Parking is difficult. Ideally one would walk or bike to a grocery store, get some sun, get exercise, save on fuel. But when we do drive to a store, parking lots are a mixed hell of crowded stalls, uncertain pedestrian/vehicle interactions, stray shopping carts, and other threats to one’s peace of mind. They always drive me crazy, and I for one would rather park far away and walk, rather than be the person that makes a few laps around the aisles looking for a closer spot.

There’s something else I prefer to do at any sort of parking structure, and it puzzles me that in general people make other choices and leave this opportunity available. That is to park at a location where the number of car-neighbors is minimised. These spots are often free at the end of the lot, even though there are cars in the middle sections.

Hassle-free disembarkation

Finding an island or pillar to park next to reduces the chance of door dings or getting side scraped, being parked in, and just all the other hassles in dealing with the Sartrean hell that is asphalt and other people.  It’s well worth an extra couple meters to decrease that stress.

How is this generalizable to other issues engineers face?

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