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Dear guys i am facing a parking situation where i may have to park my car (800)under a coconut tree :Shockked:.Our society compound has a lot of parking space which is shadowed by coconut trees.The alternate is to park outside far away as there is no place to the proximity of my building.Is there any way i can protect atleast the windshield/glass from falling overhead coconut trees/branches etc.

Yes i know this is quite amusing but in the era of scarce parking space i am just trying to protect my car from damages so kindly spare me the witty and wacky ideas and help if you can with practical suggestions and solutions.

thanks

Hi Sumeet,
If your parking spot is a fixed place where you park every time, you can get a net installed at that place with metal supports or bamboos, which will catch any falling coconuts and stop them from hitting your car. This type of technique is used in under construction buildings to prevent damage from falling debris from the construction. Alternatively, you could get a rollable awning installed.
However, if you don't park your car in the same place, and have to change parkings, it's much more difficult! You can try a large movable patio umbrella, with wheels, but will be a costly solution.
Regards,
Behemoth

Dear Behemoth,

yes i can manage to get a fixed parking space as there is plenty of same at the backside of the building and the Net sounds like a good idea.I guess i can even use a sturdy plastic type obverhead cover but i will have to get evaluate some options as to how fix the net/cover over the car without breaching any society laws etc

thanks

These types of nets can bee seen in many Kerala cities and towns when the ploy is small and there are coconut trees. I myself got one done with MS rods and flats for Rs 1750 two years back. Out of which the labour charge for fixing was Rs 750.

Got a link to a safety Net product.Thanks behemoth and rajeev for info on nets.Never thought i could use a net.

Safety Nets - Construction Safety Nets, Scaffolding Nets, Coconut safety Nets and Swimming Pool Safety Nets Manufacturer & Exporter

You can simply tie one of those blue plastic sheets over the space where you park the car. Nets are fine but smaller objects might just make their way thru' the net.

I saw a lot of the blue plastic sheets in appt. complexes in Chennai - but that was to avoid pigeon poop!

If you have a lot of parking space why dont you have designated parking slots for each apartment.This way people can have a secure parking and also protect their cars from the elements.Try to bring it up at the next society meet.It wont be pretty if there are many protective nets in the compound,better to have proper sheds.

I would suggest similar to the post above, if there are multiple folks impacted by falling coconuts its better to invest and make proper arrangements for car parking then each one going their own way. It works out cheaper as well if its done in bulk and also apartment's uniform look does not get too much spoil.

:)
thats an interesting problem, and i didnt expect a thread.
You only have two options i can see, park under reinforcement, or not park under a tree.


On an off note, you do what one of our mods(i think samurai) did when a coconut fell in front of his car.

He honked!!!!
:D

A blue plastic sheet would be a much better option as it would provide a shade against everything( like rain, dust,etc). But the plastic sheet has to be thick and sturdy as the coconuts are pretty heavy and while falling from such heights can have great force too.

Plastic sheets wear off quick, and might not bear the load of a falling coconut. A better option if the parking is fixed is metal sheet/net.

btw, another option is to empty the tree whenever it reaches its threshold. ;)

If you have to change parking spaces often and want a cheap DIY solution, get the tops of two cheap plastic picnic table (they usually have removable legs) and place it over your front and read windshields and put your car cover over it. If you have a hatchback, you could leave the rear windshield unprotected as it is unlikely for a coconut to fall onto it from a tree unless the car resembles an old Maruti classic (they had the rear windshields at an angle too).


I suggest parking under a tree to avoid direct sunlight as long as it is not a coconut tree. If you find the right kind of tree, you'll find your car showered with flowers every morning!

And if you are under a wrong tree your car will be choked with extremely small leaves (3-5mm across), which enter every opening and choke my radiator regularly!

Get an overhead net right above where you park the car. I faced the same problem in my building, and have replaced many a windscreen (front & back) to coconuts. Ever since I got the nets (some 3 - 4 years back), no such issues.

Many of the cars parked under open parking in our apartment complex got damaged because of the coconut fall. Now all the coconut trees have got nets around their neck so that the coconut falls within the net. It does require some maintenance thou. Imagine, if you don't clean or empty the net, the entire net with a bunch of coconuts will come crashing on your car, instead of just one :)