Here's an article I never thought I'd write. Parking lot etiquette. A simple enough concept right? That's what I thought, but apparently, I was wrong. Without fail, once a day when I try to leave the parking lot where my car is parked on campus I am always almost killed. How can you almost die in a parking lot? Easy. Stupidity.
1. Guys, Your Masculinity Is Not Threatened By Going Slow
9.99 times out of 10 it's a guy that almost hits me. I don't know if it's because he's in a hurry, or because his buddies are in the car with him or if he's just reckless but going 30-40 mph is too fast for a parking lot with sharp turns and blind corners. If you can't see around a row then proceed slowly with caution. Chances are there's a car there that can't see you either. If y'all are both going slowly, I'm talking 10-15 mph, then you can both brake easily and maneuver around each other. Don't act like you're being singled out either. There's a reason that your car insurance is exponentially higher than other age groups and females your age. Statistically, you are more reckless drivers making it more likely for you to end up in an accident.
2. Do Not Go Up Rows Like No Other Car Exists
In a parking lot where you can go up any row stick to your side. Coming up the middle blocks people from going up the row and in cases where a car is turning into the row as you are coming (probably too fast) up to the end, it can force you both to stop and back up in order to even make room for both of you to pass. This just slows you down and raises everyone's blood pressure unnecessarily.
3. If You Park Crooked, Then Straighten Up
I am a terrible parker. someplace ask any of my friends. You'd never tell though unless you were in the car with me when I parked. I always straighten up the car. This makes it easier for spots next to me to pull in and back out and minimizes the risk of other cars hitting me. If I had a penny for every time I skipped past a parking spot because the car next to the spot was all kinds of wonky, I wouldn't even be driving, I'd have a chauffeur.
Wittiness aside, be safe in parking lots just as you should be safe on highways or in neighborhoods. Anytime you get behind the wheel of a moving vehicle be aware that you are not just taking your life into your hands but also everyone else's life who is on the roadway. No one's life is worth getting some place faster by a few minutes.
