When I park my bike in my office parking (which is huge), its difficult to spot the bike while going back home.

BHPian CityRyder recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I have a peculiar issue, maybe some of you have also face this. When I park my bike in my office parking (which is huge), its difficult to spot the bike while going back home. Remembering pillar number on daily basis is struggle (is it age ?!). Sometimes, I keep wandering in the parking alleys like a thief or not knowing what I am there for. Does someone know of any way to attach a beep (like a car, not a preferred solution) or a Bluetooth tracker?

Apple Tag could be an option but not efficient in basement.

Thoughts?

Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:

I always take a picture! Storage is anyway dirt cheap today.

You can also try Airtags or their Android version. It will have its limitations, but also serve as a useful tool in case your car / bike ever gets stolen.

Here's what BHPian tharian had to say on the matter:

If you remember the floor, I guess all the cars have that feature on their key fob when used, will flash their hazard lights few times. My 2010 Figo had it, and by now all the cars should.

Probably some cars may honk too.

Here's what BHPian binand had to say on the matter:

You can just tell Android Assistant to remember where you parked.

The offline solution is to take a photo of something distinctive nearby which you will then show to the guards / staff who should be able to guide you to the right place. Malls etc. I see have grid-style numbered pillars that should help in this.

Here's what BHPian AYP had to say on the matter:

Glad to know that I am not the only one with this issue.

I try to remember the number on the pillar where I am parking and also try to memorise the shops near the mall entry which I take, so that I can backtrack from there. Clicking pictures is a nice idea indeed, but I guess I haven't been able to do that thinking that it may cause other people to ostracize me.  I know, I know we shouldn't care what others think of us, but I think most of us at some time or the other have been guilty of trying to fit in/appear cooler than we actually are.

Worst case scenario, I hit the lock button twice on my keyfob and my car chirps. I hate the chirping sounds of the car in general and would prefer a system where my car never chirps as compared to a system where my car chirps during every lock and unlock. This implementation by Ford is a nice middle ground and I end up thanking them every time, this feature helps me in locating my car. No such luck with the Jetta which only flashes its lights.

Here's what BHPian narayans80 had to say on the matter:

Mine is a standard slot on the 5th floor at work, the only confusion I end up doing is park on the 4th floor in the same slot

I photograph the slot in mall parking plus try to lock from keyfob so the indicators will flash.

Do Airtags work on a grain level? More than basement parking, am looking for something that'll help when parking during trips.

Here's what BHPian ninjatalli had to say on the matter:

Taking pic is the easiest so that's that. Here's other options; pick what works for you

• Try to park as close to a pillar/location that appeals to you (e.g. a pillar number that matches yours/family member's birthdate or your favorite number) and you won't forget.
• (In case you get the luxury of an empty parking lot) park at one designated location every day. Something that is easy to obtain or gets filled last (e.g. a slot closest to the lift or a corner spot away at the end, etc).
• Park next to some unique stationary object that you can recollect (e.g. a lift / staircase/entry-exit point, etc).

I used the last option a lot when working at a client location overseas (US parking lots - huge amounts of space); used to park next to a cycle stand everyday which became a easy landmark to look for in a sea of cars when returning back to home.

Here's what BHPian Axe77 had to say on the matter:

Usually relevant for large malls for me but can apply to large apartment / office complexes as well.

I do the following:

• Take a picture of the pillar and WhatsApp it to myself.
• Include floor in the whatsapp message to return to the correct parking level.
• I also take a picture of the store closest to the lift which I used (when in large malls) so while returning, I’m using the same lift to reach the parking. Minimises a longer walk in the parking lot hunting for the same pillar.

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Often people will double or even triple-park and leave their chauffeur in the car so they don’t get ticketed or towed.

BHPian Mustang Sammy recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Last year, my car was clamped on Juhu Tara Road for being in a “No Parking” zone when the closest sign to this effect was more than 100 meters further away, with no way for anyone to know about this regulation. Upon confronting the traffic policeman, the pat response was that the entire road was a no-parking zone.

One year later, “No Parking” signs are more ubiquitous on the road than a politician's birthday greetings, but enforcement is a big fat ZERO.

Not to mention the inherent lack of logic in banning parking on the leftmost lane of a road when:

• The lane is undrivable for the most part, with trees, bends and sundry other barriers to the flow of traffic
• Lack of alternate parking

And this while cars, trucks, water tankers and buses merrily park on narrow roads all over the city, blocking traffic and creating hazards.

Often people will double or even triple-park and leave their chauffeur in the car so they don’t get ticketed or towed.

The situation is no better in Pune and other large metros.

Here's what BHPian deathwalkr had to say about the matter:

Stopped looking for logic behind many such cases on the roads. There are many stretches here as well with No Parking or No Stopping signages and people happily park there for the entire day.

Randomly traffic cops on bikes pull over and start challaning everyone parked there.

I just keep telling myself parking areas in the city are not based on my convenience.

Here's what BHPian Rodie09 had to say about the matter:

In Baner locality in Pune where I live, there is an arterial road of about 5 kms and the entire stretch has been marked by the corporation as a no-parking zone. The locality has been so developed that all major establishments are on this road and it's quite a hub for businesses. One must note that this is a 4-lane cement road with one dedicated lane built for parking on each side and then a very wide Smart City footpath which is usually encroached by multiple things/people. One would wonder if one cannot park their car on such a planned road where else can they? It can be understood if the measure was in anticipation of metro work that will run through this road. However, there is a good 2 km stretch that doesn't have any metro work.

Then what's the logic of this inconvenience?

Pune doesn't have great public transportation and most people depend on private vehicles. It's not simple to get a cab or auto for short distances. How are people supposed to go to markets, banks, and doctors without any access to parking in the full 5 kms. There are no dedicated parking lots either.

Last but not the least, the implementation of the no parking is so sketchy that it's left to luck. People with connections and muscle power continue to park all the time and ordinary people who fear the fines have to suffer alone. Very sorry state of affairs.

Here's what BHPian Vkap257 had to say about the matter:

Many places in Delhi NCR also face this problem. However, I have observed that the MCD here actually does the smart thing and employs an agency which makes the whole roadside parking stretch as a paid parking zone. This deters many people from parking as they have to pay for it or if someone is willing to pay then he gets a proper parking spot which does not hamper traffic (to an extent).

Here's what BHPian tilt had to say about the matter:

If memory serves, Bangalore's top-cop had made an announcement that every street in Bangalore is by default a no-parking zone unless explicitly indicated with signs that parking is permitted.

So, there need be zero no-parking signs and yet one could be ticketed (or worse) for parking.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

We gave the clerk the entry ticket we received along with the cash and he looked a bit anxious which I thought was being of the queue.

BHPian Nayra recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

So this was a weird experience as the last place you expect to get scammed* is in a well reputed mall but I guess this is what the world has come to.

My parents and I decided to go shopping and which place is better than a mall for that sort of stuff. Well let me spare you from the boring details and let us get to the meat of the story.

We left for Phoenix at around 7:15pm in car but certainly not any time before 7pm.

This was around peak hours so keep in mind that despite being around a 8-9km drive, it usually takes upwards of 30-45 minutes. Entered Phoenix and the guy who gives us the parking ticket (people who have been to know the mall know what I am talking about) gave us the ticket and right about this time I got a call which I could not pick up as I was driving. Parked car and went about our business and decided leave around 9:30pm as this was when all the stores were starting to shut stop.

Got into the car and as we were leaving, there was a relatively long queue for the car parking fees counter and we could hear a few people get restless (started honking etc) so I decided to rush a bit and pay by cash to avoid the UPI delay (BIG MISTAKE). We gave the clerk the entry ticket we received along with the cash and he looked a bit anxious which I thought was being of the queue. He returned the change and as I was about to drive away my dad asked him for the receipt. He looked a bit lost but gave us a receipt and realized something did not add up.

We gave him a 100 rupee note and got back 10 rupees in change.

90 rupees for 2 hours barely did not make sense. For context, the parking rate at Phoenix is as follows- 50 rupees for the first hour and an extra 20 for every hour after that. The time in the receipt we got showed an entry time of 7:06pm.

Now I am a brisk driver sometimes, hell I am a Team BHP member but even I am not a good enough driver to cover 8km in Bangalore traffic in less than 6 minutes and at worst, if I did leave at 7:15pm, time travel back 9 minutes into the past. Dad got out of the car to talk to them while I remembered the missed call I got. 7:46 was when I received the call just as I entered the mall.

When we confronted them about how this was possible, they first initially feigned ignorance and told us there is no possibility of this happening and we had no proof but when my dad asked for the entry ticket the clerk took from us a few minutes before, They told us he tore it and they cannot. Dad pushed on and told them he does not mind searching for it himself and they did not like that and would not have it. The parking coordinator then tried to appease us by telling us it is only 20 rupees extra and he would return the amount to us but at this point, it is not about the money. The fact of the matter was at best this was a pretty horrendous technical glitch and at worst, it is a fairly massive scam considering the amount of people who visit the mall.

About proof, thankfully we got the exit bill back from him and realized that the bill by nature does not have the number of the car being charged. It is literally a ticket with a bunch of numbers which can be given to anyone and I know a call I received is not exactly solid proof but thankfully my apartment has CCTV cameras and I can provide the footage of us leaving the apartment along with the time stamp if this post gets enough traction and interest.

*I will refrain from calling this out to be a certain scam because yes, there is always a chance this was a technical glitch but something about the entire series of events did not feel "correct". From the clerk's nervous behavior and hesitation in giving us the receipt to the parking coordinator's (No clue what his designation was but he did seem to have some amount of authority) statement of "It is just a matter of 20 rupees".
It is not. A theft of 1 rupee from a person is still wrong.

I have tried to be as unbiased as possible so as to give you guys as accurate of a description as I can. I have nothing against Phoenix because I do still want to believe this is a technical glitch that the parking management had no clue was even a thing

The point I want to make before I end this is to:

ALWAYS ASK FOR A RECEIPT.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The bike must have fallen on the car and someone just picked it up and ran away.

BHPian bluevolt recently shred this with other enthusiasts.

I want to share an incident that happened with my car and seek advice for the next steps.

My car (Kia Seltos), parked in my allotted parking, has been severely damaged by a bike parked adjacent to it. I notice the damage during my night walk (at 11.10 pm) today.

The bike must have fallen on the car and someone just picked it up and ran away. Please find photos of the damage attached.

Upon finding this, I called the guard at the tower and asked him to bring the owner of the bike along. But as per the guard, no one opened the gate of the flat even after 5-7 rings of the bell. After this, the main gate security was called. The supervisor came to the parking to see the damage. He checked the bike and it was found that the bike was on the side stand, with a punctured tyre, totally imbalanced and someone just made it fall on my car. As per the supervisor, the owner did not answer the phone.

Please advise me on the next steps to take. Should I call the police in the morning if the owner is still not reachable or does not accept his fault? How should I manage this damage? Get it done through insurance or at an outside workshop. My car is 3 years old and I haven't claimed insurance yet.

I have written an e-mail to the society maintenance office for action highlighting the below points:

• The parking next to mine is an empty space and besides that, it belongs to another flat. Hence, this bike is wrongly parked next to my parking spot. This has damaged my car badly due to the negligence of the owner in the first place.
• I have asked the security to scan the CCTV footage in the parking area to identify who caused the damage. If it is some other person who made the bike fall, he/she should be identified at the earliest and action should be taken against them. I parked my car at 2 pm in the slot in perfect condition and I saw it damaged at 11.10 pm during my night walk.
• The guard on duty at the tower prior to 8 pm must be called and interrogated - why he did not check the parking? When the bike would have fallen, it must have caused a loud noise and the guard must be attentive enough to check the incident in the first place. The car itself is parked close to the lift lobby.
• Even If the bike had fallen due to some other person, the owner of the bike will still be held liable for damage as it is his responsibility that the vehicle is in a stable condition when parked so that it doesn't fall on another vehicle.
• This is a clear case of unorganised bike parking near the designated parking slots of the owner. I have asked for immediate action to be taken to remove wrongly parked bikes near the designated parking spaces of others. Bike/scooter owners must be directed to park in their assigned slots, where they park their own cars so that their two-wheelers cause damage to their cars in case of a fall and not to others' property.

Here's what BHPian self_driven had to say on the matter:

I know it's heartbreaking for a car owner but police action for such trivial issues is really not worth it. Rather what you can do is make enough noise so that RWA members and security take a note of it and such accidents can be prevented in the future.

Check the CCTV footage. If the bike fell down on its own (which is owner's negligence), get your car repaired under insurance or otherwise and ask the bike owner to pay for damages.

If some kiddos or a third person did it, which is more likely to be the case, I doubt there's much you can do. Get it repaired and move on with life.

Here's what BHPian bblost had to say on the matter:

It will be impossible to pin the liability on the RWA. They will have some board or notice that will say parking at owners risk.

Your best bet is to hope that there is a CCTV that captured this and the person is a resident.

Additionally that that resident is a decent person who accepts his mistake.

Here's what BHPian am1m had to say on the matter:

Don't even think about involving the cops for this small damage. I understand how this feels to a car owner who loves his vehicle, but getting the cops involved will make things far worse. If you're lucky, they will refuse to get involved seeing the minor damage. If you are unlucky, they will use it as an excuse to extract money from both you and the person you are making the complaint about!]

Even about the other person accepting blame, it's going to be a matter of luck. If you are lucky, they will do the decent thing. But mentally prepare yourself that they won't. Get it repaired, move on. Certainly lodge it as an issue with the RWA. Whatever you do, don't continuously try and seek out the other party. Offense is the best form of defense and people who are wrong often get aggressive to cover their mistake. They might file a harassment complaint against you and that is certainly something the cops are more likely to act on!

Here's what BHPian TwentyDeewar had to say on the matter:

Agree with the opinion of folks on this thread.

I had a similar experience a couple of years ago when an overhead pipe came apart and fell on my car's roof and bonnet in the designated parking slot. I initially tried to take the path you want to go down on -> Managed to get CCTV evidence and tried to pin the fault on poor maintenance. Realised that the amount of time I was spending on this vs the benefit was just not worth it. I got the car repaired and moved on (that's what insurance is for). I just ensured that the pipe repair work was done properly so that it doesn't happen again.

I understand how you must be feeling, but its probably best to repair the car and move on. I think you have already brought it to the notice of the right folks, and a good win for you would be if the bike's owner is more careful in the future about how he parks and/or moves the bike away to a different slot.

Here's what BHPian  sumeethaldankar had to say on the matter:

Kindly claim insurance and get it fixed. The whole purpose of the insurance is for such things. Since no damage to life was done involving police is of no use, they will probably make you sit at the station for hours waiting till you change your mind of filing a complaint. A common tactic used by cops to have minimum people file reports etc.

The society could co-operate and provide you CCTV footage, hopefully the owner will come forward. Since you have already sent an email you could request the society to take positive action and desist wrong parking in designated areas and fine fellow society members for such violations.

In a society I visit vehicles parked wrong are clamped and the owner fined for such acts.

Here's what BHPian Hayek had to sy on the matter:

Don’t think you can prove who caused the damage to your car. Even if the bike fell, it’s an accident. Except if it was deliberate and malicious damage, you need to bear this cost your self - whether through your insurance or out of pocket is your call. Such things happen everywhere in the world - which is why you have insurance.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

If I can reverse park my car in the limited space available, I should be able to go nose-in too.

BHPian thirdmainroad recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

When two cars are parked in my house, I have to open the gates out to get the smaller car in.

Now I can reverse into the spot quite easily, but for the life of me, cannot go in nose first.

Are there situations where this is possible or are my driving skills not as good as everyone tells me they are? My reasoning is if I can reverse in, I should be able to nose-dive in!

Here's what BHPian Rehaan had to say about the matter:

Ever wonder why parallel parking is always done by reversing into the spot?

Ever seen how much more maneuverable a shopping cart is if you're pulling it towards you, rather than pushing it forward?

Ever wonder why forklifts maneuvering tight spaces in warehouses and picking up palettes with precision are rear-wheel steered (ie. effectively "driving in reverse)?

Simply put, the way the steering geometry works front-turning wheels offer way less maneuverability than rear-steering.

So then why aren't all cars rear-wheel-steering instead?

Because the trade-off is stability and handling behaviour at higher speeds.

Here's what BHPian androdev had to say about the matter:

Car steering is based on Ackermann Steering geometry which allows different turning radii for different wheels thus avoiding tire sliding.

The turning centre lies along the real axle which results in different types of swing/sweep when you steer forward vs steer reverse. Having a good understanding of the differences between fwd and reverse parallel parking will help you figure out other scenarios.

Say you are in Lane-1 and want to park the car in Lane-2. As you can see, steering in a forward direction swings your front-right wheel all the way till the red line, it also requires the entire space in front of you to be free without any other cars and you will end up parking away from the kerb. During this manoeuvre, the car pivots around point C and then E. That's why you can do forward parallel parking only if you have acres of free space in the front.

On the other hand, steering it in the reverse direction limits the swing of your front-right wheel till the purple line only, the space on the right can be occupied by another car (which can actually serve as a guide), and more importantly, you are perfectly close to the kerb after the manoeuvre. During this manoeuvre, the car pivots around point C and then D.

In general, during forward steering, the front wheels move very far from the vehicle's centre line while the rear wheels barely move. This makes it manoeuvring in tight spaces very difficult with forward steering.

PS: Parking will become far easier if you can make those gates swing all the way (180deg) to be flush with the compound wall (shift the hinges to the outside). You can certainly do that for one shutter without interfering with your neighbour.

Here is a cool infographic (from the ZF website) to extend our understanding to cars with rear-wheel steering that is becoming common in high-end cars:

Here's what BHPian venkyhere had to say about the matter:

Even if not technically inclined, even if you don't "think" about this, instinctively, what strikes you easily - one end of my car has more freedom to move laterally than the other. So when moving into tight spaces, let me not restrict/trap the 'freedom end' into a tighter space than what the other end is enjoying. Because if I do that, I am not 'fully utilizing' the maneuverability possible outside the tight spot.

Here's what BHPian Axe77 had to say about the matter:

I think there are more than enough explanations on how a car turns above. Just coming to the problem you’re trying to solve, here’s perhaps an alternate proposition to your predicament.

You can actually redesign and replace / modify your gate such that each gate has an additional hinge mechanism somewhere around the middle. That way it can fold along the outside of your house boundary wall as opposed to opening outward completely and reducing the space available for your car to turn.

Personally whether to park nose in / nose out for me depends on different considerations at different times. It depends on whether I prefer being “ready to drive out” vs what kind of access I need to my boot.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

I had heard from a friendly mechanic who used to service our Esteem that it's better to put the car in the 2nd gear & not engage the handbrake unless necessary.

BHPian jigar1791@gmail recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

After about 10 years worth of driving, I'm still curious to understand what is the ideal approach to park your car (with/without the handbrake engaged).

I have figured, and I follow these:

1. While parking within the society premises (flat concrete road), I slot in the 2nd gear, and do not engage the handbrake.
2. While parking in unknown areas (malls, restos etc), I engage the 2nd gear + hand-brake combination.
3. While parking on slant approaches, I engage the 1st gear + hand-brake combination.

Long ago, I had heard from a friendly mechanic who used to service our Esteem, it's better to put the car in the 2nd gear and not to engage the hand brake unless necessary. His logic was the tyre's life increases (marginally) when you do not let the handbrake's friction rub with the hot rubber.

How true is this, I do not have any conclusive data/analysis, though I still follow his advice religiously when I park on flat surfaces in known areas.

What do fellow bhpians follow as a standard practice while parking their cars?

Here's what BHPian Jeroen had to say about the matter:

You use the term hand brake, but you might want to check the owner's manual and you will find it is most often called a parking brake. Because that is its purpose, nothing else.

There are only a few reasons when not to apply the parking brake:

When you park in freezing conditions because the parking brake might freeze solid. Or when you leave your car parked for prolonged times, best put it in gear as the parking brakes might get stuck. There might be situations on very steep inclines where you might have to engage the parking brake and gear as well. But on any gentle incline the parking brake, when pulled tightly should provide more than sufficient holding power. If they don’t you might want to get them checked!

Otherwise, you can use your parking brake to your heart's content.

Leaving a car parked in gear does not serve any purpose other than under the two conditions I described earlier.

The argument of your mechanic doesn’t make sense to me at all. Nothing rubs against the tyres, your wheel rim is mounted on what is essentially the brake drum. The brake mechanism itself is all inside the drum. You can’t even see it.

There are two variants of parking brake mechanisms. Either a drum brake, which could be on top of the disc brake or make use of the same as your regular brake. Or on a disc brake, your parking brake is activated by mechanically pushing the brake pistons out, identical to how your brake pedal does it hydraulically. The latter version is much less susceptible to getting stuck or freezing.

Good luck and happy parking!

Here's what BHPian Kosfactor had to say about the matter:

Other than the exceptions mentioned in Jeroen's post - Always apply the parking brake/handbrake.

If your vehicle has an AT as well as a push-button start - It's better to straighten your wheels, apply the parking brake first > Move the transmission selector to park and turn off the engine.

So why parking brake?

It's not always that people are in their sharpest state of mind while getting into the driver`s seat - could happen to anyone. So if the vehicle is in gear and parked on an incline, as soon as the driver instinctively depresses the clutch pedal - it would start to roll, there may not be enough reserve in the brake booster mechanism to provide the adequate stopping power and all the panic and chaos to follow - till the vehicle crashes into something and stops!

@OP - Second gear is what we use for a push start, use first or reverse while parking.

Here's what BHPian shipnil had to say about the matter:

Not sure why the brake liners would come in contact with hot rubber. AFAIK engaging the hand brake applies the rear wheel brakes. As most cars in India have drum brakes in the rear, the brake liner gets pressed to the drum.

On flat surfaces, I use hand brake only. On slopes, if it slopes to the rear, I use the hand brake and first gear. If it slopes to the front, I use the hand brake and reverse.

But one must be careful if using gears when parking, as you need to go back to neutral before turning the engine on. I have developed a habit of using the clutch every time when I crank the engine (irrespective of whether a gear is engaged or not) hence I never have had surprises.

Here's what BHPian RedTerrano had to say about the matter:

1st gear + Parking brake. Always!

If the car is parked on a slope (car facing down), reverse gear instead of 1st.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

When I was walking towards my car I noticed that the hazard lights were blinking and the driver's door was ajar.

BHPian kushagra452 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I believe, that yesterday (07 Aug) there was an attempt to steal my Swift VXi AMT from the basement parking lot of the India Habitat Centre - which is a popular convention center located in the heart of the city!

I had parked my car in the basement parking after taking the parking slip at the point of entry. After enjoying my afternoon coffee with a friend when I was walking over to my car I noticed that the hazard lights were blinking and the driver's door was ajar. I immediately realized that there was an attempt to break in and drive away with the vehicle. I informed the private guards who were of not much help. I believe that the only reason the car was not stolen was that I was carrying the parking slip - without which exiting the premises is not possible.

This incident was shocking. It's worth mentioning that this break-in attempt happened around 3pm-4pm in the basement parking lot of a popular convention center located merely 3 kms-4 kms from the Prime Minister's residence!

Since then, I have been searching for ways to secure my Swift VXi AMT. I have asked two local shops for a gear lock. However, both have told me that it's not possible to get a gear lock installed in the Swift AMT. Is this true? If yes, what other devices can prove to be effective deterrents for thieves?

Thank you very much.

Here's what GTO had to say about the matter:

Thanks for the reminder! I usually park the slip on the sunvisor. Will keep it on me, going forward.

At some places, valet parking is safer as they guard their vehicles fiercely, have a dedicated area to themselves & outsiders aren't allowed in.

Here's what BHPian audioholic had to say about the matter:

If you are parking in a fishy location then just remove the fuse for the AMT Pump. We will see which thief can have a workaround for this one. Of course, if you try to start the car without this fuse it will not start and throw up a DTC with the Check engine light on. But as long as you put it back before starting the car, it will be alright.

Here's what BHPian Sidjohri had to say about the matter:

Sorry to hear about your ordeal. I'm a frequent visitor to IHC and usually park my car in the basement without any worries. From now on I'll surely keep your experience in mind while parking my car there.

Note: you might wish to check with the security in charge at IHC for any CCTV coverage they might have with them.

Here's what BHPian PearlJam had to say about the matter:

The Maruti Swift (all variants as per their website) seems to come fitted with an engine immobilizer.

So are you sure that the parking slip is the reason that they couldn't steal your vehicle? Is it possible that the thieves were novices, and realized that the car wouldn't start unless they have the original key? Or probably, they were scared when the hazard light started blinking and just scooted?

It seems like the parking slip saving the day, seems like a very small probability. I am sure that the exit gate would hardly give a second thought if you said that you lost it.

Sorry, a lot of details are missing from the original post, so I'm forced to speculate!

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Even a Ford Ecosport & Mahindra XUV300 are a snug fit, with no room for error.

BHPian ramnaresh_2000 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Bhpians, need some advice and your valuable input on parking my Phoenix inside my home.

Background: Since I purchased my Compass during the pandemic WFH era, I used to park it in my parent's house in my hometown. It was a nice covered parking area with walls on 2 sides and an open area on the other 2 sides. Now as my son's school has started, I shifted back to Hyderabad. I am still WFH

Problem: I live in a duplex house with a limited parking area which can fit only small cars which are less than 4 meters in length. It can easily fit i10, Santro, Celerio, Kwid and Tiago (you get the idea). It can fit Swift, Ecosport or XUV300, but it will be a very snug fit with no room for error. The issue is that my Compass is approximately 4.4 meters in length. I don't want to park it on the road as the harsh Hyderabad sun and rains will ruin the paint. It will attract rats and bird droppings.

Solution/Jugaad: To extend my gate and make it into a 2 step folding gate, so that my Compass is protected. I will use a car cover to protect the backside.

Advice Needed: I know the problem, I have the solution, but need advice on the gate folding mechanisms. I found a few images online, but not sure which will be the best mechanism for me.

Please do share images if you are using this kind of solution or any other jugaads you are using.

In the below image, you can see the back protruding outside quite a bit and cannot close my gate.

I want the folding mechanism near the red arrows.

Need advice on damping material required on the sidewalls and front entrance. The right side door and front bumper need protection from walls due to tight gaps.

Founds some images online. Credits to the original uploader.

This one looks overdone.

Below are screenshots from the YouTube video

Final question: Will this extension be illegal? Are any approvals required from the local municipality?

Thanks in advance.

Here's what BHPian anjan_c2007 had to say on the matter:

The best solution will be to extend your gate taking the help of a good fabricator to make it a two-step folding gate. Apart from using a car cover please also make the gate taller and opaque using either metal or acrylic sheets keeping the aesthetics ok. A taller gate covering the full height of the SUV can camouflage it from prying eyes.

Such two-step folding gates have become common in Delhi since the 1990s in localities where each middle/upper-middle class house (they call it "Kothi") has an average of at least four cars these days. These two-step folding gates intrude into the footpath space on broader roads no doubt but are only too common, especially in South Delhi.

Here's what BHPian hridaygandhi had to say on the matter:

We were in a similar situation a few years back, and had to consider Ford Fusion instead of Fiesta (2006) and Honda Jazz instead of Honda City (2011) and hence when it was time for the next upgrade, decided we did not want a 4-metre parking space to limit our choice of the car.

We were in a slightly different situation than you in the sense we had a covered garage with a shutter, so we decided to install a new shutter outside the roof (the older one was inside the roof) to increase the length of the garage to 4.8 metres. This way our shutter closed on the ramp instead of in the parking like it used to before. (It helped that we had our house constructed leaving a 10ft space between the road and ramp and hence owned that area.) We also took the opportunity to install the automated open-shut mechanism which has been such a boon.

In your case, I would suggest you get a sliding gate installed outside the wall, which can run alongside the outer wall when opened. (No legality issue as well.) It will barely take up any space, will not open on the road and like us, you can take the opportunity to remote control the opening, which will be a huge convenience on sunny/rainy days.

Another suggestion would be to get a roof and shutter combination installed (since you own the land of the ramp as well) which can fully cover your parking and protect your car.

Here's what BHPian Cliff9091 had to say on the matter:

I think the gate extension is the best solution for you, it's a common practice in Bangalore and is termed as box gates, as for the door hitting the wall, the best I can think of the baby proof materials for sharp corners and walls at home, or also soundproofing foam panels. Get them in the shade of your wall, or paint them in the shade wall It will look neat and not very tacky. The gate extensions there are mixed reactions on the forum.

Moreover, the car will be used I'm assuming daily throughout the day and be parked only at the night and at the time of day, there should be no problem with the "footpath" being used. As seen in the photos you shared when people park the cars on roads unevenly and you're making an effort not to cause a problem to passerby, the small gate extension is justified. Be sure to get a nice car cover and acrylic/plastic sheet extensions if your budget permits.

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Some members, who already have parking spots, are buying additional cars & trying to pressurise those who have closed garages to give up their regular parking & exclusively park only in their garages.

BHPian Mortis recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hi, is anyone here familiar with the Mumbai co-operative housing society rules and regulations with regards to parking? As usual with any housing society in Mumbai, parking space is at a premium and in our building, it's becoming more and more of an issue lately so I wanted to clarify some of the rules.

The crux of the matter is that some members who already have parking spots are buying additional cars and trying to pressurise those who have closed garages to give up their regular parking and exclusively park only in their garages. Is this valid even though the parking spaces have been assigned on a first-come basis and all the garage owners are old members who have both types of parking?

I would like to clarify a few points for more clarity.

• Closed garages were sold to members by the builder for an additional fee. Most garage owners are original flat + garage owners except for 2 cases where members have bought the garage from the original owners.
• Parking slots have been marked out and allocated from the open common area.
• Parking slots were allocated to members on a first-come-first-served basis depending on availability.
• Closed garages attract maintenance charges + tax or whatever the necessary dues are.
• Open common parking slots have charges in monthly maintenance. X for first slot, 2X for 2nd slot and 3X for third slot.
• Currently not every flat has a parking slot assigned to it as some flats are not occupied or the members don't have cars.
• So far there hasn't been a limit as such to how many slots have been assigned to a flat based on size. There are 2 wings in the society. One with 1bhk and 2bhk per floor and the other wing has two 3bhks per floor. There are 1bhks with 2 cars and 3bhks with 1 car. Multiple members own multiple flats in the same or both wings.
• There is roughly one open slot available per flat or maybe slightly lesser.

Hope this information helps in getting further advice.

Right now it's mostly the newer members who already have a couple of open parking slots already demanding more slots as their right because they "paid so much more" for their flats and demanding that garage owners park exclusively in their garages only and cannot park in the common areas. There are also some crackpots demanding that the garages be made into a common area and rotated between members on a yearly basis.

My point is this wrt common rules and logic. Can a member who has paid an additional lump sum for a closed garage be forced to park inside only and not make use of the common free space even though they have occupied that space since the society has been formed and those who are requesting extra parking have at least one slot already themselves? It seems totally illogical to me that one member has to pay a % of their flat's value for a parking while another gets it for free? No doubt there is the benefit of it being covered and more secure but additional charges are being paid for that as well.

Obviously, I am one of the affected owners which is why I started this thread. Overall I am not too worried because if this rule is enforced then anyway the same number of slots that I vacate will also have to be vacated by other members anyways to allow right of way access to my garages so the net benefit will be zero.

It's just that this shady and petty behaviour is happening all too often and I want to sort it out before things escalate.

There are another couple of parking issues that I will get into later.

Greatly appreciate any help.

Here's what GTO had to say about the matter:

Parking is a big deal in Mumbai and it's always better to take professional advice. Would suggest consulting with a good lawyer.

• To start off, open up a new thread on https://www.kaanoon.com/. Approximately 1000 bucks. You'll get good advice there.
• Have a paid consultation with Ajay Sethi (you'll see his profile on Kaanoon.com).
• Let me know if you need any more property lawyers who are experts in housing society matters. I know some very good fighters who will battle tooth & nail for you.

Here's what BHPian ColAjayDrives had to say about the matter:

The Parking Rules totally depend on the Bye-Laws created by your RWA.

Strictly by law, car owners are required to park in their own garages which they have paid for.

To park elsewhere in the society premises needs the following understanding:

• The land where there are no buildings is a common property of all owners, also known as Undivided Area.
• Normally such areas are required to be "gifted" to the municipality at the time of layout approval. This is to allow funds for the maintenance of such areas.
• The RWA (read Management Committee) frames rules to utilize such common areas. For example, RWA may demarcate areas and allow people to park in such areas provided they pay parking fees.
• If you feel aggrieved, pls approach the MC and ask for the Bye-Laws or General Body rulings (which are equated with Bye-Laws) on the subject.
• No one can "pressurize" anyone outside the ambit of the Bye-Laws

Please feel free to ask specific questions if my reply didn't answer your query.

Here's what BHPian navin had to say about the matter:

Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer nor do I have any legal background. These are the "rules" as I understand them.

• The Open area (aka the area that is not covered by stilt or fully enclosed garage) is to be shared equally by all members and cannot be allocated for the use of specific members even if the said members are willing to pay a consideration for the same. If some portion of the open area is to be used for parking all members must have equal access to this parking either by lottery, rotation or "first arrival for the day".
• All members are equal. Regardless if they own a 1BHK, 2BHK, 4BHK, etc. And regardless of what they paid for their apartment. If one member owns 2 apartments they can get separate parking stilts/garages allocated/sold to them for each apartment.
• Garages and Stilt areas are for the use of specific members as they have been sold to that member. Many societies issue a separate share certificate for each garage. Hence garages and stilt areas do not need to be shared and a member who owns a garage or stilt parking has as much right to open parking as a member who has NO garage or stilt parking.

Hence:

Open parking spaces cannot be officially allocated to specific members and must be shared (most societies have some form of lottery, rotational use or first-arrival use where those members who arrive early in the day find parking and the rest have to fend for themselves).

Members may choose to cooperate and park in a specific spot each day (provided that spot is available) as a matter of convenience (you develop a habit of reversing or manoeuvring your car in a specific fashion into a specific spot). This is usually the case when a Society has enough open area to allocate one open parking per member.

Argument 5 in your post is invalid. The Society cannot officially terminally charge members for fixed open parking spots because the society cannot determine the use of these spots for specific members. In other words, the Society is not in a position to rent open areas out for the permanent use of any specific member. If a member gets a spot via lottery or rotation then the Society can only charge that member for the period of their lottery/rotation (typically 1 year, but I have seen some societies use 2 weeks rotation as well).

Since all open spaces need to be shared equally, argument 6 does not hold. If there are more cars and fewer parking spots then societies either allocate via lottery, rotate the parking or use a first arrival rule.

If the Society can allocate as many parking spots as there are apartments then members might choose to cooperate and use the same parking spot. However unless each member has got one parking spot, no member can be allocated a second parking spot. Similarly, unless all members have been allocated 2 parking spots, no member can be allocated a third parking spot.

Hope this helps.

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Even hatchbacks like the Hyundai i20 & Honda Jazz were a tad too long for the parking space.

BHPian locusjag recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

In India, we find ourselves at a point in time when tin cans are being kicked around. There's no popular wisdom in owning one, much less if you go on to own one for more than a decade.

So it came to pass that my elder sister's family recently embarked on a car upgrade quest from her Silver-coloured, 2008 November manufactured Tin Can, a silver-coloured 2nd hand Suzuki Swift VXi. Being a Car consultant to family & friends, the quest fell on me to be taken forward.

Introducing the incumbent:

We first set our eyes on it in December 2011 at a Maruti TruValue lot in Chennai. It had barely run 10,000 Km in its 3 years since manufacture. I and my brother-in-law couldn't believe it; we'd seen our fair share of doctored odometers in our prolonged search in the used car market, so there was nothing to be done except to get our FNG mechanic's help evaluating its genuine-ness.

His garage happened to be right across the road from the TrueValue showroom, happily for us. He took one look at the engine and at the odometer and said that it was a genuine case. Perhaps it had been repossessed on a bad loan - who knows? The fact of the matter was after our mechanic took her for a test spin, we got ourselves a pristine, good-as-new Swift for 3.75 Lacs in December 2011.

The car has been in the family ever since; it has run only 45,000 km more in all the time that has elapsed till now. This understated and ubiquitous car has mostly clocked only highway miles for the most part, on road trips to hill stations, temple towns and assorted far-flung destinations. It has seldom been used on city roads, in stop-go traffic.

In praise of the machine:

In recent times, I remember getting surprised by its superior speed on the highway, when compared to my 2018 TUV 300. I know that my TUV is no speed demon, but this ancient Swift showed me the meaning of speed on a family road trip to Ooty from Chennai. All of the luggage had been stowed away in my TUV's 3rd row and the elderly were with me. The Swift was full of the younger ones in the family. And boy, did they make me feel old all along during the trip!

The Swift would beat us by a full 15 minutes to every coffee/food stop on the way. On that trip, it would apparently hit high 3 digit speeds on the highway, putting newer/sportier cars to the test - if the younger ones in the family are to be believed.

Personally, I have never driven it faster than 100 Kmph, given its lack of ABS and airbags and our desi driving conditions. Fresh off the True Value parking lot in 2011, I remember grinning at the wheel of the car since its peppy engine was a revelation for me. And I do recall making a 500 Km highway trip with it back in 2012; I was able to achieve a fuel efficiency of 20 Kmpl by sticking to 2000 RPMs in it at ~80 Kmph.

The Suzuki Esteem's 1.3-litre engine that was plonked into the first generation Swift is still a worthy motor, even today.

The itch for a new car:

Now, you have to understand what sort of a person my brother-in-law (here on referred to as my "BIL") is. He is an "offline" sort of person and doesn't partake in the online frenzies that we younger people are often a part of. Think of him as the quintessential Clint Eastwood spaghetti-Western movie cowboy character, squinting out at a dry world with eyes that constantly size up approaching adversaries far out in the desert. He is worldly-wise (unlike myself) and he knows the true worth of money. He knows where a car belongs in the pecking order of life's needs and wants. Don't get me wrong - he's all for taking out our own cars on every outstation trip; we've never gone by train or bus ever since 2011. It's just that he knows the true financial costs involved in buying and owning a car. In the time that I've been splurging away on transient and depreciating assets, he has acquired many appreciating assets.

He has seen me buy an "SUV" (if you can call the TUV 300 that) in the 11 years that have elapsed since he bought the Swift. He sees all these newer machines being driven around by the rest of us. He has felt the need for a bigger boot space (the first-generation Swift came with only 235 litres of boot space if memory serves me right). And even he, of all the nonchalant people in the world, has become slightly bored with the old!

The search for a new car:

As a "car consultant", it is my job to evoke and evince interest from whoever it is that I'm trying to help buy a car. So I absolutely went all in, sending used car ads to my BIL. I sent him 3-row utility vehicle ads. These were mere sparks in the desert; I just couldn't get him to smile or even move a facial muscle.

I moved on to sedans - he briefly looked at used sedans such as the Amaze, City etc. But we had to rule them out for parking reasons. His allotted parking slot in his apartment which was built in 2005 only stretches out to 3.9 m, and he needs to park a 2 wheeler width-wise behind the car. Any longer cars would put him in conflict with other residents in the apartment, as there was a common walking space to be used by every resident behind the said parked 2 wheeler

So we moved on to used hatchbacks. But again - most hatchbacks were simply too long for his use case. Obviously, I had to rule out the i20s and Jazzes of the world. Even the Grand i10 was a tad too long, at 3.8 metres. We had to look at used examples of the all-new Hyundai Santro since it matched the First Generation Swift's length at ~3.6 metres. We could've opted for a used Grand i10 and made it work somehow in the parking space, or we could have opted for a Santro - but at that point, it occurred to my BIL and I that we weren't really gaining much over the incumbent car. Power, space, reliability...whichever metric we applied, the incumbent car was still the best car for my BIL! And the Santro would have been a downgrade in power vis-a-vis the Swift. Very quickly, my BIL shut down the entire conversation on cars. He would have none of it. And I didn't think of bringing it up again either.

An unexpected conclusion to the car hunt:

Once it became clear that hanging on to the current car was a no-brainer, we asked our good old mechanic to assess it and he recommended a suspension overhaul and he said it was still a great car. So we went ahead and got its suspension overhauled at his garage sometime in mid-2021; I don't recall how much it cost us exactly. But in the aftermath of the servicing, the car is back to its composed self.

The impact of the real estate market on the automotive market:

It would be amiss of us at this juncture to not look at how the real estate market affects our automotive choices - choices we get and the choices we make. My BIL bought this 3BHK apartment in 2005 at a prime location in Chennai for a now-unbelievable price, at a now-unbelievable fixed home loan rate. His Rs 8000 EMI is going to end this year and his apartment's value has multiplied many times over in the time since. There's no room to fault his home for his lack of choices in the automotive market, quite frankly. His apartment is beyond sensible, superb even, as an investment.

However - the apartment's builder in 2004/2005 had seen fit to only provide a parking lot that's yay long (to liberally apply a typical British description of lengths/spaces). The structure itself is well built and has left no room for any complaints. But I see the parking lot there and it's full of i10s and first-gen Swifts, our own included. My BIL can sell his apartment for 90 lacs today easily and yet, only a small car can fit in there!

Let's move on to another, more current example; I have been hunting recently for a rental home myself in South Chennai. Every apartment that I saw had only a 4m long parking space provided for each flat. There was a newly built 3 BHK apartment costing 75 lakhs that came only with a 4m slot; there was no way I could park my TUV 300 and my RE Electra and my dad's scooter. We had to reject the apartment. And I found that sufficient parking for a 4m+ vehicle plus 2 wheelers was available only in costly apartments that came with snob value, and these are residential options that my family frowns upon for the snobbery involved.

Anyway, in all apartments with 4m parking slots, there are families that are constrained to buying cars that fit there - if at all they buy cars. They don't really have many options in the automotive market, not unless they're prepared to park in the street or to shell out upwards of 1 crore INR on what I call snobbish residential options.

And if you're looking to build your own home with a spacious parking area, it costs Rs.1500 to Rs.1700 per square foot today (in Chennai) just to build such an open space in your home! A fully built-up area in a home will cost you Rs.2000 to 2200 per sq ft today in Chennai, for reference. That's just way too costly. It makes sense for aspiring homeowners to just allow space for a small parking area and to spend precious money on the actual home. Most of today's newly built homes will allow only sub 4m cars to be parked!

A lot of this must be obvious to most of us - but this hadn't really struck me until now. Real estate dictates our automotive choices, and how!

Tail wags the dog, or dog wags the tail?

Only a car-crazy person such as myself would ever entertain a thought such as this - "when I build my dream home, I will set aside the entire ground floor as an open stilt-parking area so that I can buy whatever cars my heart will desire". But the middle class lives in a highly uncertain world that is only supplied with money in the present; the future holds no promises. It just doesn't make sense for the salaried class to allow the tail to wag the dog. Worst come, you've got to be able to surgically excise the tail in order to save the dog! I mean, a car doesn't even figure in Maslow's hierarchy.

The bottom line is this: My BIL is comfortably placed in life only because of his no-nonsense approach to life and his finances. He owns multiple properties, most of which are fully paid for. He has 2 older kids' education to pay for and a daughter's marriage to conduct in the next 5-7 years or so. I tip my hat to him for keeping his wits about him; it's easy for a layman to get drawn into an arms race with folks in the neighbourhood who zip around in new cars.

Epilogue:

The 2008 Swift Vxi still does highway runs regularly in the family. I drove it from Chidambaram to Chennai in November 2021, through a mix of broken state highways and national highways. My BIL drove it from Chennai to Hosur in December 2021 and it returned a fuel efficiency of 19 km/l. It remains faultless and does what is asked of it. As of today, it has only ~57,000 km on the odometer and is a timeless gem in the family. We are prepared to get its Fitness Certification done come November 2023 and we have no doubt that this "tin can" will munch highway miles as long as we ask it to do so.

Here's what BHPian Rajeevraj had to say on the matter:

It is very true that proper parking is a low priority for most builders even today. In Bangalore also, most apartments built in the 2000-2010 timeframe never had even one parking per apartment allotted. As a result, if you visit such apartments ( am talking even larger luxury apartment complexes), you see spaces marked for parking all over the place to try to fit in the delta between flats and spaces available. This is of course compounded by the fact that a 2nd car is also a norm in a lot of these places. So when slots themselves are limited, not surprised that existing ones are very limited in size.

While it is kind of understandable for older apartments as the number of mass-market models were limited and mostly focused on smaller cars, what is surprising is that even today a lot of builders are focussed on cramming more apartments into the space available and parking is still an afterthought. I have recently visited friends who have purchased villas for 2-3 crores in the outskirts of Bangalore and even there, one car barely fits in the parking. If it is a 7-seater type it juts out of the parking. A second car has to be parked on the road.

Proper parking for any sized car was a primary criterion for me when I purchased a flat and fortunately, it worked out.

I kind of feel for your BIL though. Getting stuck with such a situation. Fortunately, as you have said, he probably considers a car as an A to B kind of thing and running also does not seem to be high. But a good point to remember for anyone planning to purchase/build an apartment or house today.

Here's what BHPian ashis89 had to say on the matter:

One of the major reasons for vacating my previous rented flat was its parking slot. One had to navigate through a maze to reach my spot (and that itself involved a 3-point turn). That's still manageable.

My spot was wide enough to hold my Seltos and leave about 6 inches gap to open the door. So I had to open the door slowly, place my hand on the outer edge of the door so my hand touches my neighbour's car when I try to wriggle out. And like that cherry on top, the approach to the slot was a narrow tight 90-degree turn with pillars on one side and a neighbour's car on the other, which needed n-point turns. The space was enough for a small hatch but not a 4m+ car. Every time I had some work, I tried my best to avoid taking out of the car because of the hassle.

While house hunting, I did (and will do) a recce of the parking and realised that many tier 2 &3 builders build make-shift spaces and call it parking. Mind you, this is Bengaluru I am talking about!

My sister's place in Vijayawada has well-organised parking and the slots are wide enough. However, the 'roads' within the parking are not wide enough for 4m+ cars to turn in the spot easily. Again, the length is barely a couple of inches more than the length of my car.

Here's what BHPian Samurai had to say on the matter:

This is a very important aspect. The parking slot can literally determine what you can buy, more than the budget. I mean budget can be stretched, but the parking slot doesn't stretch.

For nearly 10 years, I rented an apartment in Bangalore which had a horrible parking slot. I had difficulty parking my wife's i10 at first. The association then moved the makeshift wall next to the parking slot to give some space to open the door. There was no question of upgrading the car while being in that flat. It was a corner slot, and if either of my neighbours park their cars even 6 inches back, I couldn't park the i10. I had to rely on renting another slot for Grand Vitara, and that was not always available. This is in a building where many apartments have large parking lots, and many even have two parking lots.

When we finally decided to buy a flat in 2019 in the same building, we knew what came first. First I got the list of all the flats available for sale. Then I visited the basement to check the parking slot of each apartment on sale. Only once the parking slot was acceptable, did we approach the owner for negotiation. I could have bought the apartment I rented for at least 40L less (it was smaller), if not for the parking issue. But I opted for a bigger flat just to get a proper parking slot. Now I have a huge parking lot where i10 is parked. The GV is still parked in a rented slot.

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