Shrinking parking size

[b5blue]

With my 07 Dakota and my 70 Charger I'm finding I park like crap sometimes. The size and angles of parking lots around town make for tight cuts sometimes. Am I just getting old or are you guys experiencing something similar? 

[lloyd3]

Parking lots are clearly designed these days with smaller cars in mind. In more-congested areas (which is just about everywhere anymore) it is getting much harder to park a "full-sized vehicle. In the "boonies" out here in Colorado, where nearly everyone is driving a pick-up truck, this isn't so much of a problem but in the more-urban areas it very much is.  My truck (and my Charger) clearly don't mix-in well anymore with the big city. It isn't just you.

[metallicareload99]

I hear yah. With 255/45R18 tires in front and manual steering with a big Block, I try and park out of the way. Just to find at least one d-bag decided to park next to me, even though there was open spots closer to the building? WTF

[Kern Dog]

The majority of drivers treat their cars like appliances that get worn out and replaced.
Enthusiasts that take pride in their cars are not the majority. WE are the ones that keep our cars in tune, WE care more about keeping our cars looking good so WE are the ones that often park out and away from the crowd.(At least the ones that do if we can, some are getting older and frail and choose closer parking to limit the walking)
The wife and I do try to park further out to minimize door dings and the close parking dorks. It is often inevitable though that yeah...you take care to park further out from the venue in the hopes that you return to see your car sitting alone and unscathed, only to find some piece of crap car next to you.
Why do people do this?
The wife calls it Co-Dependency. These people often find comfort by parking close to others. The same mentality feeds the need to drive next to someone else on the roadway even when traffic is light.
Fucker, if I wanted to be close to other people, I'd make it a point to do so. I speed up, slow down and sometimes drift a little in my lane to DIScourage dipshits from hanging in my blind spot. I don't want anyone driving next to me unless the traffic is heavy or if I know you.

[metallicareload99]

I failed to mention earlier that my car is obviously unrestored. So it just compounds the WTF because how do these people seek out the oldest car in the lot, with the biggest doors, and with the worst paint to park next to

[tan top]

The wife calls it Co-Dependency. These people often find comfort by parking close to others. The same mentality feeds the need to drive next to someone else on the roadway even when traffic is light.
Fucker, if I wanted to be close to other people, I'd make it a point to do so. I speed up, slow down and sometimes drift a little in my lane to DIScourage dipshits from hanging in my blind spot. I don't want anyone driving next to me unless the traffic is heavy or if I know you.

yeah all true KD
agree 100%  the B******** , what gets me  your stopped at a red light or in traffic the next car behind can see you 200 yards away with your foot on the brake & lights red , i watch them in the mirror  continue at the same speed till the last possible minute & slam on the brakes & nose dive like they are shocked  your stopped F****** B******* , we all know how good modern brakes are today but WHY idiots     , same with im driving along in lane 1  ,  a car will hang in ya blind spot in 2  or what ever lane your in ! as they go past  alot of drivers drift close enough you could almost touch their door makes me so mad  , & or pull in front leaving about 2 feet gap as they do      

[Mike DC]

yeah all true KD
agree 100%  the B******** , what gets me  your stopped at a red light or in traffic the next car behind can see you 200 yards away with your foot on the brake & lights red , i watch them in the mirror  continue at the same speed till the last possible minute & slam on the brakes & nose dive like they are shocked  your stopped

I hate that sh*t.  It's "racing to a red light".

I've always had a habit of aiming to stop a few extra yards before the next car.  I scrub it down to 5 mph there, and let it idle-creep the last few yards before the final stop.


There's just no need for hard stops (as a habit) in normal traffic.  All it does is wear your car out. It won't get you anywhere any faster.   

[held1823]

the parking garage at work. it's backed up to within an inch of the support column behind it yet sticks two feet out into the aisle. an eight foot bed would be impossible.

p.s. - the twin turbo six outperforms the hemi it replaced in every way.

[Kern Dog]

The front end of that truck looks terrible from the front or a profile. New truck design is shit. Ford/Chevy/Dodge all seemed to embrace the blunt front end which looks as if the truck slammed into a solid concrete wall.
They have completely abandoned any efforts to cheat the wind. Now they punish it.
THIS was the last generation before styling went to shit....

[lloyd3]

Ernie: I'm glad to hear that the new 6 isn't awful (time will tell as to its longevity). The "Hemi" was a wonderful option to have (although for my needs a 6 might make more sense) and I'm hearing that it also might be making a comeback(?).  Any styling on trucks is always a compromise in my mind, making a "brick" shaped vehicle flow through the air is always going to be challenging. My only mild complaint is that they all seem to look about the same now (& I suspect that there's a reason for that).  I've had a Dodge truck for over 25-years now (bought new in early 2001) but I've rented several newer Fords and I like how that aluminum body feels to drive (& even w/the lowly EcoBoost 3.5). I believe that will be my next choice. Older guys simply have different needs.

[tan top]

yeah all true KD
agree 100%  the B******** , what gets me  your stopped at a red light or in traffic the next car behind can see you 200 yards away with your foot on the brake & lights red , i watch them in the mirror  continue at the same speed till the last possible minute & slam on the brakes & nose dive like they are shocked  your stopped

I hate that sh*t.  It's "racing to a red light".

I've always had a habit of aiming to stop a few extra yards before the next car.  I scrub it down to 5 mph there, and let it idle-creep the last few yards before the final stop.


There's just no need for hard stops (as a habit) in normal traffic.  All it does is wear your car out. It won't get you anywhere any faster.   

yes i do the same & thats how it should  be plan ahead when your on the road as to what your going to do & when i always  take your for off the gas aways away from when needing to stop & just roll to the stop especially in the charger  but any car daily  drivers auto or manual ( change down gears)  the same driving style  the driving style of most these days in a certain age group seems scary to me & when i'm stopped or comming to a red or ... what ever the  road situation calls for & see these idiots behind i'm scared  dont mind admitting thinking are they going to stop & or put the damn phone down seems to have got worse over last ten years especially last 3 it seems to me for this very reason every car has had a dash cam in for last 7 years 

[Nacho-RT74]

Same problem in Europe, but since ever, because most of European cars are way smaller than American cars. In Spain the Dodge 3700 (local Mopar made) was considered allmost a luxury big size car... and is an A body

In Caracas some public parkings didn't accept my Charger...