Opportunity Parking - Thoughts?
 

Backstory: It's dark and I don't have any good lights for my bike (sad, I know) so I took the car to acme. I always enter from the back and pass by the back parking spaces for the DMV and go around the front to get to the Acme spaces, but tonight I was thinking, if I parked in the back I would be save a whole bunch (not that much, but compartively) of gas by parking in the back. I didn't though because no one is back there at night and I'm paranoid about car theft.

So this begs the question. Not so much what would you do in this situation, but in general what do you do to take advantage of parking when you're out? Usually I park the most quickly I can in the back of the lot so I can pull through and have a quick exit...What do others do?

:turtle:

1) There's actually an "Acme" store?? I thought that was just a coyote & roadrunner cartoon creation!

2) I usually park in the hinterland of a lot to minimize the amount of uncertain manoeuvering in the packed rows around pedestrians & other vehicles. Usually that means closer to the entrance/exit than the building. I think that's what you're talking about with the DMV slots.

I also aim for a pull through spot, and the one I ultimately choose is based more on where the car stops rolling than anything else :)

First spot I can find wins for me - even if it's nearer to the back...


That being said... I think last week some poor woman and her daughter (son?) were found in their running car, gagged and shot (both dead) at a somewhat local mall :eek: They were parked in the far reaches of the parking lot...

I park in a pull through spot near the back because there's less chance of me hitting other people when I leave and not as much time spent screwing around looking for a spot, which tends to mean I spend less time at the commerce place.

I tend to park in the first spot I can find that I'm able to pull through.(face-out park) Also, if there is a spot that allows me to park on a downgrade, I'll take advantage of that too.

Going for pull-through parking is another example of where hypermiling and defensive driving tactics overlap.

It was in the curriculum I taught when I was an instructor. From a strictly defensive perspective, the key concern is avoiding situations where you have to reverse into a flow of traffic. So we taught choosing a pull-through spot, where possible. If none are available, reverse into your spot (and that again goes along with good ecodriving, since you're doing the manoevering while the car is warmed up).

Dito here.

Okay, so one time I was parking at a wal-mart and I found a pull through spot near the front cause I was with my mom and she always wants a good close spot, so I pulled through and turn off the vehicle, unbuckled my seatbelt, and kinda sat there waiting for everyone to start going out of the Jeep (I always like to be last to make sure everything is locked up and secure) and this lady drives by in her Ford Escape chewing me out through her window. I'm thinking what in the world!? so We get out of the Jeep and walk up to the store, and this lady (looks to be 19-23 no less!) is walking up behind me chewing me out some more.

"Oh I bet you thought that was REAL Classy how you just pulled up like that" was her exact words, I just Ignored her and went inside, but I had no Idea what I did wrong, I still had my permit at the time so I thought nothing about it, but ah well.

As for parking and worrying about theft, I don't think about it much, I always lock my doors and if I'm leaving it for a while I pull the tarp over the expensive stuff. I live in a nice quaint village of 550 and I don't worry much about anything.

My typical/automatic response to goofy things like that is... "It's the future." It catches people off guard, in confusion, given a few moments to escape :p

good to know, I'll remember that ;) oh, and I agree with your signature quote. SUV's nowadays are for grocery getting. But there are exceptions, like me, "Only in a Jeep". On the side, it says Laredo, I might not ever go there, but I definitely have gone to ... we'll call them exotic.. places we'll never go. If your a true Jeep owner, you'll know what I'm talking about if I mention "The Jeep Wave". Look it up if you have to.

DifferentPointofView -

Here is what I think happened. She wanted your space and expected you to park in the space that you "pulled through". Sooooooo, she thought that you took her space, even though, technically, her name wasn't on that space, ;) .

My Mom has always liked to park under the shade to keep the car cooler (to avoid using the AC), and I like the (small amount of) extra exercise I get, so I like to park under a tree out in the boonies.

CarloSW2

trebuchet03 -

Going Dada on their butt can help to throw people off. If you don't give a "normal" response to their aggression, it can make it harder for them to escalate the situation. But, easier said than done in some situations, :( .

Hence, one of my mottos is "Crazy like a Box!"

CarloSW2

What I thought happened was she saw the spot and was driving behind some people, she waited for them to go by and not notice the spot. But as she was driving up she saw the front end of my Jeep pull up and just went ballistic. What's funnier is she found a spot closer than me in the Isle to the left.

Pull through is the way to go. I park at work about 1/4 mile from the entrance.(we have a really big lot). I get more excercise(still losing weight to reduce engine load)the car stays cleaner (all the bird poo is near the front where the trash is)( oh ,and seagulls are particularlly nasty), and everyone is behind me when it is time to leave. S.

I find myself EOCing into my work parking lot blind, so I usually have more momentum than I'll need to park. I'll still go for the furthest space I can find, to save fuel for the next person burning around for a space. It's small, but every little bit counts - whether it's my car or not.

I like pull through parking in that it is safer for when you pull out, now facing forward. I think if you get really technical, it is ILLEGAL to cross any yellow line in a parking lot. Not a real big deal until somebody else tries to pull into the same spot at the same time, they you have damage and the law on the other person's side, so just something to note.

I try to park in the shade in the summer and in the sun in the winter whenever possible.

I park when it is fast and easy to, rather than spend too much time searching for the perfect parking space.

If you park a little farther from the building, you get more exercise.

Some big stores have the entrance on one side of the front, and the exit on the other side of the front. Park on the far side of the exit. You get a little exercise when you walk in, and it is a really short walk coming out, when your hands are now full.

Oh, and what is "EOCing"? I am new to all these acronyms.

EOCing is Engine Off Coasting, :)

Really?

Where I live, parking lots are not covered by the highway traffic act. The vast majority are private property. I've never heard of a law like that. (Doesn't mean it's not real - just saying.)

MetroMPG, you must realize that you live in a DIFFERENT country than we do. laws are different in CA than USA. most of CA's Laws are probably more beneficial than the US's laws which are sometimes ridiculous just to get more money out of our tax paying dollars :mad:

I was under the assumption that parking lots weren't covered by traffic laws either, but apparently it varies by state. In California traffic laws apply to parking lots with "public access"
I don't think they applied at all in Missouri.

They certainly apply here in Australia.

The actual wording is something like "and areas adjacent to the road" which includes carparks on private property (McDonalds , K Mart KFC etc for example) , rest stops owned by local councils / municipalities / cities and so on.

Several people have found that one out the hard way.

Cheers , Pete.

oh say it aint so, now im gonna hafta become a anarkist