Best Tips and Strategies When Looking for a Parking Space

Looking for a space to park your car at can be a nightmare sometimes. The good news is there are various options you can take to make finding that perfect spot as easy and as painless as possible.

And while we can't promise you that it will  be stress-free at all times,  we could at least assure you that you'll have better control over the entire process of finding a parking space. Because really, the last thing you need is to get stressed out and frustrated that it ruins your entire day.

And where' the fun in that?

So to make things easier for you, we're giving you some good and sensible tips to make finding that parking space as pleasant (or the very least, bearable) and less stressful as possible.

Let's start with the most sensible and obvious ones:

Use technology to your advantage

Technology can make it easier for you to park your car somewhere. Here's how to utilize it to your advantage:

Go to malls that offer electronic parking

Some big malls, like SM Megamall and Mall of Asia, have “park finders” that use electronic signs to indicate if there is a parking space available. A green color indicates that a parking space is vacant, while a red color indicates that a parking space is occupied.

Use mobile technology

Another option you can take is to download apps that can help you reserve a parking space. Some of them include:

DIBZ - helps you search for your desired destination, reserve a space by calling DIBZ, and then drive to your parking space via GPS.

Park Ninja- allows you search for parking lots near you, reserve, pay via credit card or Gcash, and get an e-ticket to finalize your reservation process.

Fetch- asks for your destination and will ask you to choose from five pickup points. You get the name and picture of your valet and he'll park your car at a secure parking lot nearby.

Other Strategies

Don't always fixate on parking spots near the main entrance

These rows are considered the "most coveted ones," particularly at a busy mall. So your chances of getting them are very limited. We can almost guarantee that another car will already be there before you even have a chance to drive over that spot.

Don't waste your time. Choose rows that are near them instead, and just walk toward the main entrance. It's good exercise.

Don't underestimate the main exit

If you're in a hurry, and you're inside a busy mall where a lot of vehicles come and go all the time, then another good option is  to focus on finding a spot that's closest to the parking lot's exit.

That way, you can avoid getting mired by all the incoming and outgoing cars driving  around. This make things more efficient and faster when you leave the building.

Try to "hover" over one row instead of driving around

If the parking lot is full, then you need to wait your turn. Whenever possible, stop at the middle part of the parking area, and choose rows with 20 or more parked vehicles. Drive near them and wait.

The more cars there are in a row, the better your chances of getting a space at a much lesser time. It's like this: if there are 24 parked cars in slot, and the average time a person stays inside a mall is around 3 hours (or 180 minutes), then you can probably get a space within 7.5 to 8 minutes flat--or around 12 minutes if everyone is getting preoccupied shopping.

And another thing: Don't wait behind another "hovering" vehicle in front of you, since it will double your waiting time.

Pick a row near the main entrance

If there are a lot of empty parking spaces that aren't near the main entrance door, then it's much better to pick a row that's nearest to it instead of circling the area countless times.

It's interesting how people will often drive around the parking lot for 10-15 minutes, when they can just park a couple of rows near the main entrance and walk the entire stretch for less than 2-5 minutes.

Shopping cart areas are good alternatives

If you're doing some grocery shopping, park your vehicle near the place where you dispose your shopping carts. This makes it more efficient for you, and helps you avoid walking a long stretch just to carry your groceries to your vehicle.