Anyone who has ever been to a parkade on Black Friday or a snowy parking lot in the middle of winter has likely witnessed an epic parking fail! When it comes to parking fails it’s often easy to blame some careless driver. “What on earth was that driver thinking when they failed so epically at such a simple task?”
But did you know parking fails aren’t always the driver’s fault? Parking fails can happen for a number of reasons including:
- worn out line paint that makes parking stalls difficult to see,
- heavy snow that makes parking lines invisible,
- lack of signage that indicates the height of parkades,
- or lack of bollards that keep cars out of areas they don’t belong.
In this article, we’re taking a look at the most epic parking fails that are sure to get you scratching your head and rolling your eyes. However, we’ll also share how these parking lot fails could have been prevented with a bit of forethought and the appropriate parking lot maintenance services.
The Parking Stall Hog
In this photo, you can clearly see that this corvette blatantly ignored the parking lot lines in this parking lot. Some drivers do this to avoid any dings on their beloved vehicles, even if it means hogging several spaces in your lot. There’s not a whole lot you can do to stop a true parking stall hog. However, some people become parking stall hogs by accident…
When the paint in your parking lot has faded it can be difficult for drivers to see parking lines and appropriately park within the stalls. This can lead to drivers parking in the middle of multiple stalls by accident, even if they want to follow the rules and be courteous to others.
How to Avoid It
One of the best ways to avoid accidental parking stall hogs is to book consistent line painting services. Depending on the parking lot line paint used, your parking lot lines could fade in less than a year, making them difficult for your patrons or visitors to see. Repainting your lines consistently is especially important if your lines are painted with water-based line paint. This type of line paint tends to have the shortest lifespan compared to the alternatives.
The life expectancy of your parking lot lines will also depend on the amount of traffic that drives through your lot. Lots with high traffic benefit from the use of TBL Durables line paint which can last up to 3 years before wearing away.
The “Curb? What Curb?”
The photo above is one of those instances where the parking fail is definitely the driver’s fault, but there are still things you can do to prevent such parking mishaps.
In the photo, we can see that this driver decided to take full advantage of their vehicle’s capabilities so they could avoid exerting any additional effort to turn their steering wheel and park their vehicle appropriately. Who cares if there’s a hedge in the way, right? Parking lot owners everywhere are shouting, “Me! I care!”
When people park on curbs or other places where vehicles don’t belong, it can be both an eyesore and a safety concern for other users in your parking lot.
How to Avoid It
To stop inconsiderate drivers from parking their vehicles willy nilly around your lot, it’s a good idea to invest in both curb painting and bollard installation.
Curb painting is a great way to make the curbs in your parking lot stand out. This helps the more considerate drivers avoid hitting curbs while maneuvering around your parking lot or pulling into a parking stall.
If you find that drivers are consistently using your curbs as parking real estate, it may be helpful to install bollards. Bollards are great for protecting parking infrastructure and marking pedestrian areas. Make sure to invest in reflective bollard covers so your bollards are easy to spot in your parking lot. A camouflaged bollard could lead to collisions and create new problems on your lot rather than solving the existing issues.
The Invisible Parking Lines Conundrum
When winter is in full swing and heavy snowfall is constant, your parking lot may start to look like the mess of random vehicles pictured in the photo above. Heavy snow can cover your parking lot and make parking lot lines practically impossible to see. This leaves drivers parking randomly throughout your lot without any rhyme or reason.
Some cars may invent new rows, others may leave too much space between their neighbours, and some may even accidentally trap cars and leave them too little space to exit their stall. Basically, winter can lead to some major parking problems.
How to Avoid It
One of the most obvious ways to improve a snowy parking lot is to get your parking lot plowed. When the snow has stopped falling, snow removal can help to remove the excess snow in your lot allowing drivers to more easily see your parking stalls and park within the lines.
The Tight Squeeze
The driver’s famous last words were, “I think I can fit.”
This photo shows a rental truck that was wedged under a parkade ramp in a shopping centre parking lot. Although this unfortunate parking mishap looks to have been the fault of a driver who wasn’t paying attention, it was actually the fault of the property owner. The parkade ramp didn’t have any signage telling drivers the height of the ramp. This lead to the driver’s unfortunate assumption that they could fit under the ramp when they obviously could not.
How to Avoid It
As discussed above, this parking fail can be avoided by installing proper signage in your parking lot. By letting drivers know the height of your parkade, they’ll be able to make the decision to turn back before it’s too late. Proper signage installation improves safety on your lot and also ensures that you are not liable if a mishap like this occurs.
The Directionally Challenged Parker
Do you remember how we said parking fails aren’t always the fault of the driver? This photo is the exception. When your parking lot lines are clearly marked and drivers still decide to ignore them, then there’s not a whole lot you can do but shake your head!
The best you can do is ensure your parking lot lines are consistently repainted, your curbs are easy to see, your lot is clear of snow, and there is adequate signage on your lot. The rest is up to the drivers!
EverLine Has You Covered For All Your Parking Lot Maintenance Services!
Whether you need a line painting service to freshen up your faded lines or signage installation to keep large vehicles from getting wedged in your parkade, EverLine has got your back. We have all the parking lot maintenance services you need to reduce the number of parking fails on your lot. Even if you can’t stop drivers from parking irrationally, we’ll at least help you ensure that you aren’t liable for any parking fails on your property.
Contact us today to get started!
