[Perfectlap]

I pick my grocery runs based on the time when the parking lot is empty.

The Whole Foods parking lot is always swamped. You have no choice but to park in between cars. So I don't shop there anymore although I miss the produce selection.

The Wal-Mart is strictly after midnight proposition, and I still park at the far, far end of the parking lot to provide an at least 8 empty spots cushion front, back, left and right. As that company is managed by morons who never open up enough registers I avoid it anyway. More time on line, more time for kooks to mess with your car out in the lot. Wal-Mart has by far the most infuriating lines in these parts. I've been to other Wal-Marts out of state, same issue. I have lost count of the times I left items behind just to skip a 20 minute wait on line.

Costco/BJ's/Sam's is also another far end of the parking lot situation. Which means a long hike but with those giant karts barelling down into your doors not parking on the highest point of the parking lot is a sin. Basically anywhere you see family wagons, you want to park far in the no man's land and even thinking about parking next to one of those cars is asking for a door ding.

Fast food places, same deal too many teen drivers and bad drivers rushing in a lunch break who just swing their doors open. Park far away.


Big shopping malls, I park on the top level of a parking deck. Lazy people never drive up that far. And look for the video cameras so that the sight lines pick up your car. If there is no parking deck, I park on the empty side of the lot at the farthest part. Where some guy parking next to the only other car in the vicinity (why?) will stick out to a passing driver. Especially if he's snooping around.

What I find interesting is that if you look at the cars that are always parked closest to the entrance of any store or mall, virtually every other car has door dings. People who really hate walking also open their doors carelessly.