Thoughts And Observations

[Ocean9000]

I wasn't thinking of how people pull into a parking spot, only their doors. Well, if someone parks like an idiot, use these:

https://www.amazon.com/Parked-Like-Idiot-Business-Cards/dp/B00HKS7KPI

As to doors, unless we park our Elios like idiots, it should be nearly impossible to be "door whacked"
(Nice link, thanx!)

 

[Grumpy Cat]

As to doors, unless we park our Elios like idiots, it should be nearly impossible to be "door whacked"
(Nice link, thanx!)

There used to be bumper stickers too, but when I googled them, it appears their site is down, so I don't know if they are still in business or not.

 

[Sidecar Bob]

If you park front in it is possible to get trapped in place by cars parking too close to you.

By being so close that the wheel pods won’t clear the cars. This may make them close enough to bang doors or block entry.

If you back into the parking place the full width is at the exit end, thus keeping cars farther away and allowing your escape.

 

[Ocean9000]

If you park front in it is possible to get trapped in place by cars parking too close to you.

By being so close that the wheel pods won’t clear the cars. This may make them close enough to bang doors or block entry.

If you back into the parking place the full width is at the exit end, thus keeping cars farther away and allowing your escape.

I considered this nightmare scenario as well, and while a it is possible, it would require the Elio to be parked nose in as far as possible into the slot and the blocking vehicle(s) (one would be enough if the other were sufficiently close) would either have to be very short sub-compacts or risk "hanging big booty" into the driving area.
Another reason I choose to always park tail in. Always plan your exit strategy.

 

[DikiJ]

It's safer and easier to back into a parking space than to back out of it.

 

[Critter]

When on my bike my biggest concern is which way is the slope. Making sure i can get out with no reverse gear. I have had to pull out of the parking spot get to my saddle bags because of closely parked vehicles.

 

[Ocean9000]

It's safer and easier to back into a parking space than to back out of it.

Agreed, except for those times when you are cut off in the process of backing in by a self-absorbed turd that whips into your intended slot then lays on the horn and curses you for "trying to hit them". It happens to me at least once a month. Hopefully, some day they will pull this slick trick behind a large service truck or something else with limited/no rear visibility and large mass.

 

[Elio Amazed]

I considered this nightmare scenario as well, and while a it is possible, it would require the Elio to be parked nose in as far as possible into the slot and the blocking vehicle(s) (one would be enough if the other were sufficiently close) would either have to be very short sub-compacts or risk "hanging big booty" into the driving area.
Another reason I choose to always park tail in. Always plan your exit strategy.

Good advice for a bike but extremely bad advice for the Elio.

I got $2200 worth of damage done to my '04 Stang by someone coming forward out of a parking spot.
I was also backed in beside them and they were in a big crew cab. They obviously cut the corner too close.
Like my car wasn't even there. They picked the front end of the Stang completely off of the ground.
They didn't stop until the truck ground to a halt and couldn't drag the car any further.
They stopped, backed up off of my car, and then they drove off (ran) in the other direction.

They caught the guy two weeks later and I got to fix the Stang myself and pocketed his $2200.

My point is that people seem to cut corners more all the time. On the street and in the lots.
All you're doing by placing those low fenders in the area where they're going to be turning in and/or out of the spot...
Is asking to get them hit. I can hear it now... "I didn't see your fenders at all. Why the heck would you back that thing in?"

With the Elio, you're setting yourself up for the very thing you want to avoid.

 

[Ocean9000]

Good advice for a bike but extremely bad advice for the Elio.

I got $2200 worth of damage done to my '04 Stang by someone coming forward out of a parking spot.
I was also backed in beside them and they were in a big crew cab. They obviously cut the corner too close.
Like my car wasn't even there. They picked the front end of the Stang completely off of the ground.
They didn't stop until the truck ground to a halt and couldn't drag the car any further.
They stopped, backed up off of my car, and then they drove off (ran) in the other direction.

They caught the guy two weeks later and I got to fix the Stang myself and pocketed the $2200.

My point is that people seem to cut corners more all the time. On the street and in the lots.
All you're doing by placing those low fenders in the area where they're going to be turning out of the spot...
Is asking to get them hit. I can hear it now... "I didn't see your fenders at all. Why the heck would you back in?"

With the Elio, you're setting yourself up for the very thing you want to avoid.

I have considered this as well, however, in the state where I live while it is not illegal to back out of a driveway or parking spot, if there is a collision the vehicle in reverse is 100% at fault. Any moving vehicle hitting a legally parked vehicle, ditto.
Sorry that happened to you, but if you think about the situation you described, the same thing would have happened to any vehicle, even an Elio parked nose in unless it was pulled way in leading to the possibility of the above "trapped" nightmare!

 

[Ocean9000]

When on my bike my biggest concern is which way is the slope. Making sure i can get out with no reverse gear. I have had to pull out of the parking spot get to my saddle bags because of closely parked vehicles.

Parking a motorcycle anywhere but on solid level ground can lead to expensive physics lessons!