Losing your car in the parking lot

Roger Tulk

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St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada
As I have gotten older, I more and more often find myself wandering around the parking lot, trying to find where I parked the car. And sometimes trying to remember which car I came in. Because I have a degree in psychology, and some teaching experience, I came up with a sure-fire method of remembering where I parked. Before I get out of my car, I say out loud where I have parked it, as if I were telling a friend where I have parked. For instance "I am parked in front of the Reitman's sign, about seven cars down the row." You must say it out loud, as tnat engages more than one area of your brain.

Remarkably, this system works pretty well. Any time I do this, I return to the parking lot and find my car in a few seconds.

Now, if only I could remember to do this every time, I'd have the problem licked. :rolleyes:
 
well its not a age thing roger,, some time back i mean a like ten years or so, we were in a strange town and got into the wrong car.. as the better half tried to start it the key wouldnt turn,, then i asked her if this was our car.. looked around and soon realized it was not..:eek:
 
It happens to me all the time. It's really an issue when I'm in my Miata. It is lower and shorter than the trucks and SUV's surrounding it. I never had the problem when I had my old '66 Land Rover.
 
I haven't (yet) resorted to pushing the panic button on the fob to find mine, but once or twice I have wandered around clicking the "lock" button, trying to listen for the chirp-chirp and look for the flashing lights.
 
I used to travel on business all the time. I can't even venture to guess how many times I've walked around all 5 levels of the Manchester Airport parking garage looking for my car.:doh:
 
At airports I've been known to write the number down on the parking ticket and put it in my wallet.

Now I've got a little app on my smart phone... "Car Locator". The only problem is you have to remember to use it...
 
Doreen, aged 79, finished all the shopping on her weekly list at Walmart supermarket. She walked determinedly towards her car which she had left in the parking lot. There she saw four youths about to drive away in her car. Doreen became agitated and dropping her shopping to the ground, she drew a handgun from her bag and screamed as loud as her lungs would allow at the four miscreants, 'I have a gun and I know how to use it. Get out of the car you horrible little men.'

The four lads didn't wait around for a second invitation but got out and ran helter-skelter as far away as they could, where upon Doreen, somewhat shaken, proceeded to load her shopping bags into the back of the car and get into the driver's seat. As hard as Doreen tried she could not get her key into the ignition. Then it began to dawn on her why.

She came across her own car a few moments later in another row near by. Putting her bags now, into her own car, she drove hesitantly to the nearest Police Station. As Patricia was recounting the tale to the Duty Sergeant she wondered why he kept giggling and smiling. Eventually he pointed to the end of the counter where dear old dizzy Doreen saw four young lads, faces extremely pale, who were describing how a little old lady, some 5 foot tall, wearing glasses and with grey hair had stolen their car by waving a gun at them.

Doreen was not charged with anything.
 
Years ago I heard of a lady who enlisted the aid of two parking attendants to look for her car, a blue station wagon with a missing front left wheel cover. They found it after a long search, and discovered that she had forgotten to mention that it had a bright red canoe tied on top. :rolleyes:
 
As I have gotten older, I more and more often find myself wandering around the parking lot, trying to find where I parked the car. And sometimes trying to remember which car I came in. Because I have a degree in psychology, and some teaching experience, I came up with a sure-fire method of remembering where I parked. Before I get out of my car, I say out loud where I have parked it, as if I were telling a friend where I have parked. For instance "I am parked in front of the Reitman's sign, about seven cars down the row." You must say it out loud, as tnat engages more than one area of your brain.

Remarkably, this system works pretty well. Any time I do this, I return to the parking lot and find my car in a few seconds.

Now, if only I could remember to do this every time, I'd have the problem licked. :rolleyes:

I had the same problem but found a much better solution it is a free smart phone app call "YouPark Lite". It uses a GPS to track where you last parked and will walk you to your car.
 
They say losing a car in a big parking lot is very common but still a sign of flagging memory.
An elderly lady once approached me in the Wal-Mart parking lot. It was obvious she was disorientated. She asked me to help find her car. I walked around a while then found it. It was covered with scrapes and dents. A reall mess. It seemed obvious to me she should not be driving at all. I didn't tell her I found it but called the police with my cell phone. I felt like a cad doing that but still think it was the right thing to do. They did come and took her someplace.
 
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