# Multi Level Park and Lock Garages: Minor Peeve **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 1, 2009, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-level-park-and-lock-garages-minor-peeve/483946 "2009-02-01T02:19:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![brazil84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@brazil84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brazil84)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2009, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-level-park-and-lock-garages-minor-peeve/483946/1 "2009-02-01T02:19:14Z")
I hate the way that some people feel the need to slooooowly spiral through the first few levels hoping to spot a parking spot, delaying everyone behind them, when 9 times out of 10 there is plenty of parking on the few levels near the top (or bottom). If you end up parking a couple levels higher (or lower), it usually doesn’t make a difference in terms of how far you have to walk, anyway. That is all. ---
**Author:** ![tumbleddown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tumbleddown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tumbleddown)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2009, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-level-park-and-lock-garages-minor-peeve/483946/2 "2009-02-01T06:47:24Z")
But if they have to park on a higher (or lower) level, it’ll take longer to get out of the garage after they park!:rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2009, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-level-park-and-lock-garages-minor-peeve/483946/3 "2009-02-01T20:06:44Z")
Well, some of those stairways are decidedly skeevy, poorly lit, smell like urine, and seem downright dangerous, and it seems like the elevators are never working. That’s why I don’t like to park on different levels in certain garages. ---
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2009, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-level-park-and-lock-garages-minor-peeve/483946/4 "2009-02-01T20:51:53Z")
Thing is, it also happens in schmancy garages. My personal theory is that people have trouble conceptualizing spatial relationships in three dimensions–they think that parking way the hell away on the same level is closer than parking right by the exit one floor away. Of course, considering the number of car accidents you see on SR 520 around here, people also have trouble conceptualizing spatial relationships in _one_ dimension. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2009, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-level-park-and-lock-garages-minor-peeve/483946/5 "2009-02-01T21:00:35Z")
Also parking lots have many ways to get into accidents, parking garages have even less space, less light, usually less visibility, usually calling for slower speeds for greater caution. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2009, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-level-park-and-lock-garages-minor-peeve/483946/6 "2009-02-01T21:52:30Z")
Like **kanicbird** , I drive slow. I’m in an enclosed space, where cars may be suddenly backing up with little warning, and visibility is obscured. I don’t mind too much which floor I’m on. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2009, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-level-park-and-lock-garages-minor-peeve/483946/7 "2009-02-02T01:19:19Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > Well, some of those stairways are decidedly skeevy, poorly lit, smell like urine, and seem downright dangerous, and it seems like the elevators are never working. That’s why I don’t like to park on different levels in certain garages. I"m pretty sure that when they first build these parking garages, they use a special compound in the stairwell that smells like urine. Maybe urine-based paint or something. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2009, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-level-park-and-lock-garages-minor-peeve/483946/8 "2009-02-02T08:47:36Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > Well, some of those stairways are decidedly skeevy, poorly lit, smell like urine, and seem downright dangerous, and it seems like the elevators are never working. That’s why I don’t like to park on different levels in certain garages. I think you meant to say “most of those stairways”, there. In fact, I don’t believe that I’ve ever seen a garage stairway that WASN’T stinky, dim, and dangerous. ---
**Author:** ![Jodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2009, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-level-park-and-lock-garages-minor-peeve/483946/9 "2009-02-02T16:17:58Z")
> [@smiling\_bandit](#): > > Like **kanicbird** , I drive slow. I’m in an enclosed space, where cars may be suddenly backing up with little warning, and visibility is obscured. I don’t mind too much which floor I’m on. This, plus I’m pissed off by people who roar up behind me in the parking garage and then sit on my bumper, so I go a bit slower just to cheese them off. I’m not crawling up at 5 mph, just going a reasonable speed, and if that’s not fast enough for you, I’ll go a bit slower still. Enjoy your anuersym. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2009, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-level-park-and-lock-garages-minor-peeve/483946/10 "2009-02-02T16:19:27Z")
I think the painters just go ahead and pee in the corners. Why not? ---
**Author:** ![XJETGIRLX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9fc29f/32.png) [@XJETGIRLX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XJETGIRLX)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2009, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-level-park-and-lock-garages-minor-peeve/483946/11 "2009-02-02T20:46:20Z")
I don’t drive slow hoping to spot a parking space, I drive slow so that I don’t wind up running over the idiot on his cell phone or the lady in heels with a giant briefcase about to fall over because they’re not watching where the hell they’re going. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2009, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-level-park-and-lock-garages-minor-peeve/483946/12 "2009-02-02T21:04:51Z")
I drive slowly in the parking garage at my building because my co-workers have this habit of suddenly appearing out from around blind corners. I find that if I accidentally kill one, I then have to start hunting down the witnesses. That can be a real pain. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2009, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-level-park-and-lock-garages-minor-peeve/483946/13 "2009-02-02T21:13:33Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > I think the painters just go ahead and pee in the corners. Why not? Woah woah woah! Are you saying that most parking garage walls are original works by Andy Warhol? No wonder parking fees are so expensive. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2009, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-level-park-and-lock-garages-minor-peeve/483946/14 "2009-02-02T21:45:21Z")
I drive slowly because I like the scent of urine. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2009, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-level-park-and-lock-garages-minor-peeve/483946/15 "2009-02-02T22:03:56Z")
I could get uromycitisis poisoning!! ---
**Author:** ![Rocketeer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocketeer/32/4437_2.png) [@Rocketeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rocketeer)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2009, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-level-park-and-lock-garages-minor-peeve/483946/16 "2009-02-02T22:48:02Z")
This is kind of like the usual “What speed to drive on the freeway” thread, isn’t it? Except at a lower speed and in three dimensions. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![brazil84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@brazil84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brazil84)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2009, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-level-park-and-lock-garages-minor-peeve/483946/17 "2009-02-02T22:57:17Z")
> [@Rocketeer](#): > > This is kind of like the usual “What speed to drive on the freeway” thread, isn’t it? Except at a lower speed and in three dimensions. 😉 I suppose so. I’m actually a slower-than-average driver most of the time. I try to get out of the way if it seems I am holding someone up and I can do so safely, but I imagine that I annoy people now and then. For me, my level of annoyance depends mainly on the perceived reason for the slow down.