While the holiday season usually brings out the best in Torontonians it can also be a time filled with stress and frayed nerves, and nowhere is that more apparent than in the parking lot of a major shopping centre, where battles for prized spots can often crudely erode the Christmas spirit.
Many of us have different approaches to the frustrating problem of where to put the car once we reach the shopping centre, but one thing is certain, sometimes simply finding a spot is the greatest gift of all.
Here are a few strategies you can follow to help find a parking spot. Not all of them are in the exact "goodwill towards men" mode. But in the battle for parking supremacy, sometimes it's every car for itself.
Follow the leaders
It's a time honoured method but if you see someone heading back to the parking lot with their arms filled with packages, follow them slowly and stake your claim to the spot they're about to surrender.
The scout
Take someone along with you. If you see a spot several lanes over but you can't reach it, have your passenger get out and physically reserve it until you get there. They can also wait with your parcels in case you have a long way to walk and you can pick them up right at the door.
Check the entrance
It may not always apply during the holidays but in general entrances at the side of a mall often have less traffic.
Go the distance
Unless you're incredibly lucky, you're not going to find a spot right next to the door. Consider going out farther and be willing to walk a little bit. It might be easier to locate a space.
Go even farther
If you can find a side street near the mall where legal parking is allowed, you're more likely to find a space. And besides the walk will do you good.
Consider the valet parking
O.K., it's expensive, but you get what you pay for. Drive into the lot, turn over your keys and let someone else worry about where to put the car.
Take transit
It's no fun lugging all that stuff home on public transit, but if you're not out to buy a ton of presents, the T.T.C. is often the best way to get there and back. In most cases, there are direct buses to the site and in a few instances - like the Eaton Centre and Yorkdale - the subway runs right to the door.