From birthdays to weddings to casual hangs, even the most exciting events can be marred by an unpredictable parking situation — but you don’t have to let it ruin your mood! Here’s how you can confidently and relaxedly attend the function you’ve been looking forward to, even though you have no idea what parking is going to be like:
Remember that you’re going to have so much fun when you arrive.
Put the dread of the nebulous parking situation out of your mind completely and try to remember how excited you are to attend this event. It doesn’t matter that there could be zero available parking spots when you arrive! The promise of spending some time with dear friends should outweigh the deep-seated, panic-inducing fear that comes with not knowing where to – Okay, fuck, how do people do this? Just drive around until they see a glowing parking garage sign like a beacon in the distance? Just forgo caution entirely and put all their faith in the dark unknown? Heathens! Heathens, all of them!
Memorize every type of parking and make a plan for each one.
If the joy of the event doesn’t cancel out the anxiety of not knowing what the parking is going to be like, then you’ll just need to familiarize yourself with every single possible parking possibility and craft a highly specific game plan for what you should do in each scenario. Thus, when you hop in the car, you can fall back on your detailed preparations and not get stressed out as you head to meet your friends at a bar on the busiest street in town or attend your nephew’s soccer tournament on Labor Day Weekend. Street parking, metered parking, parking garage, open field, ditch, the driveway of an unsuspecting neighbor – whatever the situation ends up being, you’ll be prepared!
Walk.
If you still find yourself breaking out into hives over the prospect of raw-dogging the event’s parking, avoid the parking situation altogether by simply walking! Even if the distance is super far, it’ll be worth it once you get there and can laugh at the people who are struggling to find a parking spot. Not only is walking more cost-effective and environmentally-conscious, it also gives you more time to get excited for the event you’re attending. Plus, there’s always a chance a kind stranger will see you walking and offer you a ride to where you need to go, and there’s nothing scary about that! Just remember to leave the function super, super early, lest you be stuck walking along the side of the highway come nightfall.
If you give these tips a shot, you’ll be stress-free and ready to handle any parking situation that gets thrown your way! Unless it’s parallel parking – in that case, it’s best to just cut your losses and head back home.
