Parking Etiquette

I spent the last few minutes watching a parking video and it got me thinking about parking lot etiquette. In my business I see almost daily vehicles with parking lot dings and damage that might have been avoided with a little common sense (what strikes me as common sense of course doesn't always ring true universally.)

I drive a small size car normally, but every once and a while I will drive the family truck to Costco or the grocery store. I am terrible when it comes to parking the "Big Rig" , but great at compensating. I've learned to park at the outside lanes of the parking lot where I have extra room to maneuver. I pick up carts that are left near my vehicle and return them to either the collection area or into the store with me and I open my door slowly, never assuming that the car next to me is empty. These small steps, knock on wood, have keeped me and my car safe.

We live in a super fast paced world and unfortunately, in our hurry to get into and out of stores we often forget common courtesy and manners. I believe that there is such a thing as parking lot etiquette and while the are no hard and fast rules, here's a list of the ones I observe while looking for that perfect parking space and wish others would as well.

1. Observe the legal aspects of driving in a parking lot including, stop signs, handicap spaces, pedestrian crosswalks and use of turn signals.
2. Do not block other parking space seekers while you wait for a space to open up near the store entrance.
3. Park only in designated spaces.
4. Center your vehicle in its parking space.
5. Pull your vehicle all the way into the space, but don't pull too far forward If you drive a small car (Honda Fit, Smart Car, Kia Rio, etc.)
6. Never force your car into a space.
7. Remove trailer hitch receivers if they hang out of the parking place.
8. Watch for drivers backing out of blind spots.
9. When backing out of a space, keep an eye out for vehicle's with trailers or boats.
10. When parking in perpendicular spaces, don't pull through to the other side.
11. Keep children under control walking through parking lots and never let small children push the shopping cart for you.
12. Park shopping carts, dollies, and baskets in designated areas.
13. Keep the parking lot clean; shopping carts are not trash cans.
14. Avoid curb hopping it can damage the curb, landscaping and your car's tires and or alignment.
15. Slow down in the rain.
16. Make every effort to exit expeditiously.
17. Etiquette in the parking lot is also for pedestrians. Do not walk in the middle of the lane, do not jay walk so that a car may not turn. If you're going into the store and there is a shopping cart nearby, return it to the store or use it.
18. And finally, resist temptation to blow the horn (or give the finger) to other drivers or pedestrians.

If you do have an accident of find damage on your vehicle it is always a good idea to take photos of the damage on the car or cars, record vehicle placement in the parking lot and to document names, faces and insurance information. Parking lot damages may or may not be covered by the store or your insurance company. Parking lots are private property and as such are not held to the same rules as public roads and highways. Your insurance agent should be able to answer any questions you have.

My advice, when ever entering or exiting a parking lot is to slow down and smile. It might not protect you from an accident, but it will make the whole experience more enjoyable.