submitted: Sep 28th 2008 | by: charmen | Total views: 12 | Word Count: 537 | |

Whether you are parking in downtown Chicago parking lots or at a quiet village grocery store, getting or causing damage is a very real risk. Many times, these incidents are more stressful than actually fixing the damage. Small things, such as taking too long to find registration, can dangerously escalate a situation to the point of assault or even death. Prevention is the best way to deal with these occurrences. You can easily incorporate different steps into your daily life that will significantly lower your risk of being the victim of aggressive encounters.

Have The Right State Of Mind

A bad mood and a vehicle are the perfect recipe for violent incidents in parking lots. Several studies have proven that this significantly increase your chances of disaster. You are more likely to have an aggressive confrontation and more likely to get into an accident. Therefore, get enough sleep. Pre-planning your trip and choosing your preferred location for parking in downtown will also help. Since you know exactly where you are going, the need to push and change your mind is gone. You will arrive at the complex, relaxed, more forgiving, and focused. Leaving for your commute earlier will also help since you will be under less pressure to park quickly. You will drive slower and will be more patient, lowering your chance of having an accident and becoming aggravated.

Good Driving Practices

One of the biggest favors you can do for yourself is to relax and enjoy the drive to the parking lots. As soon as you feel your chest tighten and your muscles constrict, take a diaphragm breath. When you take one of these breaths, the area below your breastbone should expand and go in again slightly. This forces your body to relax and your brain will follow suit. Turn the stereo to some relaxing tunes or put in an audio book to keep yourself from being wound up and in high gear before you even start parking in downtown lots. Lastly, don't move your vehicle until you are certain where everything and everyone is and what direction they are moving in.

Technology And Parking Innovations

One of the recent innovations in combating rage while driving and finding a spot to park your vehicle is the creation of a special task force in many cities who specifically targets aggressive drivers. These special police forces can take your license, write tickets, and even impound your vehicle. Reverse cameras mount easily in your vehicle and give you a good picture of what is behind you before backing up. Parking sensors read magnetic waves and give off a warning if you get too close to another object. The biggest downfall to these two technologies is that some rely purely on these technologies and fail to do the proper checks.

Parking in downtown locations can be an overwhelming and dangerous experience. Rage and aggressive confrontations only serve to make these situations even worse. Taking steps to prevent confrontations in parking lots doesn't guarantee you an incident free experience, but it can certainly help. If you do have a problem, don't be afraid to contact the police. In the meantime, enjoy your driving experience.

About the Author

Christine O'Kelly is an author for Chicago Parking Map. They offer a collection of valuable information on parking in downtown Chicago and have easy-to-use interactive maps of Chicago parking lots.

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