The Furthest Parking Spot
February 13, 2005 – 10:31 pmI went to Target today to pick up some toiletry items, and just as I pulled into the parking lot, I noticed an empty parking spot. This particular spot, however, was the furthest spot from the front door. I was forced to make a quick decision (another car was pulling into the parking lot directly behind me), and I decided to go ahead and take the spot, knowing full well it required a little bit of a walk before I reached the front door.
I get out of my car and start walking toward the entrance, seeing that the person who had pulled in the parking lot behind me had now pulled up behind a car waiting in the middle of the path for someone to place their items in their car and vacate their parking spot. I get to the entrance of the store, look back, and see that the person who pulled in behind me was still combing the parking lot look for a spot “near” the door. I suppose I forgot to mention that other spots were available near mine, all of which were quite far from the entrance.
I found this to be an interesting example of the thinking of some people. I have also been guilty of the same type of thinking at points. I found it odd that there seemed to be no tangible benefit to combing the parking lot looking for a “good” parking spot (if you are healthy enough to walk across the parking lot, that is). From a very quick calculation, I found that I had saved approximately one to two minutes of time (guessing when the person who was combing the parking lot would actually enter the store), I saved a small bit of gasoline for my car, and I got a few extra steps of exercise compared to the person hovering through the parking lot. What was the cost to me? Having to exert myself while walking a hundred paces or so? Big deal.
The moral to this story: Walk. Park in the first available parking spot you see, regardless where it is relative to the entrance of whatever establishment you happen to be visiting. In addition to getting some exercise, you might even some save time and a little money while you’re at it. That’s called a win-win, my friend.
4 Responses to “The Furthest Parking Spot”
Good advice. I wouldn’t recommend it at Disneyland, though.
By MDA on Feb 13, 2005 at 11:55 pm
And you free up that hard-to-find spot near the entrance, so those less-enligthened drivers can find one before they become so angry as to be a road-rage hazard.
Good post!
By paul.za on Feb 14, 2005 at 11:02 am
Thanks for the compliments. Good point about Disneyland, Mike. I think Carl Lewis at his prime may have had some trouble trying to walk across that monstrosity.
By jjk on Feb 14, 2005 at 10:31 pm
I have to admit, I sometimes turn into a complete jerk in situations like that. I don’t really care where I park in a parking lot. In fact, I’ll usually park farther away because that means it’s easier to park, since you’re more likely to have two or three spots open next to each other (I’m terrible at parking). Now, I tend to pay attention to what’s going on around me, so I’ll often notice which cars are circling and circling to find a close-up spot. If one of these cars, which has passed up farther-out spots happens to end up sitting and waiting for me to pull out of my spot, then I’ll do things like put my car in reverse, back out a foot, put it in park, check all of my mirrors, check my watch, fiddle with the radio, etc. It may seem hypocritical, since I am lazy in many, *many* ways, but I cannot stand people who are too lazy to walk an extra 50 feet.
By Adam on Feb 15, 2005 at 12:28 am