At apartment complexes and job sites, people will park at the same spot even if there is no designated parking spot. Occasionally, they’ll park elsewhere if their spot is taken, but if not, they’ll park at their spot as if it belonged them.
Why do people prefer parking at the same spot as if it had been reserved for them?
Is it because we’re creatures of habit, and we like routine and predictability? If we had to park somewhere different everyday, then we’d have to remember where we parked when we left, taking us more time to find our vehicle. Plus, when we park at the same spot, we know exactly where to go, and that we won’t have to spend time looking for our vehicle.
When someone parks in our “unofficial” spot, it disrupts our daily pattern–forcing us to decide where to park–taking us more time to park and head into work or our home. If we’re in a hurry, we can’t afford to look for a different spot, which might be farther from the front door.
It’d be like walking into work everyday and having a different desk. Even if all the desks were the same, we like having our space tidy and organized to our standards. Not only that, but we like knowing that the way we left things yesterday will be the same today.
Fallton Havenstonne 