# Parking Etiquette



## GDN (Oct 30, 2017)

So I had an appointment this morning before work and came in late. I knew my normal area of the parking lot wouldn't be available. I'd seen this White 3 a few days parked a ways out (paper tags still). What do you do, give him the one spot space and park where I did or do you park in the spot next to him to protect the 3's as much as possible, knowing someone might park between us. The lot was filling up behind me, but I wasn't sure it would ever fill completely today. I do realize the right thing was likely to park one more row over as there were no cars on that row, but it's a much better effect to park a Black 3 next to a White 3. 

This isn't a right or wrong, just curious what you do ? Or would not like if you came out and found someone, even another 3, had parked right next to you, but there were other open spots?

The first pic is as I got out of the car. The second is an hour and a half later and gives the buffer perspective. I don’t know if the lot will get any more full or if that is about it.


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## Love (Sep 13, 2017)

Love it, personally. If you don't expect the lot to get any fuller, I agree 100% with your parking decision! I also would have accepted trunk to trunk, both cars facing out! Teslas WANT to be around other Teslas!

If the parking lot were to get full, as happens at my work lot, I would be ELATED to come out to see a fellow 3 parked next to me. Or another Tesla, or frankly a nicer build of car... to me it seems more likely that someone in a nicer vehicle is going to be more careful when they open their doors near your car, as that's what they would want from someone else. Bonus points if you can team up with another driver to park passenger side to passenger side (with those doors not being used) so that both of your drivers doors open away from each other!

I've overthought this haven't I? 

EDIT!!!! to add my work spot!!! Only two spots out here and I get here quite a good deal before most people so it's always available to me! (Minus a few bad snow storms and the cleaning crew treating this area like a snow storage area!!!!)








Obviously this pic was at a time of no snow (and the last spot vacant)


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## GDN (Oct 30, 2017)

And to be fair when I parked, I'm going to say the closest 10 to 12 cars were not there. They filled in after I parked. 

I like the feedback and thought process. Some don't reason and see things the way I do. 

I will say 3 times in the last 2 weeks I've parked out a ways from a store only to come out and someone parked right next to me. Once it was a nice Audi and I was OK with it. The other two times, very average cars. They meant no harm and I'm quite sure they never even probably touched my car, but was still kind of like, really, right next to me? Couldn't have left one spot?

I know these are not third world problems, but nice to hear how others think.


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## JasonF (Oct 26, 2018)

I would have parked exactly where you did. The island provides more protection.


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## jrzapata (Apr 23, 2018)

I would have parked behind the white tesla, i like end spots and get as close as possible to the outside of the lot. The spot you took would have been my second choice


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## FRC (Aug 4, 2018)

To expand upon @Lovesword post, I'd have pulled in forward on his passenger side so that you're passenger door is next to his(likely unused) passenger door. If he's the thinking type, like you, he'll suspect exactly why you did it. And appreciate it! Perhaps we could start this as a trend. First guy needs to park at the end near a pole or curb so that when second guy parks, he's protected on both sides!


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## GDN (Oct 30, 2017)

My typical spots are on the end - where the car parking next to me has their passenger door next to my drivers door. As you note smaller chances someone will be getting in on that side of their car. My perfect spot I get about 80% of the time is 3 wide spaces with one next to a light pole, that is my spot usually, but no such luck today.


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## Ed Woodrick (May 26, 2018)

If the lot was going to fill up, it really doesn't matter.


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## GDN (Oct 30, 2017)

Looks like the lot never filled up today, but we had a third join us. I know there are 5 or 6 others around throughout the lot. Maybe we’ve got a new place to park.


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## MelindaV (Apr 2, 2016)

I am fortunate enough to have an assigned space at work - and I requested the end space. it gets walk by traffic, and a slight chance of someone pulling out of the lot and cutting the corner, but overall feel better about it than most of the other spaces (in our lot well under the city's standard for parking spaces and drive aisle widths). downside, is the adjacent auto shop has customers stealing our parking spaces on a regular basis, and the end space being the most likely :/ 
I also benefit from one of the apartment guys that lives in that brick building spends most of the day outside and he watches out for weird crap going on. He is a tough old biker that has been known to tackle street punks causing problems, and has a contingent of other tough old bikers to back him up. 

Here's me testing out the fit with a Turo rental before bringing mine home (it is significantly longer than the Solstice!)









and getting a pix of a 3 parked across the street from me 









(everyone has multiple pix of their car parked at work on their computer, right?!)


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## MelindaV (Apr 2, 2016)

@GDN this also reminded me of a prior job I had, that had a couple good sized parking lots, and the back lot where I parked was never more than ½ full. I always parked past the point where it normally filled up. One of my co-workers drove a little Acura NSX that he parked past me a number of spaces (where no one else parked). He was a 6' tall well built guy. (big guy, tiny car). Some others on a regular basis to screw with him would pull in on each side of his car within inches. He really could have benefited from Summons, but instead left it out of gear and pushed it out of the space!


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## jsanford (May 24, 2016)

At our main office, someone who regularly comes in to another tenant also has a red Model 3, with sport wheels. Last June, the first day I took Eloise to the office, I parked next to it after lunch, and it caused a sensation—one coworker even took photos of the pair for his daughter, a huge Tesla fan. People still ask me if I know the owner.


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## LUXMAN (Apr 4, 2016)

GDN said:


> So .


@GDN , knowing that lot, I would have either parked in the spot where the other Black 3 with Aeros parked, or even the next row back. A little extra walk but farther is better.

I like to think of it just like Urinal etiquette 
As far away as possible but *NEVER* right next to someone unless you have too.

But if I came upon this and had to park next to him, I would back in so he can at least think you were solo and never opened your door next to his car.


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## garsh (Apr 4, 2016)

LUXMAN said:


> But if I came upon this and had to park next to him, I would back in so he can at least think you were solo and never opened your door next to his car.


This reminds me of being in college. The parking lot was designed for compact cars, and I was driving a full-size Mercury Grand Marquis. My only hope was to find a spot between two cars that had pulled in forward. I would back my car in, keeping my passenger side within an inch of the other car. That gave me just enough room to get my driver's door open.


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## Dave D. (Jan 25, 2018)

Nice to see those model 3's being shown some LUV. :wink:


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## GDN (Oct 30, 2017)

Dave D. said:


> Nice to see those model 3's being shown some LUV. :wink:


From Lockport, IL and you know where that parking lot is? Maybe it doesn't take much deduction since I am in Dallas next to an airport.


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## Dave D. (Jan 25, 2018)

GDN said:


> From Lockport, IL and you know where that parking lot is? Maybe it doesn't take much deduction since I am in Dallas next to an airport.


It looked a bit familiar, make the pilgrimage once every year. But now I go across the street... Nice looking collection of 3's.


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## RoBoRaT (Nov 24, 2018)

While I was leaving work late on one of these rainy nights, only 2 cars remained in the lot.

The owner of the white M3 walked to, but before getting in, his car and gave me a nod. I raised my hand to acknowledge him.

It was a Yin and Yang kinda moment. 😌


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## Jim Brown (May 3, 2016)

RoBoRaT said:


> While I was leaving work late on one of these rainy nights, only 2 cars remained in the lot.
> 
> The owner of the white M3 walked to, but before getting in, his car and gave me a nod. I raised my hand to acknowledge him.
> 
> ...


This is the perfect situation where Model 3 owners need the "Super Secret Model 3 Hand Sign". It was on another thread I read in here somewhere. There were 2 suggestions. One was 3 fingers just pointed straight up. But someone said that was too similar to the Boy Scout sign. The one I liked better was to show 3 fingers horizontally, like the original Model 3 symbol. It would be really cool is something like that caught on.


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## PowerfromNature (Mar 4, 2019)

I had a corvette and I also have a Raptor, with both there is a wave or we just flash our lights to each other in daylight. At night the Raptor has 3 amber lights on it in the grille so you know but unless we can see the driver we do not wave and definitely don't flash our lights. With the corvette it was pretty much the same thing, wave or flash headlights unless at night. The wave was just with the hand, nothing special, got the point across. It is cool that Tesla owners feel the same camaraderie.


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## FRC (Aug 4, 2018)

I go with the three fingers held horizontally.


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## EValuatED (Apr 29, 2017)

FRC said:


> I go with the three fingers held horizontally.


The smart/safe choice


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## LUXMAN (Apr 4, 2016)

FRC said:


> I go with the three fingers held horizontally.


I prefer to just use the middle one in Traffic


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## PowerfromNature (Mar 4, 2019)

LUXMAN said:


> I prefer to just use the middle one in Traffic


Yep, you live in Texas like I do.


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## KWATTSN (Oct 25, 2018)

What happened to ” Drive Friendly - The Texas Way”? 😂


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## PowerfromNature (Mar 4, 2019)

KWATTSN said:


> What happened to " Drive Friendly - The Texas Way"? 😂


That is just a suggestion, lol


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## GDN (Oct 30, 2017)

KWATTSN said:


> What happened to " Drive Friendly - The Texas Way"? 😂


Now that I don't have a truck, I have to live more by this motto.


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## PowerfromNature (Mar 4, 2019)

GDN said:


> Now that I don't have a truck, I have to live more by this motto.


Yes, when I had my Corvette I had to be nice because everyone was bigger but now that I have my Raptor everyone thinks I am out to get them except that it is usually the small cars who think they can move my 7,000+ lb. truck. When I get my M3 I will have to go back to trying to be invisible again.


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## Corey (May 25, 2017)

when I park at work we have a structure with 4 chargers. I take the spot next to a half wall and and a BMW I3 usually takes the spot next to me. If I'm parking anywhere else I park far away from anyone.


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## SalisburySam (Jun 6, 2018)

As drivers seem to be more and more aggressive as time moves on and traffic increases, I consider that when I weigh options for my next vehicle. If they become EV’s when I’m ready to buy, I think that vehicle will likely be a cement truck. Sure, cut me off. Of course you can tailgate me. Go ahead and flip me off for your perceptions of my driving skills. It’s all good in a cement truck. But don’t be behind me at a stoplight or you just might get buried in concrete if you really tick me off.

Perhaps I sound bitter here...sorry. Yes, I’ll have that 2nd cup o’ joe now please.


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