The rise of selfish ‘Clarkson parking’
Motorists who take up two bays on purpose ... to protect cars
SELFISH drivers who take up more than one parking space certainly make life annoying for everyone else.
And while you may think poor parking is a simple mistake, some motorists are actually doing it on purpose to protect their precious cars from damage.
The inconsiderate trend, dubbed ‘Clarkson parking’ after the former Top Gear host joked about doing it on Twitter, is becoming increasingly common.
Some drivers claim bigger cars, coupled with shrinking spaces, have left them with little choice but to use two bays.
And even the risk of being shamed on social media is apparently no deterrent.
A photo of shop assistant Luke Varley’s car was posted to a Facebook group called ‘Parking like a ****’ by fellow shopper Jessica Winder. His £16,000 Vauxhall Astra GTC VXR was positioned squarely in the middle of two spaces at a supermarket in Doncaster.
But Mr Varley, 24, was unapologetic, claiming his car had been bumped in the past by other motorists who had failed to leave a note offering to pay for repairs.
He said: ‘I have had comments from people but I generally just ignore it. I’m not bothered about what they have to say.
‘I don’t put my car in a disabled bay and it’s not harming anyone when there are spaces free ... My car is my pride and joy. Parking like that does work. However, it does worry me as someone could be vindictive and deliberately try and scratch it.’
David Bellis, of Prestatyn, North Wales, said he also employed ‘Clarkson parking’ for his £24,500 BMW after previous damage.
The wind turbine worker, 32, said: ‘I had seen other people doing it, so thought I would too.
‘Twice in the past I have had chips in the door and had to get the car re-sprayed, costing £110 each time.’ He admitted other drivers had left angry notes on his windscreen, adding: ‘When I got the note on the car calling me a p****, I just had to laugh. ’
In July, Jeremy Clarkson tweeted a picture of a VW Golf across two bays in response to fellow presenter Richard Hammond, who was bragging about landing a helicopter. Clarkson, now appearing in Amazon series The Grand Tour, wrote: ‘My parking is even more impressive.’
Fines for not parking in allocated bays can be as much as £100. Edmund King, of the AA, said vehicles were now bigger than when many car parks were designed. But he also blamed rising obesity levels for the problem, saying: ‘Some drivers are also worried about being able to get out of the car once they have parked without getting stuck.’