After years of mini-ing I have hundreds of parking tales, but the best part of parking a Mini is when you leave and look in the mirror and see some other car trying to get back into that spot

too true - Since coming over to Australia last year I've been driving a Mirage but for the past 8 years in the UK I'd been driving Minis, Fiat Cinquecentos (not the old ones but still only 3.5m long) and other small cars (Metro, 205, Panda).

I keep lining up for a reverse park into spaces that I don't have a hope in hell of making as I keep thinking the Mirage is smaller than it is.

At least I have my mini on the road now - small spaces here i come...

After a couple of hours of thinking about my "best" mini parking story (everyone else in the office are a little puzzled by my constant grinning and occasional chuckle) I think I've come up with my best - at least one of them anyway...



A few years back we where visiting Adelaide for Minis at the Mill in early November. On the Saturday night we decided to cruise out to Glenelg to check out the local action. The scene of this amusement was in the car park at the Water Park (now since pulled down) with its 90 degree angle parking bays.

We ended up following two large cars (Falcon/Commodore sized) around the carpark when a small car up ahead started to back out of a spot right outside the front door. The lead car (being a courteous driver) stopped to let this small car out, then started to swing into the now vacant spot. Suddenly the car stopped, paused for a few seconds then reversed up and drove off.

The driver of the second large car that had been patiently waiting probably thought it was either Christmas or his Birthday. He then swung into the space. He had a little trouble though and had to back out and try again a few times before he finally managed to get his car into the space.

The road ahead was finally clear and we started to move forward when I said to my wife, who was driving the Mini, to stop and wait for a minute. The marked spaces weren't very wide, and the cars on either side of the car space in question were both parked a little over the lines - which now kept us entertained for a few minutes as the car that had just sqeezed into the space could only open the doors on both sides of the car about 2 or 3 inches.

After several unsuccessful attempts to get out both sides of the car, the occupants of the big car finally gave up trying to get out the doors. The driver had even wound down his window to check out that method of vacating his vehicle until he wisely realised that his minimally attired girlfriend may not be open to that idea. Eventually he gave up, restarted the car and backed out of the spot (again requiring several back and forward manoeuvres to accomplish his departure).

This left the parking space empty for us to drive the Mini staight into, and for us to easily get out of the doors on both sides - while receiving a standing ovation from the crowd that had gathered around for the entertainment.

About an hour later, when we returned to leave, the cars on both sides that were over the lines were still there - and you guessed it, a new crowd started to gather as another courteous driver stopped to let us back out so that he could have this prized parking spot in the centre of Glenelg on a warm spring Saturday night for his block of flats on wheels.

^^ ahhh, don't you love the old "vulture" manoeuvre in a mini, just wait around until the big car gives up its struggle for the too small parking spot.

Ok, next time I go to westfield I'm taking a picture of my "reserved" parking spot where only minis and abandoned shopping trollets fit between two poles.

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One should never skimp on the zip ties.

Must be a Westfield thing.

There's a spot on the roof parking at Westfield Airport West right outside one of the entrances that has a light poll in the centre of it.

It leaves almost enough space for a Roundie, with the back bumper left sticking out about an inch over the line. Not even Clubman friendly.

theres always the good old trick of hiding right up the back of a spot (the bigger the better) and sitting in the car to see how many people try to pull in, thats always worth a laugh.

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78 Leyland Mini - Prince

My favourite used to be driving around the carpark of Tweed City shopping center in the moke with Buddy in the passenger seat , find a car that had just parked with a space beside it and swing in , park and bolt out of the car . The occupants in the other car would look to see 25 kg of Staffy grinning at them through the open sides of the moke with a huge leather harness on (had no choice , his neck was bigger than his head , collers didn't stay on ...) . Most of the time they wouldn't bother getting out of the car , they would just start up and drive off looking for another park . The only one that didn't drive off was a girl in her early 20's who sat in the moke with him and gave him a kiss on the top of his head , Buddy just sat there thinking it was christmas with a new friend . She'd been around staffies most of her life and knew what they were like ..... By the way , this is Buddy guarding the moke , would you be game to get out of your car beside him ? He's the biggest sook ever born but doesn't look it .

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this is my jobby in Westfields the other night Emmeline was there
I have driven into the foyer thingo hahah

Classic.

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Cheap, Fast, Reliable. Choose two.

Nice pic of a Mack truck

whats the GVM of the Prime mover

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This isn't a crazy parking story but I laughed at the time. It wa a Sunday lunch a few weeks ago at my work, One Tree Hill Pub. And I always drive my mini to work and that day we had the Studebaker car club booked in for lunch. I park my car outside a window that I can see from the kitchen so I can watch who is touching my pride and joy and on that day, at that time there was only two cars in the main car park, mine and a dodgy VN commondore. Due to my car looking far superior to the commondore the first two cars to the pub both parked either side of me, If only I had a camera, they took a picture...must find out who it was so i can get the pic from them. It just shows that there is respect for an old restored car. After about 20 mins the car park, closer to me was almost toally filled by sudebaker, mostly 'hawk' models I believe and I had a little mini in the middle... These big finned US desisnged things and my little beast Twas great...VW car club are booked in in a few sundays, ill bring a camera to work that day!

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1964 Morris 850, 1330 Supercharged - 81.8hp atws.
1975 Leyland Mini S 1100S powered - Nice and reliable.
1977 Leyland Mini LS - Project LS-T

im going to get mine into uni sometime soon, i wanted to put it int he lift but i checked it out, it wont fit...


i'll just ahve to drive down the stairs :P:P

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78 Leyland Mini - Prince