Page 32 —
COLORADO REAL ESTATE JOURNAL
— March 16-April 5, 2016
H
ave you ever driven
around the block
or through a park-
ing lot looking for
a parking spot? Of course you
have! Have you ever finally
found a parking spot, only to
find it too small or the wrong
type of parking spot? Of
course you have!
Parking a vehicle, presents
us with options: angle, per-
pendicular, parallel and valet.
Each parking option has char-
acteristics and not all options
are always available. When I
plan an event, consider where
to go for dinner or spend the
day shopping I think about
the parking and it influences
my decision. In the end, I
need to find a parking space
and it may not be my prefer-
ence, but I have to park it!
What are the options and
what is our preference, and
how does that preference
influence our personal choices
and in the bigger picture what
are the choices and the oppor-
tunities found in each. Let’s
look for a parking spot . . . ho
hum.
Angle parking, you just
make a right or left turn and
drive right in stopping at the
curb or stopping when you
bump the curb. No curb, set
your parking brake and you
are on your way. Oh, maybe
you feed the meter, swipe
your credit card or retrieve
your parking ticket so you
can claim your vehicle when
you are ready to leave. Ahh,
leaving, that is where angle
parking needs more of your
attention. Backing out of an
angle parking spot. Careful,
back out slowly making sure
that there are no pedestrians,
cyclists or cars. Easy, use your
mirrors and look with your
own eyes before you back out.
Piece of cake, on my way.
Perpendicular parking is
where you park at a 90 degree
angle to the wall or the curb.
You drive in and you drive
out. No backing up. Not a lot
of these spots around town.
When by chance you come
upon a such a parking spot
you celebrate and smile like
you’ve found favor with the
gods. Pulling out you have to
use a bit of caution especially
if you are entering traffic.
Not that difficult, perhaps
the greatest challenge is find-
ing your patience as you wait
for an opening in traffic to be
on your way.
Perpendicular
parking is fine
and dandy
unless the
open space has
cars parked at
the head and
the rear of the
open space.
Yes, then you
must decide
whether to
parallel park. Can you do this?
Should you risk the potential
of having to make a second
or third attempt and having
other motorists become impa-
tient, honk their horns, shoot
disgusted glares or extend a
gesture that lets you know
that perhaps you should have
considered another parking
space.
Parallel parking, parking
parallel to the wall or curb.
Pulling forward, backing up,
turning the steering wheel
at just the right time, posi-
tioning the angle of the car
so that you are not too close
or too far from the curb. Or
worse, your approach resem-
bles something akin to angle
parking. It is fair to say that
parallel parking has its chal-
lenges and is the least favorite
among motorists. Successfully
parallel parking your auto
on the first attempt is, well
there is just no better sense of
accomplishment.
Have you noticed there are
more opportunities to valet
park and more and more are
complimentary?! I don’t know
if there are more opportuni-
ties to valet park or if I’m
just looking for them. Either
way, dinner, a movie, shop-
ping I choose valet every
time. Complimentary is great,
it gives me the option to be
more generous in tipping the
valet. But, I’ll pay to valet
park because I pay to park
more often than not anyway.
Oh, valet parking is when
someone else parks your car
for you and how they park it
is entirely up to them. I take
a few precautions when valet
parking but they are more
than manageable when I’m
presented with the option to
valet park.
Let’s talk about parking
technology. There are sensors,
cameras, assisted, autono-
mous and automated parking
all designed to provide the
driver with the ability to be
less involved in parking their
auto to letting the auto park
itself, times they are a chang-
ing. In the meantime, what is
your preference? If you drive
a car you must park it at least
twice every time you leave
your driveway and probably
far more times in a given day.
Parking your auto and your
preference of parking spots
is not so different in how you
approach choices you make
every day. The important
point is options and how and
why you choose among the
options. Sometimes there are
plenty of choices and at other
times there are no choices at
all. In the instances where
you have no choice, are you
prepared? Have you been pro-
active and considered every
eventuality so that you are
not prevented from reaching
your goal? When I think about
parking I should not only
think about what parking
option I prefer but rather be
skilled in all options so that I
am prepared.
How do you key laughter,
hahaha, hee hee. I have more
important things to consider,
grander plans to develop and
so much more to learn that
I’m going to forego all the
effort, energy and cost of own-
ing, maintaining and parking
a vehicle. I’m going to take a
shuttle, a taxi, the rail, RTD
or just Uber it. I’m going to
outsource this whole trans-
portation gig and choose to go
with the transportation pros.
ASAC delivers the resources
so that you can be prepared to
meet your business challenges
and make informed business
decisions. ASAC puts the busi-
ness owner in the driver’s
seat, delivering advocacy,
education and networking so
the choice is yours. You have
all the information, weighed
your options and decided to
outsource, uber it. ASAC has
professional and associate
members that are well vet-
ted in their area of expertise
and demonstrated support of
ASAC and its members. Think
of uber as an option in every
aspect of your business opera-
tions and management. What
doors will open, what new
opportunities are now in play?
Consider where uber is an
option and seek out an ASAC
Associate or Supplier member
and move forward, park it
once and for all.
Debra L Scifo
ASAC Executive
Director
PREMIER EVENT
SPONSORS
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ASAC LEADERSHIP
ASAC President
Rusty Plowman
Delta Drywall, Inc.
Vice President
Carl Cox III
Excel Environmental, Inc.
ASAC Past President
Diane Hills
Diamond Excavating, Inc.
ASAC Treasurer
Richard Forsberg
Forsberg Engerman
Secretary
Mark Hohlen
Platinum Renovations
Director
Jim Donaldson
A.I.A. Industries, Inc.
Director
Troy Tinberg
AllPhase Landscape, Inc.
Director
Don Appleby
Holmes Murphy
ASAC Executive Director
Debra L Scifo
ASAC Chapter Attorney
Mark Gruskin
Senn Visciano Canges
ASAC Lobbyist
Kristen Thomson
Tierney Paul Lawrence, LLP
ASAC Chapter Development
Peter Scifo
OBS Consultants
ASAC Officer of Special Events
Melissa Ryman
ASAC Event Coordinator
Jamie Martin
