Where to Park Your Car, According to Math
25th September 2019
In their paper, Krapivsky and Redner map three simple parking strategies onto an idealized, single row parking lot. Drivers who grab the first space available follow what the authors call a “meek” strategy. They “waste no time looking for a parking spot,” leaving spots near the entrance unfilled. Those who gamble on finding a space right next to the entrance are “optimistic.” They drive all the way to the entrance, then backtrack to the closest vacancy. “Prudent” drivers take the middle path. They drive past the first available space, betting on the availability of at least one other space further in. When they find the closest space between cars, they take it. If no spaces exist between the furthest parked car and the entrance, prudent drivers backtrack to the space a meek driver would have claimed straightaway.
September 25th, 2019 at 13:51
I follow a different strategy, which I call damage-limiting. Whenever possible I park far from other cars, regardless of the distance to the entrance. (Sometimes it’s close, sometimes not.) Alternatively, I park at the end of a row, leaving as much space as possible between my car and the adjacent space (even if it’s unoccupied when I park). It’s a damage-limiting strategy because door dings are costly to repair, but not costly enough to warrant an insurance claim. So my strategy reduces the risk of door dings.