The big domes of the Trafford Centre are unmissable and alluring as you come off the M60. But trying to get into one of the largest shopping centres in the country by car is tricky – especially on the last Saturday before Christmas.
There are 18 car parks that sprawl the 2m square foot site near Stretford with 11,500 parking spaces in total. On top of that, there are all the double yellow lines by the pavements that some drivers deem appropriate parking spots.
Clearly, these motorists missed the massive sign at the entrance that says ‘PLEASE PARKING POLITELY’. Or perhaps they misunderstood the message that follows on the electronic board warning of ‘NEW PARKING RULES IN PLACE’.
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Either way, on Saturday afternoon (December 23) at around 2pm, there is not a free parking space in sight. Optimistically, I try to park as close as possible to the shops, hoping that some customers will be leaving.
But serendipity is not on my side. I snake around car park 9 at Peel Avenue, but there’s no space to be seen.
There’s a queue of cars ahead of me, so I quickly lose hope of jumping into a spot as someone leaves. After driving past row after row of parked cars – and some opting to park on the pavement instead – I give up and try car park 8.
Immediately as I enter, a couple of cars are beeping their horns at each other. The situation is ripe for road rage.
Car park 8 is smaller and the lanes between each row of spaces seem narrower. Crucially, every space is taken.
Getting out of this car park proves to be a challenge in itself. So far, driving around has been pretty smooth, but suddenly I’m stood still, waiting to get out of this car park and onto the next opportunity over the road – car park 6b.
I drive down slowly, carefully inspecting each row I pass for headlights or indicators signalling someone’s departure. That’s when I spot the headlights of a white Ford Focus flash and a couple holding shopping bags open the boot.
I gently apply the brakes and optimistically stop a few metres in front, waiting to see if they’re leaving. Bingo! But it’s not over yet. Despite using my indicator to claim the spot, some drivers here don’t play by the rules.
I inch forward to let the Ford Focus leave and immediately switch gears to reverse, signalling to the driver behind me that the space is rightfully mine. Thankfully, this motorist drives on, leaving me plenty of space to manoeuvre.
Altogether, it took me nearly 20 minutes to find a park space at the free-for-all that is the Trafford Centre. But it feels like I was fortunate to secure a spot within a two-minute walk to the John Lewis entrance of the shopping centre.
With my car parked, I’m now free to go shopping. And what a lovely experience that will be two days before Christmas (!)
Robert Johnson is a UK-based business writer specializing in finance and entrepreneurship. With an eye for market trends and a keen interest in the corporate world, he offers readers valuable insights into business developments.
