Parking garage safety tips
For parking garage safety, park in a lit spot near the entrance, the elevator or an attendant, note your level and row, and walk back with your keys ready and your phone away. Glance into the back seat before you get in, lock the doors as soon as you are inside, and drive off rather than sitting in the car.
Why it matters: Parking garages are routine, and a few habits keep them that way.
Steps
- Choose a well lit spot near the entrance, the elevator, a camera or the attendant booth.
- Take a photo of the level and row sign.
- On the way back, have your keys in hand and your phone in your pocket.
- Walk in the center of the aisle, not between parked cars.
- Look into the back seat before you open the door.
- Lock the doors as soon as you are inside and leave rather than sitting to check your phone.
- Ask security for an escort if you feel uneasy; many garages offer it.
Stop and call a professional if
- someone approaches in a way that alarms you: get into a locked car or back toward people, and call your local emergency number, 911 in the US
Common mistakes
- Scrolling on your phone while walking to the car.
- Sitting in the car with the doors unlocked.
- Forgetting where you parked and wandering the levels.
Teach this to someone
A one page sheet for showing a friend, a teenager or a parent: what to say, what to show, and one question to check it landed.
Teach: Parking garage safety tips
What to say
For parking garage safety, park in a lit spot near the entrance, the elevator or an attendant, note your level and row, and walk back with your keys ready and your phone away. Glance into the back seat before you get in, lock the doors as soon as you are inside, and drive off rather than sitting in the car.
What to show
- Choose a well lit spot near the entrance, the elevator, a camera or the attendant booth.
- Take a photo of the level and row sign.
- On the way back, have your keys in hand and your phone in your pocket.
- Walk in the center of the aisle, not between parked cars.
- Look into the back seat before you open the door.
- Lock the doors as soon as you are inside and leave rather than sitting to check your phone.
- Ask security for an escort if you feel uneasy; many garages offer it.
Where it stops
Stop and call a professional if someone approaches in a way that alarms you: get into a locked car or back toward people, and call your local emergency number, 911 in the US.
Check question
Where is the best spot to park?
Answer: Lit, near the entrance or an attendant. Light and people nearby make the walk back safer.
Your checklist
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Quick quiz
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Related skills
Sources
This skill is general practice and draws on no single published source.
Written in our own words from the sources above. It is general information, not advice for your situation; where a professional, your doctor or your lease says something different, follow them.
Last reviewed . First published .