I always park in the same place. Well, not precisely the same place, and not even the same parking lot. But I always park in the same row of a given parking lot when I'm shopping at, say, Target, the mall, or the grocery store.
I park in the same row regardless of how far I have to walk down that row, regardless of passing a much closer spot in another row, and regardless of the weather. It's not always the most convenient solution available but I never regret it.
Now, once upon a time, I parked wherever a spot was most handy. That seemed like a fine idea. Until I would attempt to return to my car only to find that it was gone. Well, not gone but not where I left it either. Okay. Maybe it was where I left it but it wasn't exactly jumping out at me and making itself known.
So, I'd wander. Which is annoying in the rain, and when I'm tired, and when I have a cart that won't fit between parked vehicles. And which is humiliating when someone is following me around a crowded mall lot with their car in hopes of getting my spot. But the absolute worst is when the bag boy is following me with a cart and I'm carrying a strung out toddler through the rain.
That sucks.
So I made a decision. Better to go the way I know. Better to head down a particular row and find my car at the bitter end of it than to quest for the car I left somewhere, maybe, closer to this entry. Or maybe it was the other entry. Oh, sheesh.
Now this strategy has it's limitations. Some lots are too small too consistently have the same row available. Some malls are experiencing a seasonal rush and parking anywhere at all seems like a faint dream. But mostly it works and when it doesn't, I am very aware that I am not parked in my usual row and take particular pains to remember all kinds of landmarks and details that I might otherwise ignore.
I'm glad I finally learned not to use other vehicles as landmarks. It worked out the first time I did it, but since then I've come to realize that was a bad precedent.



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