Parking can indeed be one of the most daunting parts of shopping, often causing stress and frustration. Whether it’s a tricky parallel park or even a bay park, finding a suitable spot and getting into it smoothly is not always easy.
However, a particular shopping center in Australia, specifically the Glebe Hill Shopping Center in Tasmania, has come up with a clever solution to ease this common stress for drivers. While the parking lot may look similar to many others—with spaces divided by white lines—there’s one significant difference: the addition of rectangular boxes between each parking space.
This simple yet effective design tweak substantially increases the gap between cars, allowing drivers to maneuver their vehicles more easily and also making it simpler to get in and out without bumping into a neighboring car. While it’s true that these additional spaces may reduce the number of cars that can fit into the lot, the benefit of less stress and fewer minor accidents is a trade-off that many would happily accept.
One satisfied driver took to social media to share their positive experience with this innovative parking solution. Posting on the Tasmania Parking Fails Facebook group, they expressed their relief at the new design: “All car parks should adopt this method for line markings. It gives you a level of confidence when parking here that it is fairly unlikely that you will get a ding in your door whilst shopping.”
They continued, “I realize that it doesn’t absolutely guarantee that damage won’t occur, but it is most likely 95 percent effective. Not too many parking fails seem to happen here because the double lines have the effect of creating more accurate parking. Supermarket car parks are renowned for a high degree of car damage but not so here.”
The online community has received this idea with enthusiasm, describing it as ‘genius’ and ‘such a great idea’. Another person who experienced the car park firsthand stated it was an ‘absolutely elite parking experience’. Of course, while the possibility of a mishap is never entirely eliminated as cars navigate the close quarters of a parking lot, the added space between parking spots significantly reduces the chances of minor collisions.
This innovative approach to parking lot design might just be the answer to reducing stress and preventing those all-too-common dings and dents. It’s about time more shopping centers consider implementing such a feature, making the end of our shopping trips a little less stressful and a lot more enjoyable.
