When you drive into a parking lot (assuming you’re approaching from the back), you’ll pass a bunch of cars parked in the first spot they found. You can drive to the front of the lot and look for the best spot, but that wastes time. Instead, look for the first open space between the existing parked cars.

Parking in the first or last spot on the block is ideal because it prevents being bookended by other cars, Milchtein says. That means less chance of being blocked into the spot and less likelihood that both bumpers get damaged by other parkers.