 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Parking Lot Wisdom For The Holiday Season Tom T  |
| |
 The holiday season is upon us. Traffic is heavy ... harried shoppers are racing frantically to purchase the last few gifts left on their lists, and to pick up those special food items. With all the extra travel, you may think that the interstates and the intersections are among the most dangerous places to drive, but not so! It's the mall parking lots! Police officers patrol our streets ticketing bad drivers, but there's very little they can do to enforce laws in the final frontier ... the parking lots.
I've seen it all in the parking lots; people going through stop signs, not using their blinkers, and backing out of parking spaces too quickly. Distracted and stressed by the holiday rush, they appear oblivious to other vehicles and/or pedestrians around them. The other day I was sitting in my car at the mall for about 10 minutes. I observed several cars breezing through the stop signs at the intersection. And those who did stop, did so for only a very brief moment (just to say they did).
Then there were the "competing for a good parking spot" episodes. I didn't need to go to the movies to be entertained. At one point, a Cadillac cut across several lanes of the parking lot (at a pretty good clip) and pulled directly in front of a Lincoln to get to a parking spot. Of course, this spot was only ten feet closer to the mall entrance than another one that no one was showing any interest in. I asked myself, "Why do we do maneuvers in parking lots that we would never consider doing on public roads?" The answer was obvious. Because we can get away with it! There's nobody watching! No accountability! You're in a hurry; you must accomplish your mission; the rule of law becomes "Survival of the Fittest."
Last week on my weekly radio show a listener called who was obviously bothered by an experience she had in the parking lot at the local shopping mall. Here's the experience as she related it...
" I was driving around the parking lot looking for a spot closer to the mall entrance because I had a lot of stuff to carry. I spotted an individual who had just come out and was preparing to leave so I waited for the space. Another car, coming the other way, noticed the anticipated space so she waited as well. I had my turn signal on, so when the car left, I swung into the spot. The other driver blew her horn, screamed at me, and made an obscene gesture. I quickly went into the mall. About fifteen minuets later, while I was walking through a store, the same woman confronted me. She had found a space and hurried into the store to hunt me down and reprimand me! I tried to apologize and calm her down, but to no avail. I were quite upset by the whole ordeal."
This kind of behavior is beyond the ridiculous. It borders on the pathological! If you find yourself competing for a parking spot, back off. There are people on the edge out there. If you have to park a significant distance from the entrance to the shopping area, then try to look at it as an opportunity for some needed exercise!
I guess the best advice I could give in reference to driving in parking lots is: Be a defensive driver; be constantly aware of all other vehicles (and pedestrians) around you. Here are some additional safety tips:
* Don't cut through parking lanes
* Don't assume a car is going to turn just because the turn signal is on (wait for them to actually turn)
* Don't speed
* Practice common courtesy
* Make sure that you look everywhere around you before moving from a stopped position; in a parking lot cars can be coming up behind you or from the sides.
* Don't compete for parking spaces. Be patient. You will find a spot. An extra 5 minutes of hunting is no big deal
* Make sure you leave enough room for access to the cars around you. Don't you hate when you have to practice yoga to get into your car? Or worse yet, when you have to have your car painted after the car next to you chips the paint?
* If someone cheats you out of a space, take a deep breath and move on to another one. It will make you feel like you are the one with class ... and you are.
Forbearance is the key. Shoppers are out in record numbers and emotions are high due to the stress of the season.
Another tip: have a plan laid out before going shopping. Shopping on impulse and at the last minutes increases stress. Know what you want and where you are getting it. One other suggestion is to know the physical layout of the mall. That way you are not wandering aimlessly through the mall parking lot. That reminds me of a story an acquaintance told me recently. He was shopping at a large mall at Thanksgiving, and, after taking many left and right turns inside the mall, he existed. Unable to locate his car, he realized, given the size of the parking lots, that he could be hunting for a very long time. He proceeded to take a taxi home. That evening he and his wife returned after the mall had closed to find his car! I think many of us can relate to that one at some level!
Finally, remember that today people are generally under increased stress from an accelerated lifestyle; add the crunch of the holiday deadlines, not to mention the increased traffic and population congestion, and it is a formula for potentially dangerous situations. Keep this in mind when "taking a parking lot trip." In fact, take it a step further and perhaps actually giving up space to another ... who knows, it will probably "make their day" and they will feel good enough to pass it on. I believe our positive efforts ripple out to others. And isn't this what the Christmas season is all about?
'Till next time...Keep Rollin'
|
|
 With over 27 years in the automotive industry and nearly a decade in automotive talk radio, Tom Torbjornsen makes learning about cars easy with his personal manner, his expert advice, and his high energy and entertaining style. Tom has the unique gift of simplifying the complex and tearing down the technical, meeting you at your level of understanding. You will be encouraged as you gain the confidence to deal with problems related to the second most expensive purchase you will make in a lifetime your automobile.
Email Tom
Click here to visit the America's Car Show website
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|