TRY NOT TO GET DRIVEN PARKING MAD
IT’s that time of year. I remember once thinking I’d be smart and do my Christmas shopping at 2am in Dunnes Stores in Cornelscourt, only to find a queue going into the carpark, one free space being chased by 50 drivers, and checkout queues that made me wonder if Christmas was coming – or a hurricane. Parking stress is one of the biggest pitfalls of the season, and it affects one in three of us, according to a new survey from easytrip.ie, the toll and parking tag company. So what annoys us most? For 86%, it is the driver who takes up two parking spaces, followed by drivers who park too close to you (I guess that can mean right up to your bumper on the street, and so close you can’t open your door when they park beside you); those who park in disabled spaces when they have no badge (71%) or in a family space when they don’t have children in the car (38%); and, finally, those who block your progress or exit while they wait for a space (26%). Personally, I’d add those who take forever to unpack a trolley, then slowly walk it back to the bay, then get into their cars and fiddle around for five minutes. I’m not a violent man, but there are times… As always, though, we don’t practise what we preach. Those surveyed admitted to misdemeanours of their own, including parking on the footpath; in a loading bay during restricted hours; on a double yellow line; and parking at a bus stop. Here, I’d also add those who think hazard lights are some sort of force field that grants them immunity from obeying the rules of the road. On a serious note, 62% said their cars had been dented or scratched by other drivers, and a small number had fought over a parking space. Most surprisingly of all, 32% couldn’t remember where they parked their cars. Guys, open Google Maps and drop a pin, for heaven’s sake!