7 Tips to Remember When Parking in the City

Picture a beautiful city skyline. Enticing, right? But get down to the street level and you’ll often find jam-packed people and cars.

Exploring the city is an exciting adventure but it can also be a bit stressful. Not only does driving offer up some anxiety, but parking also.

If you aren’t an expert city-dweller, you’ll want some advice. Read on to find seven tips to remember when parking in the city!

1. Secure Your Vehicle

There are over 765,000 car thefts each year in the United States. It’s important that you secure your valuables to reduce the risk. Even if your car is not stolen, you may be putting yourself at risk of losing important or costly items.

Keep things like purses, wallets, money, cards, identification, keys, garage openers, cell phones, GPS, gaming devices, computers, headphones, and more out of sight. Any of these objects may attract unwanted attention to your vehicle.

In addition, you should always lock your car. Don’t forget to roll up all the windows and close any sunroofs.

2. Use Caution in Parking Garages

Parking garages are an easy way to locate lots of parking and keep you and your vehicle out of the elements. They also offer another sense of security by having your car off the street with some guards watching over.

What parking garages don’t protect you against is other people. Many crashes still occur in these structures due to the fact that people are commonly distracted. Pedestrians can also cause issues.

It’s often hard to see around so many cars and concrete structures inside a parking garage making it riskier. Parking garages also offer criminals the ability to operate in secret.

Always use extra caution when driving and walking in a parking garage.

3. Check Out Helpful Apps

It seems like there is an app for everything these days! Even parking. Many of the GPS apps offer hints on how to find parking in the city.

For example, the navigational app Waze has symbols so that you can see where to park in the city. This takes a lot of the driving around out of the equation as you can easily navigate yourself in the right direction.

Systems like ParkMobile can help you find and even reserve parking for later. You’ll never have to hope that there is a spot available.

4. Always Read the Signs

The signs are there for a reason. There are many rules about how, when, why, and where you can park in the city.

Be sure that you follow all of the rules to avoid any legal trouble like parking tickets. Parking in the wrong place can put you and others at risk.

Conducting business in the city when it comes to transportation is often a difficult task. As annoying as it can be, these rules are in place for a reason. It’s best to be aware of and follow any of the rules.

5. Use the Internet

Signs aren’t always the most forthcoming with all the information you need. There are holidays and other events that cause a change in the rules.

Many big cities keep an online resource for information when it comes to their streets and city parking. If you find yourself unsure, you can always read up on what will be going on during your time in the city.

For example, New York City has an entire site dedicated to its parking rules and regulations. This can help you avoid tickets. If you do find yourself in trouble, check out this parking ticket help.

6. Stopping, Standing, and Parking

Be aware that there are different things you can do in a spot. Know the difference between each of these.

A stopping or standing zone is an area that you can not park in. However, you can pull into the space to drop or pick someone or something up. Generally, you need to be with your car at all times during this stop.

You can get a ticket for parking in these zones. Most of the time parking means that you have left your car unattended.

7. Keep Track of Your Time

Parking meters can be tricky to keep track of. Luckily, there are more apps that can help you keep track of how long you have been parked in one spot.

If the area you are parked in isn’t up to date with this sort of technology it is always best to keep a timer. Write down the time that you need to be back to your vehicle. Even if you are just a minute over your time, you can still get a ticket.

You can also set a timer on your phone or watch to indicate when you need to leave. Just set it for a little bit sooner so that you have time to get back to your car.

Cities are usually on top of their patrols too. It’s best not to risk the ticket and remember how long you are able to stay in that spot. Haggling with the parking officer doesn’t end in your favor either.

Parking in the City Successfully

Parking in the city is an intimidating feat. Don’t make yourself miss out on the sights and sounds because you feel like you can’t accomplish the drive or in this case the parking.

With these seven tips, you are better prepared and more aware of what is to come with your city adventure.

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