cars have got wider and longer.
There are some odd rules the Councils could employ if they wanted to make a few quid.
In Plymouth and Devon (so probably elsewhere) there is a 1500 kg weight limit on several public car parks..
https://goo.gl/maps/kAPhqQTfBWdWiGxf7
I wonder how many of them have got car chargers in - and would that be entrapment?
Well that's 99% of all EVs that can't park there then There are some odd rules the Councils could employ if they wanted to make a few quid.
In Plymouth and Devon (so probably elsewhere) there is a 1500 kg weight limit on several public car parks..
https://goo.gl/maps/kAPhqQTfBWdWiGxf7
I wonder how many of them have got car chargers in - and would that be entrapment?
scenario8 said:
Is that restriction correct and not simply a misunderstanding/typo? Max vehicle weight 1500kgs gross? What’s the justification? Assuming it/they are “normal” car parks that’s absurd.
Should it read 3500kgs GVW and somehow the signs were made incorrectly?
You can flick the timeline and see the sign has been there for years.Should it read 3500kgs GVW and somehow the signs were made incorrectly?
Residents' permits have a 3500kg limit but it probably dates back to the 1970s as an attempt to stop vans using it. I'd guess it came across from when Plymouth came under Devon Council and nobody ever got around to amending it.
ex-devonpaul said:
scenario8 said:
Is that restriction correct and not simply a misunderstanding/typo? Max vehicle weight 1500kgs gross? What’s the justification? Assuming it/they are “normal” car parks that’s absurd.
Should it read 3500kgs GVW and somehow the signs were made incorrectly?
You can flick the timeline and see the sign has been there for years.Should it read 3500kgs GVW and somehow the signs were made incorrectly?
Residents' permits have a 3500kg limit but it probably dates back to the 1970s as an attempt to stop vans using it. I'd guess it came across from when Plymouth came under Devon Council and nobody ever got around to amending it.
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