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DavidITGuru



Member Since: 16 Aug 2011
Location: London
Posts: 99

United Kingdom 2012 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 XS CSW Sumatra Black
The reverse of shame
This evening I had to do what is best described as the "reverse of shame".

BP Man warned me many months ago that if the Swiss car park sign says 2m then it's 2m and no higher. Well, I had a good run squeezing into 2m car parks here and there, usually only catching the warning signs and nothing else but today, at Geneva airport and with what seemed like every car in Switzerland behind me, I met the steel girder that was exactly 2m high. Luckily I realised before hitting it (those sunroofs have one use then!) and set about reversing up the ramp past a lot of confused drivers. Obviously I avoided eye contact!

Thankfully there was enough room to squeeze two cars side by side on the first part of the road so I made it, damaging only my pride. The second part though, was only one car wide and with cars queuing to get in I had to get out and do a recce. Luckily there was a large pavement area I could drive over (in reverse, naturally) to join the waiting taxis. From here on it was two cars wide again so I was able to drive past all of them and slip away into the night.

Yes, I'm an idiot but (hopefully!) I have learnt my lesson. Any further 2m car parks will only be attempted if it's absolutely deserted and not at rush hour on a Friday night at an international airport!

Embarassed
Post #197086 28th Dec 2012 9:48pm
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ken



Member Since: 18 Aug 2009
Location: Banging Birds with my bitches !!
Posts: 4328

United Kingdom 
Ha ha you swizz

Will be out your way soon taking some of our Merc and BMW winter tyre testing n driving Thumbs Up
Post #197108 28th Dec 2012 10:30pm
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Welshsurferdude



Member Since: 23 Feb 2012
Location: Newport
Posts: 2314

Wales 
Can I come ken? Smile 2008 Santorini Black 110 XS USW (Sold)

2015 Discovery 4.5 Black pack Firenze red XS

2008 Corris Grey 110 XS USW (sold)

2011 Santorini Black 110 XS USW (Sold)
Post #197126 29th Dec 2012 12:00am
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ericvv



Member Since: 02 Jun 2011
Location: Near the Jet d'Eau
Posts: 5816

Switzerland 2009 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 SVX Station Wagon Santorini Black
David, I presume it was the underground parking lot which with all the works going on there we are forced to take instead of the above ground short term arrival parking? I see the scene already, and glad it was you, not me Whistle .

The only underground public parking in GVA which you can trust with a Defender is Rive, officially ok up to 2.05m, and it works ok, I can assure you. But, don't go to the levels lower than -5, as there the height restriction gradually becomes less without much more warning than a single small sign!!!

Good to see you were able to back up harmless though Thumbs Up

Eric You never actually own a Defender. You merely look after it for the next generation.
http://youtu.be/yVRlSsJwD0o
https://youtu.be/vmPr3oTHndg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GtzTT9Pdl0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABqKPz28e6A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLZ49Jce_n0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvAsz_ilQYU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8tMHiX9lSw
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dxwjPuHIV7I
https://vimeo.com/201482507
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSixqL0iyHw
Post #197149 29th Dec 2012 2:35am
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Rakthi



Member Since: 30 Nov 2012
Location: Where the cats are
Posts: 200

2011 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 HCPU Stornoway Grey
Had a similar experience in a Belgian underground car park with my TD5 ... couldn't back out, had to let air out of tires ... good thing we had one of those little compressors in the car.
Post #197151 29th Dec 2012 2:59am
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bpman



Member Since: 21 May 2008
Location: Oslo
Posts: 8069

2008 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 SVX Station Wagon Santorini Black
sorry to hear that David, when I visited the airport i took the wife's Q5. there aren't many car parks in Geneva that are above ground, my fav. was Square du Mont Blanc, not many people know about it... it's a tiny entrance and one-way only the Swiss could configure, but it's nice and central.

Last edited by bpman on 9th Jan 2013 9:26pm. Edited 1 time in total
Post #197165 29th Dec 2012 9:10am
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ericvv



Member Since: 02 Jun 2011
Location: Near the Jet d'Eau
Posts: 5816

Switzerland 2009 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 SVX Station Wagon Santorini Black
No worry, it works well for me. My underground office parking has just enough clearance for me, and to go to town we use the centrally located Parking Rive. Only the top 5 underground floors as said.... Very funny, my wife once had to go all the way to -7 in Rive with her New Beetle convertible, and when she got out, she was astonished to see that the ceiling that far down was barely 20 cm above the top of her car.
The issue with the airport here is that while in principle with a Defender it is no problem to use both the short term open air departure or arrival parking lots, today there is massive renovation of the entire airport started, and currently the short term arrival parking is closed, with cars being automatically diverted to the underground parking lot, hence the problem you may get into if not careful......... You never actually own a Defender. You merely look after it for the next generation.
http://youtu.be/yVRlSsJwD0o
https://youtu.be/vmPr3oTHndg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GtzTT9Pdl0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABqKPz28e6A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLZ49Jce_n0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvAsz_ilQYU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8tMHiX9lSw
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dxwjPuHIV7I
https://vimeo.com/201482507
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSixqL0iyHw
Post #197179 29th Dec 2012 10:19am
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DavidITGuru



Member Since: 16 Aug 2011
Location: London
Posts: 99

United Kingdom 2012 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 XS CSW Sumatra Black
Revisited the airport this week and found the car park with the raised height. From the photo below it seems that every other Defender owner in the region already knows about it! What you can't see are the 2 Defenders behind me and another in the next row. You don't even see this many together at a dealership!

Post #200286 9th Jan 2013 4:48pm
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BigRuss



Member Since: 15 May 2010
Location: Norfolk
Posts: 2785

United Kingdom 2010 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 USW Santorini Black
so which one is yours?

that if it's the SK60 where did you get it from? Russell
2011MY 110 XS USW Black
Post #200328 9th Jan 2013 8:23pm
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bpman



Member Since: 21 May 2008
Location: Oslo
Posts: 8069

2008 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 SVX Station Wagon Santorini Black
DavidITGuru wrote:
Revisited the airport this week and found the car park with the raised height. From the photo below it seems that every other Defender owner in the region already knows about it! What you can't see are the 2 Defenders behind me and another in the next row. You don't even see this many together at a dealership!



the amazing thing about these defenders in CH is that they are safe... you could leave them there for weeks, Switzerland is a very secure place... no one would dare take them .. lots of surveillance Thumbs Up
Post #200362 9th Jan 2013 9:27pm
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GUM97



Member Since: 05 Feb 2012
Location: Cheshire
Posts: 3555

United Kingdom 1997 Defender 90 300 Tdi HT Stornoway Grey
bpman wrote:


the amazing thing about these defenders in CH is that they are safe... you could leave them there for weeks, Switzerland is a very secure place... no one would dare take them .. lots of surveillance Thumbs Up


That sounds like a challenge Whistle (Only joking, just to confirm Rolling Eyes ) An engine to TDi for!
"Land Rover- Proudly turning drivers into mechanics since 1948"
Post #200364 9th Jan 2013 9:30pm
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geobloke



Member Since: 06 Nov 2012
Location: Nottinghamshire
Posts: 4406

United Kingdom 
Oh crikey I feel for you, I really do. I cannot tell you how many times I have approached a parking barrier, holding my breath, waiting for the scrape...

I am however yet to do "the reverse of shame", but it has come close, very close...

In fact I have just removed the 2" lift as I am sick of not getting in to ANY car parks even Park and Ride car parks.

Keep looking up Thumbs Up
Post #200372 9th Jan 2013 9:41pm
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Green Machine



Member Since: 19 Nov 2010
Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 1226

United Kingdom 2005 Defender 90 Td5 CSW Tonga Green
Many moons ago my Dad took his 110 into a multi-storey. He edged it under the height barrier, keeping a watchful eye out of the sunroof, got through, went and parked. We went off as a family with some friends to do whatever it was we were doing. Later he returned BY HIMSELF to discover that the defender had grown an inch or two during the few hours it had been in the car park! And would no longer fit under the barrier. He had to ask some nearby strangers to get in to compress the rear suspension so that it would fit through again. Lesson learnt. He hasn't ever gone into a multi-storey again. Laughing 2005 Td5 | 90 Station Wagon | Tonga Green
Post #200386 9th Jan 2013 10:06pm
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BigRuss



Member Since: 15 May 2010
Location: Norfolk
Posts: 2785

United Kingdom 2010 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 USW Santorini Black
could be worse, the Festival shopping centre in Basingstoke has a barrier stating the height as 2.1m. the defender would fit in there nicely.
However the route out of the carpark (once you actually leave it that is) sends you under the road for the one way system that and that only has a clerance of 1.8/1.9m Shocked

glad to see someone thought about that Rolling with laughter Russell
2011MY 110 XS USW Black
Post #200442 10th Jan 2013 7:29am
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DavidITGuru



Member Since: 16 Aug 2011
Location: London
Posts: 99

United Kingdom 2012 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 XS CSW Sumatra Black
BigRuss wrote:
so which one is yours?

that if it's the SK60 where did you get it from?


Mine's the Swiss one in the middle. As you can see it's a very cosmopolitan car park as I'm flanked by the French and British!
Post #200505 10th Jan 2013 1:48pm
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