Spot-Finding

There is an activity that I do quite often— almost on a daily basis. It requires exceptional eyesight, technical driving skills, and most importantly, constant vigilance. It is:

finding a parking spot in lot next to the IPF.


If you attend BYU, own a Y Lot parking pass, and arrive to school later than 8:55 am, you know what I’m talking about. I have provided a map of campus to illustrate and support my point. The green X is my intended destination. The IPF lot is circled in pink, and the next best lot, at the Marriott Center, is in orange. Now you understand my plight.

Monday and Wednesday I go home at 10 to shower after swimming. Tuesday and Thursday I work in the mornings and subsequently don’t come to school until noon. For these reasons, I’ve developed many of the skills necessary to obtain a spot.

This situation is like this: You turn into the parking lot. You immediately start at the furthest row east. Your chances of finding a spot in this row are slim, but it’s always worth a try. From that first row you systematically work your way west, winding through the rows at a steady 3 mph. However, at any given time, the number of cars looking for spots is at least double the number of spots available. So, you also keep your eyes open for people who look like they’re walking to their cars and leaving. Should you be lucky enough to sight one of these individuals, it is your responsibility to get right up behind them (that means no more than 20 feet). This signals to other spot-lookers that you’ve claimed the person and their soon-to-be-available spot. It may feel awkward and vulture-like to follow a pedestrian at that close of a distance, but don’t worry, the person understands. They are likely to also be a daily participant in the ritual—a “leaver.” When it becomes clear which car is theirs, you turn on your blinker, and soon, you are happily enjoying the fruits of your labor.

Common sense may tell you that such an activity is inefficient and illogical. It may try to tell you that the 20 minutes you spend circling are longer than the 15 minutes it would take to walk to campus from the distant Marriott Center parking lot (not to mention the gas wastage that occurs from driving less than 5 mph the whole time). But the experienced spot-finder will tell you differently! Nothing can replace the satisfaction of finding a spot when the odds are against you! No time saved by parking far away can give you the same excitement that comes from tracking a person to his or her car! It’s especially fulfilling to be in the process of getting out and locking your car (in your newly acquired spot) when some inexperienced spot-looker turns on his or her blinker, mistaking you for an unnoticed “leaver.” You shrug your shoulders, give a sympathetic smile, and walk toward campus, leaving them to continue in the ruthless game.

So today, no differently than usual, I was circling the lot. Ten minutes had already passed, but my experience has taught me not to give up before 25. So I turned down a row, but unfortunately I didn’t look closely enough because another car was driving up the row in the opposite direction. It’s important to avoid rows with other spot-lookers there at the same time because they are likely to steal any spot they see first, and then you’ve wasted an entire 30 seconds you could have spent in another row. By the time I saw the opposing car though, it was too late to reverse or turn into another row, so I had to keep going, despite the waste. Then I noticed that the car was stopped—in the middle of the row. The passenger door opened and a girl got out. She took three steps to a parked car, got in, and before I fully realized everything, backed out of her spot! The stopped car had its blinker on (from the moment she got out) and easily slipped in. Genius! Fortunately, I made use of my skills and found a spot a short time later. In those two minutes though, I realized that I’ve been missing out on an important strategy: accosting a leaver and offering a ride in exchange for their spot! My suspicions were confirmed as I walked from my spot (on the third row! Third row spots don’t open every day.) and actually observed a spot-looker roll down his window and ask a leaver if he wanted a ride. Is it weird to give a total stranger a ride to his car that is 30 yards away? No weirder than tailing him as he walks there, I say. And so, I have learned yet another tactic to improve my record in spot-finding. And if you’re one of those who parks in the Marriott Center, come on over! No need to exclude yourself from the fun! The more competition, the better!