Stories of not being able to find your car

[LogicalBlodge]

1 hour Watford Shopping Centre yesterday.

Could probably end the story there (as in - if you've been you may know 😂).

Was headed to an event, parked up and popped off.

Came back at end of day, was rainy outside so all humid. I found a carpark and headed to the top...it was covered and my car was in a small open air section.

Asked someone if there was only one and she said yes but you need to go up. Great, headed to to the top. It was massive, and empty.

No problem. Asked a gentleman who pointed to another car park through some glass in yonder distance.

I head there and again to the top. It's smaller and has a few cars, I know it's the wrong one, but I'm willing the car to appear.

Head back down and find a security guard. At this point, I'm hot, stressed, and starting to think I may never leave.

I'm so sorry I can't find my car and I'm having a breakdown (lighthearted).

This must happen as she has a list of questions - was it a glass door or closed lift, what shops did I see.

I can't remember, so she asks for the car reg. Bingo. She calls someone who checks all the cameras - it's in King Level 1, so off I head, past Prince, Palace, Queen, Moat whatever carparks (there were a lot).

I feel relief as I step out...but noo its a covered carpark. I am feeling a sense of defeat. In the corner there is a chink of light. I think no that can't be it. I head back out and see two security guards.

I don't know what happened here but as I start to speak I burst into tears. Is it in this carpark one of them asks. This question sends me over the edge and activated something in my brain and I start to laugh at the same time 😆 So I am now laughing and crying at the same time in a vaguely maniacal way trying to explain I can't find my car and someone said it was here but it's not.

He then leads me through the car park to the chink of light which turns a corner and goes up a slope to another carpark which is open-air. But that's still not it, there's another slope we go up to another open air carpark.

I'm convinced this cannot still be called Level 1 but thank him profusely anyway 😂 get in the car and eat a battered cake that I had in my bag.

I used to work on a large hilly site with multiple car parks. Arrived late and flustered after an appointment one day, couldn't get in my usual car park, drove round for ages, panicking because I was late for a meeting, didn't take note of where I'd parked. Leaving that day (in the dark and rain) I wandered round for half an hour, before eventually ringing on site security who could tell which car park it was in from the fob system, thankfully!

I have ADHD and lose my car regularly. I swear as soon as I step out of it, my memory just stops working or something. I've started taking pictures 😂

Bluewater, a few years ago. First time, took note, Orange Level 2 (or whatever). Enter John Lewis, browse, head into shops. Several hours later, back through John Lewis. Orange Level 2. Head to where I had left car. Not there. Walk up and down the next couple of rows. Still no car. Walk a bit further up and down. Starting to panic now. Retrace steps slowly and methodically. Am 100% sure car was in THIS row, a certain distance from entrance etc. No car.

Trying to stay calm, I head back to John Lewis, there is a security guard. "Excuse me, I can't seem to find my car". "Ah", says he, "When you parked, did you pass towels or haberdashery?" ... I give it some thought .... "Towels", "Then you need the car park on the other side".

Which looked IDENTICAL. And found my car.

Somebody parked beside me at the supermarket years ago.

The car was the same make,year and colour. I spent about half an hour absolutely baffled walking around the car,trying all the door handles,trying to open the car with the key which didn’t fit. All the time I tried to get into somebody else’s car while mine was parked beside.

XH years ago went to get some milk and bread in neighbouring town. He got into somebody else’s car then he realised. He panicked and left (also left his shopping behind).
We wondered what was the reaction of the owner when they come back and found a bag with groceries on the seat.

Milton Keynes, around 30 years ago, borrowed my Dad's car, a cream metro. Parked up, went shopping. Came back, found cream metro, got in. Just as I was putting the key in the ignition I thought "I don't remember that air freshener", followed a few seconds later by "Dad doesn't have a load of soft toys on the parcel shelf" and finally "Shit, this isn't the right car".

Quickly gathered up my bags, exited the car, locking it back up and looking around to see if anyone had noticed.

Took a few more steps and there was my Dad's cream metro, about 5 cars further down.

I'm just thankful I had realised before driving it 20 miles back home! Always checked the number plate after that.

Pregnancy brain many years ago. Met an old friend for a catch up. Go to car park, cannot find the car.... anywhere!!! End up in tears at the security desk. Showed him the parking ticket..... wrong car park!!! 😂😂

Very same thing except I had to phone my FIL who told me my car was now intact wine and not blue. 🙈🙈🙈

One time in Southampton I couldn't remember which carpark my car was in . Tbf there were 3 multistorey carparks in a row. Had to sit down and eat a sandwich, have some water and I managed to work it out.
Couldn't blame it on age as was late 20s at the time.

More recently couldn't remember where I'd parked in the carpark after seeing the latest Bridget Jones film at the cinema.
Felt it was a very Bridget Jones moment.

Many years ago my Dad bought me a used car for my birthday and passing my A levels. It was a bright yellow Metro, if anyone remembers them. I had an interview at Warwick University so I drove up in my yellow car and parked it in the multi story car park on campus. Went to my interview and was given a tour. I had something to eat and then thought I'd drive home. I saw the carpark so made my way back to it. I'd parked on the third floor. Do, I went to third floor, but no car. So I like to ked on 4th floor then went back down to second floor. Then I started to panic and thought my car must have been stolen. I was afraid to ring my Dad because he had wanted to drive me but I had insisted on driving myself. I started on bottom floor and searched up to the top floor. Then I saw a security guard so I reported my car stolen. He rang police for me. Whilst we waited for police to arrive he said he had to pop across to other multi storey car park. I had thought there was only 1. I asked if he'd show me. We walked across and there was my yellow Metro, just where I'd left it in other Multi storey car park. Then police arrived and I had to explain to them how sorry, and relieved I was. I felt such an idiot. My spacial awareness it dreadful. I was just so relieved I didn't have to tell my Dad my car had been stolen.

I’ve had a recurring dream for many many years about not being able to find my car - usually in the town I grew up in. It’s incredibly stressful even as a dream so it must be awful in real life!

My nan told me a story years ago about when she was franticly looking for her car in Sainsburys car park after the weekly shop. She scoured the car park for ages and was convinced it must have been stolen. She was sat with the security guards who were taking down her details, absolutely distraught...when my grandad strolls in to pick her up. He had dropped her off to do the shopping!

Where on earth did you park? The carparks are on the other side of the road, in the park, or slightly further afield. There hasn't been street parking within a mile radius for about 40 years during the tournament. And three hours? It's half hour tops around the perimeter.

Reminded me of this... can't believe it was 10 years ago!
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-32503528

And a more recent story of the German man recently reunited with his lost car after 20 years!

Not quite lost, but nearly. Booked flights from London to Northern Scotland to introduce 8wk old DD to family. Drove to Gatwick, flew to Scotland, had lovely holiday, flew back to London City Airport.
Realised car was still at Gatwick.

We wandered around the airport car park looking for my car for a good 40 minutes before we realised that we had landed at a different airport to the one we had left from. That was the last time I was allowed to book flights 😆

More recently I popped into Costa in our small town on my way to work, parked on the side of the road opposite. Got there and they had run out of coffee (yes, really!) so nipped into the deli 2 doors up who also do takeaway coffees. Came out, dashed across the road in the rain, jumped into my car and for some reason the seat had moved forward. And it just didn't feel right. And my phone charger was missing. Took a good minute or two to realise I'd got into someone else's almost identical car and mine was parked 3 spots up the road. I got out (quickly before anyone came back to me looking like i was trying to steal their car!), nipped into the post office and bought some stamps I didn't need and then casually wandered back to my actual car. By which point the other car had gone. With my freshly brewed hot coffee still in the cup holder that I'd forgotten in my haste. I would love to know what the rightful owner of the car thought when they discovered it!!

I was with my parents when we went back to the street where the car was parked and it wasn't there. We walked to the police station and reported it stolen. As we were leaving, my DM remembered there were 2 streets that had a very similar (slightly unusual) parking set-up. We went and checked and it was still parked where we left it. We drove past the police station to let them know it wasn't stolen. They kindly said we weren't the first to get tripped up by the streets looking so similar.

Multiple times has DH done this, once at Center Parcs, was convinced the car had been stolen as it wasn’t where he parked it, Security staff laughed and said people lose their cars, but they don’t get stolen, drove him around and the car was found, where he had actually parked it.

He parked in the town, where we used to live to do some shopping, went back to the car, couldn’t get in, it wasn’t our car, ours was parked two cars down.

He even drove the car to work once, parked on the seafront, came back from work, while I was bathing the kids. I went out to the car the next morning, no sign of it. I rang DH and said you did bring the car back last night didn’t you, he said I can’t remember, I think I did, no it was still parked on the seafront, he had walked home!

Recently our car was in the garage, and we had a hire car, off we go to do the shopping come out and DH goes walking upto this car, that was nothing like the one we had hired other than it being silver, I said what are you doing, the hire car is down there.

In a multi storey in Glasgow about 30 odd years ago, with my now ex husband. We parked the car and went shopping. Coming back we went to the floor we thought the car was on nope not there, so we toured every floor no car, it had been stolen!

Did eventually get it back for it to be stolen a second time at the Metro centre in Newcastle. Did get it back again, but sold it as it felt jinxed!

Bluewater. Completely forgot what colour car park I parked in. Took over an hour!

It’s when you’re all smug leaving the car park and noting that you’re in Zone D or whatever and of course you’ll remember that, no need to write it down. Only to return two hours later and spend half an hour looking in Zone B, cos you’re sure that’s where you left it.

Wondering if whst3words would work for this actually. Would it be able to tell you what floor you’re on?

i got a brand new car maybe 6 years ago. It was all new to me, keyless entry, VW help centre that you can call to talk through problems etc. I LOVED it. Went shopping and parked up fine, aired my lovely new car and how gorgeous it was add I was walking away to get my shopping. Got back and the keyless entry wouldn’t work. I couldn’t get in the car! On the phone to BW and they are like your keyless entry is fine, the car is open. I argued with them for almost ten minutes before they suggested gently that MAYBE i was at the wrong car. They were right. My car was parked 5 spaces away and even what it was a car park that only held about 75 cars and I was on the front row. It wasn’t even the same BRAND! I had an all white VW Tiguan and it was a Kia I was trying to break into.

No, but I did walk my 11 year old and her friend home once, then remembered I'd left the car in the multi-story. Neither of them them had queried it either.

I lost my car in centre parks carpark.

It had been a few days since I parked, it was raining quite heavily that day too.
I found a member of staff who drove me round in his buggy until we found it- said it happens quite a lot!

I remember from primary school a sad (fictional) story of two boys being sent by their mother to go and wait in the car, and they get into the wrong red Morris. Later Mother is seen crying at the police station.

Those of you with a newish Ford and have the Ford Connect app, it shows you exactly where your car is and you can also activate the horn & lights remotely which could also help, especially in a multi storey.