TincToc

You always see those people who wait around a parking with the hopes that somebody will be leaving the store or mall holding a highly prized “close” parking space. Yea it’s a great feeling to have to walk passed 2 or 3 cars rather than a whole line, say 20 or 30. But is it worth the wait?

Many would argue, yes. In most cases I can see where waiting would be very advantageous. Purchasing a lot of groceries that would be a great strain to push further, or a larger heavy item that must be carried off the premises. These are good reasons for a closer parking spot. Maybe it’s a hot day, and you don’t want to walk as long, as far, in the heat. Also a plus to have a closer spot for the timeliness of the cool A/C.

In these cases there are many parking spaces available and there are many people coming and going. Times aren’t too long in many cases and the parking lots can usually accommodate the waiters as well as the passers by. What drives me insane is having to wait for a spot at the gym.

The gym where I workout is built into a shopping center. There is a very small parking lot directly in front of the gym, and a huge parking structure right around the corner from it. The elevator comes down about 60 yards from the front door to the gym.

I will occasionally drive through the front lot and try my luck that my pass will have been timed perfectly, limiting my wait to 5, maybe 10, seconds. If that is not the case, it really never is, I circle around and go to the parking garage.

Now, if I happen to arrive at a busy time to the gym, there will be a line of people waiting for a parking spot to free up. I actually walked by a person waiting for a spot while entering the gym; an hour later, as I was leaving, that person was just getting a parking spot. What do these people have to do with their lives if they can waste an hour WAITING?! Now this was a rare exception, bad timing by this driver all the way around, as one spot freed up somebody approached and beat them to the waiting position, turn signal and all.

Why does this drive me crazy? Gas prices are ridiculously high nowadays and they don’t seem to be dropping anytime soon. How much gas is wasted idling in a parking lot, waiting for a good spot? What tops it off though is the fact that these people are at the gym. What is the main purpose for going to the gym? A workout? Noooo (sarcasm). Most people are at the gym to burn some calories and trim their figures into a healthier feeling version of themselves. Is it really that bad to walk a couple hundred feet to get into the gym? It’s like a warm-up which is recommended to begin a workout, then a cool-down period after the workout, which won’t hurt either.

So in light of this post, don’t wait for a parking spot,