Finding a parking spot a weekend before Christmas
Posted Dec 17, 2011 8:09 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
‘Tis the season of last minute gift buying and struggling to find a parking spot at the mall.
This weekend will be one of the busiest at malls and stores as shoppers hurry to scratch everyone off their Christmas list.
The frustration can often begin before you even get inside the mall, with parking spots at a premium.
While we all have our own strategies, ranging from following walkers to their cars to parking wherever we can find a few inches, there may be a better way to go about it.
Using satelitte images a U.S. consulting firm has found most people park in front of a door, spreading out into a mountain shape as you go further from the door.
They say your best bet is to park in the “valleys” which form on either side of the door.
Matt Guttman, from ABC, says it can be helpful to park and wait for a spot to open up.
“Mathematical probability says during busy times don’t keep driving around, stop near a primo spot with 20 spaces in front of you, based on the numbers it’s almost certain you’ll find an open spot in just a few minutes,” Guttman says.
To avoid the parking problems completely, transit provides a parking-free alternative.
