"Did it stop rogue shopping carts from finding my door? Nope."
Haha, seriously relatable. But honestly, parking far away might actually make your car more of a target sometimes. I used to do the same thing until one windy day, a runaway cart rolled across half the lot and nailed my bumper—right in the "safe zone." Now I just park near those cart return areas. Risky? Maybe... but at least people are more likely to actually put their carts back there.
Totally agree on parking near the cart returns—seems counterintuitive at first, but it usually pays off. A couple things I'd add from experience:
- Watch out for slopes. Even a slight incline can turn carts into bumper-seeking missiles...
- Avoid spots next to older trucks or big SUVs. Not to stereotype, but they're often less careful opening doors (speaking from painful experience here).
- Honestly, no spot is ever completely safe. Learned that the hard way with my '67 Mustang... rogue carts seem magnetically drawn to shiny paint.
"Totally agree on parking near the cart returns—seems counterintuitive at first, but it usually pays off."
Gotta disagree here. Parking near cart returns might seem smart, but you're basically inviting trouble. Here's what you do instead:
1. Park further out—yeah, it's a walk, but fewer carts and careless door-openers.
2. Choose spots next to curbs or islands; cuts your risk in half.
3. Always angle your wheels away from neighboring cars—saved my paint job more than once.
Trust me, learned this after too many dents and scratches...
I'm kinda with you on parking further out, but gotta admit, sometimes I'm just too lazy for that extra walk, haha. Honestly though, your curb/island tip is spot-on. I started doing that after a nasty door ding cost me way more than I wanted to spend (still hurts thinking about it...).
One thing I'd add—watch out for those sneaky slopes in parking lots. Thought I was being smart parking uphill from other cars until a runaway cart rolled right into my bumper. Lesson learned: gravity always wins.
As for angling wheels, never thought of that before. Might have to give it a shot next time I'm out. Anything to keep my insurance premiums from creeping up again. Speaking of which, glad you found a decent insurer in CA. Took me forever to find one that didn't make me feel like I was getting robbed every month.
Anyway, thanks for the tips—my wallet appreciates it.
Totally hear you on parking further out—I try to do it, but with two kids and a trunk full of groceries, sometimes laziness (or exhaustion) wins out. The curb/island thing is gold, though. Started doing that myself after a few close calls and one actual scrape—still annoyed about that one.
The slope thing is interesting...never even thought of runaway carts, but now I'm paranoid, haha. I've always parked uphill thinking it was safer, but now that you mention it, gravity doesn't discriminate. Maybe I'll start scouting for flat spots instead. Honestly, it's crazy how much mental effort we put into parking just to avoid insurance headaches.
Speaking of insurance, glad you found a decent company in CA. Took me ages too, and even now I'm not entirely convinced I'm getting a great deal. Every renewal feels like a game of roulette—will it go up $20 or $200 this time? California seems especially tricky because of traffic, theft rates, and all the random factors insurers throw at you. Curious if anyone's noticed their rates going down after switching insurers or if it's always just a matter of slowing the inevitable climb upward.
One other thing I started doing recently is backing into parking spots whenever possible. Feels awkward at first, but after a few times, it becomes second nature. It makes pulling out so much easier, and I feel like I have better visibility when leaving busy lots. Plus, I've noticed fewer close calls with pedestrians or other cars zipping past behind me. Might be worth trying if you haven't already.
Anyway, appreciate the tips everyone shared here—definitely helps ease the stress (and cost) of daily driving life.
