Shopped at a big Regional Mall, then forgot where I parked! (stores, shirt)

[questioner2]

A few weeks ago I went to a local big Regional Mall with over a thousand Parking spots and 160 stores. When I was done shopping I could not remember where I parked the car. I spent over an hour looking for the car in the cld poring rain, and struck out. I assumed it had been stolen or towed. Finally in frustration, I had to take a taxi home and try again the next day. My wife and I went to the Mall and looked and looked for the car and she finally found it. It was nearby a place I had looked the day before.

Does this ever happen to you and does the big parking lots make it less likely you will shop at the Mall?

[momof2dfw]

Nope, never lost my car in a parking lot even at the big shopping malls or sports arenas. I guess I just have a good sense of direction.

For future reference if you look at the light poles around where you park most malls and/or other large venues have them color coded and numbered. You can easily remember or write down something like "Red 3". The Galleria Mall here in Dallas has signs even inside the mall that give directions for even the parking lot entrances so you can make sure to go out the same door you went in. You might also remember what stores are located by the doors you used to enter and then when it is time to leave you can stop and look at one of the directories that are typically scattered about the mall and find that store that is located by the door you used.

[groove1]

I lost my car in downtown Toronto once. Took all day to find it.

[Racelady88]

I lost my car at The Summit in Houston after a Van Halen concert. Security drove us around & around in a golf cart until everyone else had left and suddenly the Romulan Cloaking Device was removed & there was my car, the last one left.

As for the mall, I always park in front of Sears. That limits the area that I have to look through.

[RoaminRed]

My pickup is bright bright yellow. I never have trouble finding it, even if there's 1000 vehicles in the lot.

[charolastra00]

Never at a mall, but I'll never forget being about 9 after a long day at 6 Flags over Georgia with my parents and younger brother. My mom had lost the slip where she had written down the parking grid (which she ALWAYS does) and we wandered around until we got close enough that when my mom hit the alarm button, it went off!

[lilypad]

I hate to admit how many times I forget where I parked in a large lot, and feel like an idiot with my basket going up and down the parking rows!! Also my car looks like lots of others. And several times have tried to get into someone else's car!! Thankfully noone noticed.... There are times when I have a car from work, will forget I have it, and be looking for my old green Buick. That is scary!!

[Twinkle Toes]

No, I have never lost my car because I always make a mental note of where I am parked, which store I came into and which sectionm of the store. I find landmarks too - like last week, for example. I went into the mall through Nordstrom, I remember seeing an ugly bold black and white tunic on a manequin. So, Nordstrom, ugly shirt. That's how I remember things.

One time though, I was desperately trying to get into this car and my remote door opener wasn't opening this car. I was pissed! I thought, "crap, this damn thing's not working!!!" Then I realized there was a car seat in the back. "Hey, I don't have a car seat!" Then I felt like a total dork because I was trying to break into someone elses car!!!

[lilypad]

Oh, same here TwinkleToes! There was a carseat in the back and something dangling from the rearview mirror!!

[AliceT]

I can't count the number of times I've lost my car! I always seem to have the most popular color vehicle - white or grey. Then I got smart. You know those antenna toppers? I made sure mine was something unique. OK, not an antenna topper - a grouping of brightly colored ribbons tied right at the tip of the antenna. Put some on my CB antenna too. So When I look for my car, all I need to do is look up - the antennas will tell me where it is. That and making sure I know what the first thing I saw was when I got out of the car.

Something else that works is making sure to park in the very back of the lot - furthest parking space from any door. Usually this is the least populated with other parked cars - which will make yours stand out and usually too far for most others to even want to consider. I can't do that any more with my back problem, but that's when I switched to the ribbons.

Now I just use a unique antenna topper.