What is your parking protocol?

Ronni

Ronni

Well-known Member
Location
Nashville TN
When I run my various errands, I tend to park in the same general locations...at the grocery and at Costco are the two examples that come most easily to mind, I guess because I visited both today! 😂

For most of my adult life, one of my problems is having difficulty remembering where I parked. I don't know why. Maybe it's the visio-spatial issue I struggle with, maybe that all parking lots look alike to me, maybe I'm just a moron! No clue, but I have THE DEVIL of a time finding my vehicle in a parking lot. So my workaround for that is to park in generally the same place every time. It won't necessarily be in the same slot, but it will at least be in the same row. When I park somewhere I don't go very often, to a doctor's office for an annual visit for example, I will take one or more pictures of where I parked, with a visual cue that helps me find my car easily. It may be a tree, or some sign, or I'll line up where I'm standing at my car with an aspect of the building and take a picture of that.

I also park away from the buildings, primarily because I want to get in my 10,000 steps every day, and walking to and from the car is one of many ways I can add to my total. But becuase I do that, it tends to be a bit more difficult for me to find my car, so those pictures on my phone help when it's not somewhere I go to frequently.

What about you? Do you lose your car like I do? Do you have a system?
 

I've forgotten where I parked my car a time or two. I tend to also park further away at the grocery store. Main reasons are I prefer that no one is parked next to me and it's easier to exit. If you park close to the store, there are too many people.

I totally lost my car at an arena after a concert. Could not figure out where I parked for anything. So I went to security and he drove me and was very nice. His first question however was "are you behind on your car payments?" I assured him it was paid for and no one wanted my car.
 
I frequently go to the mall to walk, especially when it's hot outside. I always park in the same general area of the parking garage.

When we lived in Miami and I traveled frequently I parked in the Miami International Airport parking garage. On one occasion, when I returned from a trip they had re-numbered all the garages and spaces and I had no idea where my car was. When I used to park at DFW I always took a picture with my phone of the level/number.

I don't have an issue with parking lots, but in multi-level parking garages I've frequently walked all the levels like an idiot while continually setting off my car alarm and trying to figure out where the sound is coming from. :ROFLMAO:
 

Ronni said:
When I run my various errands, I tend to park in the same general locations...at the grocery and at Costco are the two examples that come most easily to mind, I guess because I visited both today! 😂

For most of my adult life, one of my problems is having difficulty remembering where I parked. I don't know why.
Click to expand...
Same here, I did once "lose" my parked car. I was at UC Davis where there were several huge parking lots that all looked alike. I think it took me 45 minutes to finally find the car. Been more careful ever since.
 
For some reason, I always forget which row I parked in at Walmart. It’s small so there’s only two or three rows it will be in; I just hate turning down the wrong row and having to cut through the cars with my buggy. Once I knew where the car was and it wasn’t there. I stood looking until my husband waved me down. He’d seen the car and moved it two rows over. Forget the reason; something about who was parked beside me.
 
There is a distinct 'herding instinct' in the UK. If I parked my can in an empty car park and went into a shop, when I came out, another car would be parked beside it! Maybe cars get lonely and need another one to talk to.

I had a 'senior moment' in Tesco recently. We had gone shopping using our camper instead of the car. Now, it's quite an uncommon make of camper and I've only seen two others. Looking through the store windows, I saw another camper just like mine. I said to Mrs. L, look there's another R30 I must go and have a chat with the driver. On going outside, I realised that it was MY van - I had just forgotten where I'd parked it!
 
In large shopping car parks here ( not multi storeys').. the lanes are numbered.. so F 2.. or A6... so easy enough to remember... if not numbered then I line up my car against a certain part of the building in my minds' eye.. and remember that way.

In a multi storey car park in the past I've forgotten what floor I'm on, and in one heart stopping occasion forgot which Car park I was in.. ( many years ago)... so now I have this App on my phone...
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/find-my-parked-car/id987712319
 
Ronni said:
When I run my various errands, I tend to park in the same general locations...at the grocery and at Costco are the two examples that come most easily to mind, I guess because I visited both today! 😂

For most of my adult life, one of my problems is having difficulty remembering where I parked. I don't know why. Maybe it's the visio-spatial issue I struggle with, maybe that all parking lots look alike to me, maybe I'm just a moron! No clue, but I have THE DEVIL of a time finding my vehicle in a parking lot. So my workaround for that is to park in generally the same place every time. It won't necessarily be in the same slot, but it will at least be in the same row. When I park somewhere I don't go very often, to a doctor's office for an annual visit for example, I will take one or more pictures of where I parked, with a visual cue that helps me find my car easily. It may be a tree, or some sign, or I'll line up where I'm standing at my car with an aspect of the building and take a picture of that.

I also park away from the buildings, primarily because I want to get in my 10,000 steps every day, and walking to and from the car is one of many ways I can add to my total. But becuase I do that, it tends to be a bit more difficult for me to find my car, so those pictures on my phone help when it's not somewhere I go to frequently.

What about you? Do you lose your car like I do? Do you have a system?
Click to expand...
Oh,my goodness,yes!!!!
I have a black Nissan Sentra that of course,looks like approximately every other car in the lot, especially at malls and Walmarts...
I actually "lost" it after a 10 minute trip in the post office and called my daughter in a panic, knowing without a doubt that dementia was starting( I was actually in a different spot than usual)
I have a handicap tag now( knee & hip issues) so it's usually right there when I exit,unless I leave through a different door than I entered,then see above😀
A friend would gladly arrest to my misadventures after a Yankee Candle adventure the day after a blizzard!!!!!( Can't let those valuable coupons go to waste🙃)
 
I always park close as I can to the stores doors. If I have to park far away hidden in a bunch of bigger cars I come out of the store and walk in the general direction and hone in like a homing pigeon to my little sedan. The best way is to go to the store with Misa. I follow her in and out. We go straight to the car, :)
 
Once, when I was able to park in my favorite spot, and identical car parked next to mine. Well, when I exited the store, I nearly called a lock smith to open my car door, when the owner of that auto did it for me. Needless to say, I am still embarrassed to even think about that incident.
 
Capt Lightning said:
There is a distinct 'herding instinct' in the UK. If I parked my can in an empty car park and went into a shop, when I came out, another car would be parked beside it! Maybe cars get lonely and need another one to talk to.

I had a 'senior moment' in Tesco recently. We had gone shopping using our camper instead of the car. Now, it's quite an uncommon make of camper and I've only seen two others. Looking through the store windows, I saw another camper just like mine. I said to Mrs. L, look there's another R30 I must go and have a chat with the driver. On going outside, I realised that it was MY van - I had just forgotten where I'd parked it!
Click to expand...
Oh, the herding instinct. Mine was the only tent in a camping area that was about an acre (.4 hectares) in size. There were no designated spots; you could camp wherever you liked.

Then a German couple came and pitched their tent about 6 feet (2 meters) away from mine. ???
 
Alizerine said:
Once I lined up my car with an exit door. Unfortunately, I came out a different exit and was totally confused,
Click to expand...
I've done that too... and unfortunately for me.. the second exit door that I came out from wasn't even on the same side of the road as the car park, nor was it at the rear which sometimes it is.. but actually at the side, and the car park at the side looks identical to the one at the front.. and I didn't know this exit existed. Took me about 15 minutes of rising panic to work out where I'd left my car.. :LOL:
 
Gary O' said:

What is your parking protocol?​



Hmmmmm....a 'system'.....

I drop my lady off at the front door

Then, park far enough away to nose into a spot where I can drive out forward

Then watch people

Then watch my lady try to find me
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You don’t really make her try and find you do you?! 😂

If Ron drops me off, he’ll go park somewhere and then when I’m checking out I text him that I’m done, and he’ll meet me at the door of the store. Very handy!
 
Years ago we were in Atlantic City and parked in a casino garage that was 4 or 5 levels. I though I remembered where I had parked but when we were getting ready to leave we couldn’t remember where we parked. We walked for several minutes pushing the car alarm button but to no avail. We were near panic when I heard our horn beep in a distance. That was a scary experience for both of us.
 

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