Parking Lots and Parking Structures

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I have a huge number of problems with parking lots and structures. I am wondering if anyone else can relate.

A key driver: I have non-neurotypical spatial orientation. Also, the executive function of my brain gets overloaded.

Challenges with parking lots:
- people coming from all directions when I am trying to find a spot
- people pulling out at me when I am walking across the lot
- being surrounded by other cars when I park far away and there are plenty spaces closer to the store
- people coming from all directions when I am trying to leave
- walking into the store with people I don't know; walking out of the store with people I don't know
- trying to find where I parked

Parking structures, on the other hand, are an exponentially more difficult
- all of the above, plus:
- darkness, lots of car exhaust, other peoples' radios
- smaller parking spaces than in the past
- structures being full and having to drive to the top
- uncertainty as to what "ticket" I have to grab on the way in
- uncertainty as to who to pay on the way out (a new nightmare these days - no attendant; you can trust us, just put your credit card in our machine, hope the machine doesn't eat it)
- angry people ahead of me
- angry people behind me
- often after an event where it's now dark outside
- processing what happened/what was said during the event while all this is happening in the structure
- orientation as to where I am when I exist the structure (what street, what direction, etc.)
- usually tired after some event which makes it all a lot harder

Just a slice of my non-neurotypical processing when I am dealing with parking lots and structures...

Stressful just thinking about.... Streets and highways are another set of nightmares, but that's another story.

I can understand and somewhat relate. I can handle smaller parking lots if they have a well established and organized pattern of use. Most lots and all multilevel structures, however, are not. They are total chaos with not structured patterns that I can perceive or understand, which causes much anxiety and stress. I have taken public transport to avoid this as the bus chaos I can manage with headphones whereas the parking chaos I have no way to cope.

I am really hoping I will get desensitized to the people going in with me and exiting with me - that would be great. I wish I had some good busses near me (or subway stations, etc.). I like the idea of manageable chaos. In general, I prefer a smaller more manageable beast to a bigger one, and a beast I know to one I don't. Thanks for your thoughts all.

I avoid those parking garages where you must get a ticket or there's no attendant but you have to do something at the gate. I park in the street and will walk.

OP's post reminds me of a case where a woman dropped her credit card while sticking it in the slot. She opened her door to retrieve it on the ground, but while doing so, her car rolled forward. It hit a beam or some structure and caused the door to compress into her head. She got trapped in that position and died.

https://people.com/human-interest/ohio- ... t-machine/

Wow, that's a horrific tragedy. One more reason to avoid those crazy parking structures.

Are they really so greedy they can't pay someone to actually work the gate? Yes.

I don't drive so I don't have the specific problems that you describe with parking lots and parking garages, but I do find them disturbing and dystopian, especially the parking structures. I even have dreams about them. And is it any wonder that so many attacks and murders in fictional TV shows take place in parking structures? They are a perfect backdrop because they are so intrinsically menacing and unpleasant.

Well said: disturbing, dystopian, menacing and unpleasant. I agree 100%

I find the new parking structure at the train station so forbidding that I'd rather catch the bus there instead of parking.

At an airport near me, you drive in via an automatic gate that reads your licence plate. When it recognises you have pre-paid, it opens and lets you in, without issuing a ticket. From there to the terminal, you are bombarded with electronic billboards at roadside and on the shuttle bus, reminding you not to forget your ticket (which of course you haven't got), and recommending you write your zone number on the back of your ticket (see above) so you don't forget where you have parked. When you return, the same billboards remind you to find your ticket (see above) and insert it in the gate when you exit.

The first time I visited, the gate issued me with a ticket on entry. I thought nothing of it, of course, especially as the 'don't forget your ticket' messages were not confusing or ambiguous. When I returned and inserted my ticket in the gate, it didn't open, and told me to pay £175. It had, of course, read my licence plate wrongly on the way in. I had to call a human attendant.

The second time I visited, the gate issued me no ticket (see above). When I returned, the gate didn't open, and told me that my vehicle was not recognised. This time it had, of course, read my licence plate wrongly on the way out. I had to call another human attendant.

I'm a computer geek and acutely aware that these systems are generally put together by mediocre techies with incompetent management, across a variety of outsourced companies which don't communicate with each other. I think it's only that knowledge that stops me from getting overwhelmed.

Just the word "airport" overwhelms me. Also, the situation of getting bombarded with too much info and processes, and unexpected fines - sounds horrifying. Confusing, ambiguous messages - that's all I deal with when I go to any public place. I agree that a big problem is the people who set this stuff up - and their lack of communication skills.

To this day I still cannot wrap my brain around the boarding pass concept. I know why they exist and I know we need them. But my autistic brain says: "I have a ticket, let me on the plane". I don't want to deal with their faceless "give me a boarding pass" machine, etc. etc.

Airports are a nightmare for autistic people. What saves me is the departure board; as long as I'm within sight of one, I can put my headphones on and zone out, knowing that I won't miss my plane. Otherwise I just make sure I'm in control as far as possible, and keep all processes linear, making sure I never hurry or get distracted. I make a habit of arriving early just to make sure.

One of the hardest parts about dealing with airports is the assumption that everyone already knows what they're supposed to do, so there aren't proper instructions or even obvious places to get in line and so forth. Once you've traveled from the same airport a few times it's not so bad because you've learned the routine, but the first time it's dizzying.

Finding the car: before I leave my parking place I try to turn my body and look in three or four directions, for example north, south, east and west. I try to look for unique land marks and other memorable visual queues. Sometimes I will also use my cell phone camera to take pictures of all 4 directions. Yesterday I also got out my phone and used google maps to see where I was and took a screenshot too. If there are signs like “A9” or “green section” I try to memorize the sign or photograph it or write it on the back of the ticket.

I put the ticket in my wallet where the cash goes in the very front. I used to put in a pocket but that made it hard to find later.

Also with parking garages I actually like to park on the roof. Easy to remember. Usually less busy and more light and less crowded. Easy to see my car. I like to pretend I own a penthouse or I am Batman defending the city. Also the exercise is good for my heart.

Airports - keeping processes linear. I definitely need that as well amid all the distractrions. I also arrive as early as possible so I have a time to mess up and get back on track. Sometimes a couple hours early.
Airports - I hate that there aren't enough instructions. I fly so rarely it's always learning things from scratch all over again. I am always reinventing the wheel.
Parking lots - great idea on the land marks, picture and looking around. I tend to have tunnel vision. When I look around, it saves me. I definitely write my level and space down - otherwise I am lost. I am glad my key chain has a "make a sound" key fob that tells me where my car is when I can't find it. That has also saved me. I am all about the roof as well. Less crowding and I know where I am.