My Cayman Ruined Dinner

This was a verystressful experience. We decided to go to a local Chinese restaurant in KOKO MARINA (busy) shopping center. I thought I would just find a nice end slot to park my baby, but most of them had BMW;s in them already, so I drove down a little further to some covered parking. The wife kept saying,'just park there', well THERE had a bit of a slope to the whole parking area and I could see that gravity could easily get the best of a opening door and bang into my Cayman even if I was on a large end slot! By now wife is starving and getting pissed after several circles of the entire center. I finally found a parallel spot which was about as good as it was going to get. I still didn't like it though because it was close to exiting traffic. We walked quite a distance to the restaurant and finally got served which seemed to take forever. All I could think about was getting back to my car and getting it out of there. I painfully rushed through all four courses only to sit another 15 minutes trying to get the check. Then walking back to the car was a near sprint for me, while my poor wife lagged way behind. She was a little annoyed, but she got over it now, I think! She asked are we going to go through this ever time we take your car? I reluctantly said probably. We did have a nice drive afterwards and I showed her wait 4800 rpms in first sounds like. Aloha Russ

Russk, At some point our sun is going to turn into a small red giant and envelope the earth, which means if your Cayman is still around at that time it is going to be toast. Don't worry about it, drive the car and let the chips fall where they may! Keeping the wife happy is MUCH more important, remember if the wife goes, so does 1/2 your stuff including the Cayman! /fckeditor/editor/images/smiley/MWPX/whatchutalkingabout_smile.gif

Yes, K-Man S, that is the ideal attitude to take with all material things. However, who hasn't been over protective of their new toy? I won't even drive my Cayman at all during the winter (salt). And I park in privately indoors at work, to be extra safe. I wish my car were here now, despite last night's snowstorm.

Russ, Here's what I did with the wife and dinner tonight. We did our first big drive today with the Cay, 100 miles round trip to the OC for an early dinner. I dropped my wife off at the front of the restaurant and sugggested she order drinks and appetizers and I would be back in about 10 minutes. I drove to the back of the parking lot at Fashion Island and found a big spot next to a red Modena with plenty of room between us and no other cars within 50 feet. Everybody is happy. Don't listen to these other guys. Car safety is critical. I would be ill if I came back from dinner and found a ding on the door of my first Porsche. JHellow

Thanks guys, I am gald to know I am not alone on this. I should have dropped her off first!! Next time I will know better. Russ

I gotta say that I was also very concerned about dings. Spent the first three weeks searching for 'safe' spaces but started gradually realizing that I never saw dings on any cars here in Japan. It finally dawned on me that folks here are amzingly careful about not touching other cars, at all, in parking lots. I'm still careful but have eased up a bit...

I completely understand. As we speak I am now working tirelessly on an inflatable protective door bag. It will attach where the roof rack hooks in. I would tell u more but Iam late for myappointment withthe psychiatrist. Mike

Russ, I look at it as part of my exercise program. Not my wifes. By the way you can buy color coded magnetic parking guard strips to temp. place on the doors if you don't like your parking spot.

There's that and then there's the fact that so many Americans are obese that they have to open their car doors greater amounts to accomodate their wide carriages, more likely causing door dings.

Russ, Its just a car man, it will get dinged, scratched and what not. I seriously hope you will track your car or at leat autox it; there will be damage at the track as well, parts will wore faster, etc. But I do not think you can enjoy the car if you worry about every little thing that may/will happen to it. As long as you and your wife are safe in it and you keep the engine, drivetrain and chassis in good shape, you'll be enjoying the car for a long time. Paint stuff easy to take care of compared to others.

Thanks for the comments. SF, I did have those magnetic door guards on BMW, and they were clear! They worked very well but one by one they dissappeared and then I realized that I was forgetting to take them off while driving! They will blow off at low speeds. In Hawaii we have some HUGE people, Tongan, Hawaiian, Samoan and more, and I watch them get out of their cars. They don't even think about the car that is next to them. Their only thought is getting their 300+ pound rear up and out of their car. I will just have to be very selective. Aloha Russ

There are never justifiable advantages to being disabled/handicapped, considering how good things could be without the ailment/health condition, but the permanent condition allows one to park in a disabled space, if it can be found. That is the only good thing, and some people see such a car in a space with the authorizing card displayed, and raise their eyebrows. The added space gives some protection from dings, but then there are shopping baskets, and children with big toys. Please just grin and bear it, and still look for those end spaces and parallel parking opportunities.

musgrove, I know what you mean about seeing a car like that in a handicapped space. Right away we assume that it is some wise guy being lazy and disrespectful. It is pretty bad over here, I will see guys with a truck raised up higher than h_ _ _ and with surfboardssticking out the back! I will manage, and appreciate the fact that I have the option of walking the distance if necessary. Enjoy your car, and congratulations on 55 years of marriage . Dawn and I have 50 years to go to catch up to you. Aloha Russ

Russ it might we worth the peace of mind to find themagnetic color matched door guards. The ones I remember were about an inch wide and didn't draw attention to those who might be offended by the more obvious guards. You could always leave a post-it note on your steering wheel to remove them before moving off. I Edited by - Santa Fe on 01/22/2006 12:01:08 PM

SF, The ones I had before were 12' x 30' and quite noticeable. Russ

Russ, On the last night of the 2004 Porsche Parade in Ft. Worth TX, I was driving my turbo from downtown out to the Texas Motorspeedway (TMS) for the final night's awards banquet. My black car was filthy and bug splattered from the previous two days of driving in the autocross competition and the driver's education event at the TMS. I pulled out and passed a Porsche Cayenne filled with well dressed people. When I got to TMS, I parked, and as I was walking up to where the banquet was being held, the Cayenne was there, unloading its occupants, one of whom I recognized as Peter Porsche, the current family patriarch. I went up and introduced myself and thanked him for producing such a great car as the Porsche turbo, which I enjoy driving so much. He asked if that was me that passed them on the freeway, and when I answered yes, thinking he was going to say something about how dirty the car was, he said back to me, 'good, we like to see them very, very dirty... it means you drive the car... we like them to be driven.' I said thank you and went into the banquet knowing the man who's name is on the cars wants them to be driven like they were meant to be.... The lesson - they're made to me driven... drive it like you stole it, Russ. And, have fun doing it. Brad

Thanks beez. So far most of the Caymans seem to polished but not driven, something that will surely change when the bloom is off. Then the true magic of the Porsche will be revealed.

Thanks Brad, great story. I knew SF was glad to hear that. With his driveway I am sure there will be days when his Cayman will look driven! ALoha Russ

I see it this way - things that happen while driving may or may not be preventable, but finding parking spots that reduce chances of things happening to the car are under our control. Think about this way - if you have to take the car to have it repaired it will take way more time, then few minutes to find a spot away from other cars, and having to walk for 5 min. is a good thing /fckeditor/editor/images/smiley/MWPX/regular_smile.gif

Mine has already been full of groceries and dry cleaning. I figure I paid too much for it to sit in the garage. Besides its just too much fun to drive. The Murano is just going to collect dust unless I need the cargo space. I am very careful about how I park though, too many folks don't care about other peoples property.

You can do both...drive/thrash and keep it clean and pristine. My 911 is in great shape and I wash and clean it regularly and I never park near anyone (the only time I did...door ding). But I still auto-cross it. It's balance and compromise. But I won't stop parking in what my kids call 'no mans land' to keep my baby pristine. Russ...when I related your story to my wife last night she was concerned and pleased to know that other men behave like me

PACayman, That is one of the great things about this site, it almost makes me feel normal. I know some of you are laughing at me right now, but until I found this place I had no idea there so many other guys that think this way. Russ

Porsche Parking Paranoia Eat Pizza in the garage and then go for a real exhilarting drive with or without the wife/girlfriend. Then celebrate upon return with your favorite beverage. No dings. LL

Went to COSTCO and parked way out in left field, next to a tree. AsI am returning to the car, I watch this Evo drive all the way to the area where my car is parked and then actually park next to my car! At this point I am getting apprehensive, but then the carslowly backs outonly to thenpark behind my car. Finally they see me coming and figure I must be the owner, since there isn't another car around, and then slowly drive away. I do a late night run to Trader Joe's for some chocolate for the wife [!] and again find an isolated end parking spot. As I come out I see three young guys perusing the car as they pass by. One goes over to peer in the driver's side window - always keep your detail spray and soft clean terry cloth available for this situation! This car is getting lots of attention whether it's parked or on the roads, so when parking you might want to cover it with one of those car covers that, only on TV advertisementsI am afraid, makes it look like an old clunker.

Parking in left field can have its downside. Two guys asked me for my 911in New Orleans quite a few years ago when I returned to it out in the boonies. I suggested immediate violence and thankfully they left. I wouldn't do that today. Also parking behind buildings away from the main parking areas is an invitation to having the car towed by a thief. I've been watching a guy repossesing cars in Santa Fe lately and he never gets a second look even with alarms blazing.

If you are not familiar with the area you are in, I would agree that leaving the vehicle out in a lonely place may not be smart. Perhaps a useful new feature in PCM would be an indicator of vehicle thefts in the immediate area of the vehicle as well as the incidence of accidents. It seems like the navigation system developerscould easily get this kind of information from insurance companies and load it onto the DVD, soon to be hard drive. As you are driving along looking for a place to park your Navigation system could provide somegood information while you decideabout where to park. Santa Fe, I am glad you got out of the New Orleans predicament with only an adrenaline rush.