GOOD MOTORING
Parking Blues
H. Kishie Singh

It can be a major exercise in education to watch people in a parking lot. An apt quote by a friend springs to my mind, "Indians don’t park, they just stop." Amazing but true. In spite of painted lines, cars are packed higgledy-piggledy, facing all directions and often blocking each other. Other than being bad parking, it is also bad manners to block the other vehicle. For good driving, good driving manners are a must. This simply means thinking of other road users and showing courtesy.

Lines painted in parking lots are usually at 450 to the curb. This means you drive into the space nose first. As you reverse out, your car will face the exit. Sarkari drivers are an exception. They reverse into these parking bays. So when they drive out, they are facing the wrong direction. They then have to execute a U-turn or they simply drive off in the wrong direction, into on-coming traffic. The result is confusion and danger. Man made.

When you enter a parking lot without painted lines demarcated for vehicles, stop for a moment and think where you are going to park. Then think about how you are going to get out. Most people are not too good at reversing and this causes a problem. They are unable to extricate themselves. Often this is the cause of parking bumps and bruises. The damage may not be serious enough to warrant repairs but it may be ugly enough to spoil the look and paint work of your car.

Make sure there is enough space for doors to open. Children, when climbing into cars, have a habit of yanking open doors to the fullest. This will leave a dent in the side of your car. Only you can avoid this. Think before you stop the car.

Another serious problem that has sprung up in the last few years: thefts in parking lots. Roadside mechanics, who have mushroomed on sidewalks, may have a complete set of spanners, screw drivers and wrenches to undo a machine. The nimble-fingered mechanics can remove fitments from your car in minutes. I lost a pair of horns attached under the car bumper last week. A friend came home minus his fog lamps. Both thefts happened in the same area. It’s about time the police removed these encroachments and made parking lots safer.

Try not to leave any valuables in the car. Your briefcase should never be left in the car. Loss of important documents can seriously disrupt life.

It is also not advisable to leave electronic equipment in the car. Summer is around the corner and the car interior gets really hot when left parked in the sun. Floppies, CDs, laptops can be damaged quite easily by heat. If they can be seen on the seat, it is an invitation for thieves to break in.

Driving can be learnt and mastered much more easily than parking. Parking involves squeezing into narrow spaces, may be reversing long distances, again in narrow spaces. The rear view mirror is an invaluable help in reversing. Keep it open and get used to it.

Happy motoring.

This feature was published on April 16, 2005