Where is the very best parking space in the whole lot? It’s simply the absolute first spot that you encounter upon entering the parking lot, and it’s not just for Ferrari and Porche owners.

Here are the many reasons to park right away:

You use less gasoline. When you use less gas, you are conserving a precious resource. Conserving in small ways is the simplest first step that we can all take in order to reduce our carbon footprint. The small things really add up! Who would have thought that the savings from taking more right hand turns would be significant enough to institute as a company policy for UPS? For more conservation ideas, check out 10 No Cost Ways To Reduce Energy Use In Your Home.

You’ll save money. Using less gas means that you’ll save money. I did a calculation based on parking spot choices over the course of 40 years, and the amount of money to be saved is significant, especially considering how small of a change it is, with so many good benefits.

For example: Say you cut down your parking lot driving by 1/4 mile every day at work. (Check out Gmap pedometers and put it in hybrid mode if you want to tailor this to your situation) That would mean a savings of 1/4 mile / 20 mpg x $2.50/gallon of gas x (40 years x 50 weeks x 5 days/week x 2/day) = $625. And that’s just driving to work, in today’s dollars, with today’s price of gasoline, without investing the saved money. What about all the other places you drive?

You get a little more exercise. Exercise is more beneficial when it is continuous, but it is always good to fit bits and pieces of it into your day.

Your car is probably safer from getting hit. Why do you think the fanciest cars are always parked so far away from everybody else?

Better for your car. You’ll spend less time idling, as well as using your car in a stop-and-go manner.

It’s easier to find your car on the way out. Once you get in the habit of parking far away, you’ll always know right where to find it.

You aren’t constrained to being a driver. As a driver, you must obey particular laid out rules for drivers, such as which direction you are allowed to drive, and the fact that you must stay within the lanes. As a pedestrian, you generally have more freedom to walk where ever you want to.

Possibly less stressful. Driving doesn’t stress me out because I don’t do it a whole lot. But for those that can’t stand the way other people drive, it seems like less time spent behind the wheel might result in less stress.

It’s so much easier. Here’s the best reason of all: It’s so simple. There’s no dealing with waiting for somebody to pull out, getting your spot stolen by another driver, or waiting for people to get out of the way (nobody usually walks around where I park). You simply find the first spot that you see, and take it.

I’m not sure what would happen if EVERYBODY started doing this. I think we’re a long way off from that … its still better to just ride your bike anyways…