Car Parks to Avoid

[andyinluton]

How about starting a list of carparks that on the face of it should be ok but should actually be avoided at all costs?

My nomination after this mornings experience goes to Tobacco Dock in Wapping London. I had a meeting to attend in wapping so googled for parking & found this. its multi-storey with 2m head room £5/day 200 metres from where I needed to be & outside the congestion charging zone (Just). Sounded perfect.

On approaching the entrance I thought that the height barrier bar looked low, it was but I still had at least 2 or 3mm of clearance so plenty of room.

Then came the first problem, the unattended ticket office (its now pay & display) had a grille covering the closed window, this grill projects about 150mm into the entrance route at door mirror height, with the mirrors folded up I had approx 5mm clearance each side but made it through unscathed.

We then get into the multi-storey carpark itself, there is a one way system with separate ramps for up & down, these ramps are approx 300mm wider than the cali with 150mm high kerbs which extend for a good length after the ramp has finished, with a car parked in the bay opposite the ramp it is impossible to get round the bend in one go, the first one I had to go backwards & forwards a couple of times, the second ditto, the third was impossible a van was parked in front of the ramp & I had no option other than to go over the kerb- result 1 gouge out of a spoke on the rear offside alloy. The fourth ramp was ok.

Getting out the car park - 20 minuets of twirling the steering wheel to go down just the 2 floors resulted in just the one further nick in the same wheel. Then we get the actual exit this is set on a curve to the left with the same huge kerbs to make sure you keep in lane, you get half way round the curve & you find the box where you used to put in your ticket to raise a barrier. Well the box is at exactly door mirror height & even with the mirrors folded (&touching the box) it is impossible to get past it without the rear nearside wheel mounting the kerb. Result a further wheel damaged & a scratched door mirror.

So there we have it 12000 careful miles with pristine alloys destroyed in one car park. Still it gives a great excuse to get some 18" sportlines.

Any others I should avoid?

 

[snowy55]

Not wishing to sound "wise after the event " but I would never ever contemplate taking our Cali into a multi storey carpark no matter what the signs or inter net said.

 

[WelshGas]

I nominate Westgate Street Multi Story in Cardiff. Although height is Ok, turns etc: require a 5ft long vehicle. ModelT Ford might be OK.

All other Multistory car parks in Cardiff, very California friendly.

 

[andyinluton]

For the last 15 years I've had Landcover Discoverys which are the same size as a cali & have never had a problem other than height. Heathrow airport T3 always was a bit tight on the turns but nothing like todays.

 

[Speedbird]

I've also noticed more and more height barriers even in places out the sticks. I think it is starting to feel like vanism. Bournemouth was also bad the other week with most the non multi stories having barriers even though they were outside.

 

[GrannyJen]

I nominate Westgate Street Multi Story in Cardiff. Although height is Ok, turns etc: require a 5ft long vehicle. ModelT Ford might be OK.

All other Multistory car parks in Cardiff, very California friendly.

It's a pity Tesco's at the Penarth end of the barrier is not so friendly. Tight turn into car park with wheel-rim destroying kerbs ...

Hearsay of course .... one would never admit to shopping at Tesco's ....

 

[WelshGas]

Never noticed that as we use it frequently for my wife's running club as their meeting point during the winter months.

 

[WelshGas]

In danger of being Non-PC, the John Lewis car park in Cardiff is definitely designed for the ladies. Car park spaces large enough to open both front doors, definitely Cali friendly.
But what I cannot understand as you drive through the barrier there is a sign that tells you how many vacant slots on each floor. The car park has about 800+ spaces over 2 floors. So yesterday 0 spaces floor 1 and 257 spaces floor 2. 4 cars in front went off circling floor 1 looking for a space, instead of going to floor 2, parking and just walking up 1 extra flight of stairs or using the lift.
I just don't get it.

 

[WelshGas]

London.
For Central London we use the underground car park at Hyde Park. Park Lane or Marble Arch entrance. Easily pre-booked on line, reasonable price, for London, and outside the Conjestion Zone. Easy walking to most tourist areas and close to tube and bus stops.
Haven't been there yet with the California but frequently with the Defender. Definitely NO height problems.

 

[sbmcd]

Manchester airport multistorey is fine for the cali.

 

[Ant Clerici]

Car park design standards are continually improving.
Rule of thumb - New car parks usually (note USUALLY) have larger parking spaces, better maneuvering space, good lighting and some are even well managed. Avoid 1960's and 1970's car parks as they were designed for Morris 1000s and Ford Cortinas and VW Camper meant a T1 or T2 (those were the days).
Now many cars are in excess of 5m long - car parks are catching up with appropriate space standards.

A well lit, clean and straight barrier with a clear height limit should (note SHOULD) be reliable as the owners don't want claims for damage.

Must check how high our Cali is................

 

[WelshGas]

The Forum car park, Norwich City centre. 2m height limit. No problem.

 

[rcsb]

Has anyone managed to park a Cali in Heathrow T2? Going to meet my sister-in-law. Not sure if I should brave the car park.

Any advice gratefully received

Thanks

Rick

 

[motacyclist]

The bays in most car parks in North Wales seem to be designed for the original Fiat 500. It's a good job the Cali has a sliding door.

A good idea is to carry a small pram so you can use the mother and toddler bays which are half as wide again ....

 

[rcsb]

Has anyone managed to park a Cali in Heathrow T2? Going to meet my sister-in-law. Not sure if I should brave the car park.

Any advice gratefully received

Thanks

Rick

No problem T2 passed the T5 test!

 

[WelshGas]

No problems at Heathrow, as long as you have a standard California.

 

[Hannick]

Has anyone actually used the Hyde Park underground car park for their California? Their information says there is 2.08m clearance so that looks possible but tight and sometimes getting around the ramps etc. can be scary.

 

[johnyboy]

Has anyone here been to Basingstoke multistory in their Cali? Whilst there are no height restrictions (for us Calis) on the way in, and round the car park, after you have exited you have to go under a 1.9M bridge! I bottled it and went the wrong way down a 1 way street instead but its a bit of a situation!

 

[Tactical]

after you have exited you have to go under a 1.9M bridge!

Yes, Festival Place car park; as per the attached PDF.

2.1m limit going in but, as you say, a 1.9m tunnel after you leave via the Main Exit. If you go out via the alternative exits you avoid the tunnel.

If you go through the tunnel in a car you can see loads of scape marks on the ceiling from other vehicles that have misjudged the clearance!

I vaguely recall that their may be some height limit warnings on the approach to the Main Exit before you are committed to the one-way road leading to the tunnel but it's all too easy to ignore them.

Martin

 

[WelshGas]

Has anyone actually used the Hyde Park underground car park for their California? Their information says there is 2.08m clearance so that looks possible but tight and sometimes getting around the ramps etc. can be scary.

Used it for my Land Rover Defender 90 + 2.05m

 

[Meoncoast]

As per other post " Spare wheel Stolen" I would avoid "Legoland" car park at all cost unless you offload your spare wheel 1st

 

[estresao]

The Forum car park, Norwich City centre. 2m height limit. No problem.

That one scared me a little because the height, but it's actually OK (Just first time I've parked my Cali into a indoor park)

In Cardif, in the bay area plenty of restaurants (sorry, don't know the street name) there is a multistory park lot.... it was a little tight to park... I had to get out by the entrance (OK, second time I've parked Blasa in an indoor car park)

 

[johnyboy]

If you go out via the alternative exits you avoid the tunnel.

Thanks I'll have to look out for other exits! I take it that PDF is something you created to report the issue?

 

[Borris]

I have always been very wary of parking anywhere between two other vehicles and will try and seek out a single space, all on its own where no other cars can park too close, usually at the farest extremity of the car park. Failing that, I probably wouldn't park there at all and would elect to walk a fair distance from a safe parking place instead.

Mind you this policy isn't always fool proof. Some years ago I had parked my then brand new Golf in the very corner of a National Trust car park with the next car suitably far away on one side and a steep grassy bank on the other side. No one would be stupid enough to try and park on the grassy bank, would they? Wrong! A car full of old ducks turned up and did just that. When the frail rear passenger on the down hill side opened her door the weight of it was too much for her and it went crashing into my car causing an unsightly dent. Now accidents do happen however when I pointed out what she had just done she denied all knowledge of it. I then pointed out to the owner/driver that the dent had her cars paint in it and that when the door was opened it connected exactly with the point of impact. Then using language not usually heard from frail old ladies she then accussed me of trying to get them to pay for damage caused elsewhere!

I have always been amazed that people will pay an absolute fortune for a vehicle and then try and jam it into a tiny space where the risk of damage is high. To me there is nothing more annoying that finding a dent or scuff from a door, supermarket trolley or bumper caused by someone who very often couldn't care less about their vehicle and even less about yours. The culprit will never own up and you are left with either having to put up with the results of their carelessness/contempt or pay out to have the damage repaired.

And why is it that when parking in a nearly empty car park you will often return to your car only to find that out of an entire car park of empty spaces, someone has chosen to park right next to you instead. This has happened to me on many occasions and I am at a loss to understand the psychological reason for this behaviour. If they have been sent by the god of parking to anoy me then they will have suceeded. If its merely the herd instinct then they can sod off!

OK thats it, rant over. I feel better now.

 

[Anthony1]

In danger of being Non-PC, the John Lewis car park in Cardiff is definitely designed for the ladies. Car park spaces large enough to open both front doors, definitely Cali friendly.
But what I cannot understand as you drive through the barrier there is a sign that tells you how many vacant slots on each floor. The car park has about 800+ spaces over 2 floors. So yesterday 0 spaces floor 1 and 257 spaces floor 2. 4 cars in front went off circling floor 1 looking for a space, instead of going to floor 2, parking and just walking up 1 extra flight of stairs or using the lift.
I just don't get it.

Same as a supermarket car park people desperate to park as close to the entrance as possible, when a walk of a hundred yards or so will give a choice of 50+ spaces.