For some people, parking can be one of the most stressful part of driving. One reason is because so many people are either unaware of, or completely disregard, even the most fundamental rules of parking lot etiquette.

Which is why we’re exploring some of the parking dos you should know as a driver. It’s only basic courtesy after all. If you follow these tips, you can be an example to all parkers out there.

1. Park closer to a pillar or the wall to give others more space

While they don’t really teach you this in driving school, it’s more of a courtesy to your fellow parkers, and to protect your car as well. Some people are often rushing for time, and their haphazard parking skills will definitely show. By giving these people more space, they will find it easier to park, and to minimize the chance of them denting your car as they rush out of their cars for whatever reason.

2. Remember to fold your mirrors

Folding your side mirrors may be cumbersome at times, but it’s simply common courtesy for those who are trying to get past your car. A parking spot is sometimes tight, and it can be difficult to push a trolley or even to walk past. Worst case, you’ll have someone knock and possibly break your side mirrors as they try to squeeze past. Try to avoid that happening at all costs.

3. Don’t park over the line

A car park has properly drawn lines for obvious reasons; they’re guidelines for each and every car to fit in snug and perfect. However, there are some people who like to go over the lines. Maybe they used to color outside the lines in kindergarten, who knows? But if you do that, you might be blocking someone else’s car from parking properly, and this will lead to a chain reaction of cars parked haphazardly. Plus, if you’re parked too deep in, it may just lead to the ‘Kancil’ situation, where you give other drivers a false hope of finding a parking when it’s occupied.

4. Do not leave your shopping trolley around

While this may not exactly be related to parking, it’s something that has to be brought up when talking about parking lots in Malaysia. Malaysians have a habit when parking at shopping malls like AEON or Tesco; we tend to leave the trolley lying around after we have finished using it, instead of bringing it back to its proper parking spot. Sometimes, they’ll leave the trolley in the parking spot, and some unfortunate person may just ram into it without noticing it. So do everyone a favor and park the trolley back to its bay.

What do you think? Are you going to park right? Leave a comment below!