Park By The Cart Return
Today I was at the grocery store gathering a few necessities such as trash bags, and milk. I think I speak for most of us when I say the natural desire is to park as close to the door as possible. Yes there is the occasional ass that parks at the back of the lot sprawling diagonally over 2 spaces, but even he probably doesn’t want to park too far away. We do this as an instinct in order to reduce the amount of effort it will take for us to get there. I’ve witnessed drivers that will conveniently stop traffic while waiting for the perfect spot. And we’ve all seen the vultures that circle just to gain a few extra feet toward the glorious door—as they dart for the space that opens up.
There are a few occasions where this is acceptable—rain, too hot, too cold, handicapped, or if acid is falling from the sky. But I’d say most of us are just lazy. More of us should consider parking farther away. We need the exercise, it’s good to be outside, and it’s much more convenient for the rest of the drivers if you will just park in the first space you see.
If you really are concerned about walking have you considered the fact that you have to walk the cart back to the store? If you don’t walk the cart back, you really should take a look in the mirror for a few hours. In many locations, the closest parking space is still pretty far away when you consider returning that cart to the store front. Although I haven’t measured a test group of grocery stores, I firmly believe the best place to park is directly next to the cart return. There is a nominal amount of extra walking if you have a cart because you don’t have to take the cart back to the store, these spaces are usually available, you don’t annoy as many other drivers, and you feel good about making an intelligent decision. So park by the cart return and begin to judge the vultures from your pedestal of intelligence.
15/12/2005 at 3:53 pm Permalink
i have started to practice this myself and it works out great. those of you who just leave the cart anywhere you want, shame on you!
09/01/2006 at 9:48 pm Permalink
I agree people are soo friggin lazy, by the time they wait they could have been in the store, back in their car and sitting back on their fat butts.
24/02/2006 at 11:22 am Permalink
Don’t forget, many just leave their cart in the middle of the parking lot – usually wedged between two other cars’ front bumpers.
Additionally, where’s the best place to park at Home Depot or Lowe’s? These monster stores usually have a specified Entrance and Exit set of doors. I personally park by the Exit since I usually have a bung-load of hardware on a big-ass cart. Of course I’m going to minimize the distance to my car.
(Just found this discussion about Home Depot’s parking interface).
03/03/2006 at 1:27 pm Permalink
What France said. The selfishness does not begin and end with the vulture-like circling and two-spot taking.
There are many parking lots in L.A. so heinous I opt for street parking, paying the $1 or whatever to avoid the stress. Life is too short…
04/03/2006 at 5:03 pm Permalink
I started leaving the cart parked in front of where left front tire would be, once the car was parked. I only leave it there IF the parking lot is busy and if there is no way for it to roll off by itself.
I have two reasons for this. 1. My hub’s grandmother broke her hip, and refused to be one of those old ladies that succumbed to a lifetime of walkers and becoming bed ridden. She insisted on walking on her own terms, but sometimes it gets to be too much for her. I noticed whenever I took her shopping, she’d scout the parking lot till she found a cart, and ask if I would park near it. Then she’d use the cart for support as we made our way across the parking lot and into the store.
Since then, I have noticed other older ladies doing the same thing.
My second reason is for moms who have a combination of toddlers and babies in the car. Trying to get the toddler to stay nearby and still get the baby seat out can be challenging for some moms. If the cart is close to the parking space, they can just grab it, get the baby in the cart and be on their way in less time.
It’s just a matter of common sense in deciding where to place the cart. Obviously the goal is not to let it block traffic or roll into other cars!
So uh, there’s another opinion! hope it makes sense!
24/03/2006 at 6:57 pm Permalink
One of my favorite things (and by that I mean: most annoying) is when people stalk parking spots right next to a trailhead. Wha… wha… wha? God forbid you have to walk more than a few car lengths to your hiking trail.
I read a “news” article online recently that described three different types of people: (1) those who take the first spot they see, (2) those who stalk spots by driving behind people who are walking back to their cars, and (3) those who wait in one spot until a spot becomes available in their row. Like horoscopes, whatever “type” you are determines all sorts of things, from how happy you are to whether your kids will go to a good college. For the record, I’m a “1″. As a former New Yorker, I actually like walking and I also like not getting my car doors dented by asshats in SUVs (who, in my observation, are usually “3″s).