Defensive Parking

[AGB]

I know this topic has popped up at various times in the forum and there are many forum members who are fond of 'defensive parking'.

I was in what can only be classed as a nightmare parking situation yesterday - a shopping centre inundated with 4WD vehicles, people carriers and lots of children all itching to open passenger doors into my GTI. So, I did the sensible thing and parked on the top floor, as far from the lifts/stairs as possible to deter the lazy and careless plus I was protected on two sides.

I rather liked the atmosphere of the shot on walking back to the car so took a quick snap on my iPhone for kicks. My wife was less enthusiastic, regarding the photograph as documentary evidence of my paranoia. 

[Neil gti]

Thats the sort of thing that i do 

But you usually still find that a people carrier parks next to ya just to wind me up 
Good snapshot does look lonely thou 

[Steve30]

Brilliant , it takes me sometimes 15 mins to park mine just to to get away from clumsy idiots 

[KennyGTI]

The gf moans at me for doing this too for the extra 2 to 3 min walk to the shops! If she moans I just say fine we'll park next the all the people carriers and 4x4's and if the car gets hit then its your fault!! Which results in " Fine just park where you want then!  " 

[Exonian]

I'm constantly ridiculed for driving around a car park several times just so I can find a space either on it's own or next to something that looks equally cared for as my car.
Quite often I will park over 2 spaces if there is plenty of room in the car park. I get lots of funny looks as if I'm some sort of ignoramous(sp) but haven't had any comments from people yet. If they do make a sarcastic remark of some sort I will just ask them if they are prepared to pay for the damage some halfwit carelessly causes and point out the cars in the Disabled and Mother & Child spaces that clearly don't belong there just 'cos people can't walk a couple of extra metres to the door thanks to their obesity/laziness. And then there's the ones who actually park practically right in the supermarket atrium just so they don't have to walk a few metres as all they want to do is use the cash machine. 
So all in all I feel fully justified.

[mortygt140]

I would of parked diagonal across 3 bays

Darren

[PenguinGTI]

The gf moans at me for doing this too for the extra 2 to 3 min walk to the shops! If she moans I just say fine we'll park next the all the people carriers and 4x4's and if the car gets hit then its your fault!! Which results in " Fine just park where you want then!  " 

+1 

[RickS]

And I thought it was only me that was paranoid  I hate parking anywhere if I suspect another vehicle may come and park next to me; especially if it's likely to be full of kids or careless door users.

[p3asa]

All car parks should be like Costco. That is the only car park I'll happily park in beside someone as there is plenty of room for opening doors without hitting the car beside you.

Like others here, I've seen me driving out of a car park because there have been no "suitable spaces".
Even when I go to the football every week and park on the street "head to toe", I find myself waiting till others have parked either side of me before I'll leave and go to the game!! 

Been like that with every car I've owned so not just a Golf thing!!

[RickS]

Even occasionally used the "parents and children" parking spaces at my local Waitrose [They have wide spaces between for door opening] There are lots of these spaces and on weekdays virtually none are used; even so I've still had the odd person asking me if I realise I shouldn't park there, hard to defend my position but tried, although I've stopped doing it now as the remarks were beginning to get to me