Sharking for Parking

Welcome to A Way with Words.

Hi, this is Aman from Orlando, Florida.

Hi, Aman. Welcome to the show.

Hi, what’s on your mind?

My question is about a new word. I’m not sure if it’s a new word. I was on my way to the movies with my boyfriend, and we were in the parking lot, and we couldn’t find a parking space.

So we started to follow people that were exiting out of the movie theater, and I started to use this word called sharking because we were kind of like jaws, were kind of like falling behind them, like sharks trying to find an open spot.

So my question is, is there a word for people who are hunting for a parking spot behind people who are leaving? And is sharking a new word? Or is that something that I just heard?

Yeah, and you’re circling like a predator, right?

-huh.

Yeah.

Well, interestingly enough, I think other people have been there and thought the same thing. There’s an expression, sharking for parking.

Wow. Okay.

The other expression that I’ve heard in relation to this kind of thing is just referring to people like that as vultures. Circling around.

Yeah, circling the prey.

Oh. So is it all just with animals, like vultures and sharking?

Yeah.

Is there more like a vegetarian way of describing it?

Now, let’s see. That’s a great idea. What would that be? Are you all vegetarian?

I don’t eat that much meat, so I’m just thinking for that part of me that, you know, it’s more of a herber war.

Well, you’re wanting to harvest that spot.

Oh, harvest. Yeah, harvesting, I think.

Although I think the one that you naturally came up with makes a lot of sense, sharking. People talk about being a parking lot shark, and they talk about shark circling.

I mean, like all the metaphors, like we’ve all seen the documentaries of sharks going after something they really wanted. I know that feeling where you just don’t want to walk all that distance and so you just keep circling around and around. Right.

Until you get what they call Hollywood parking. Have you heard this one?

No, I have not. Hollywood parking is parking that’s right there by the door where you want to go in. It’s like in so many movies, you see people go someplace and there’s always a parking space right there so they don’t have to circle around like in real life. But anyway, you’re in good company.

So sharking and vultures are the two ones that are used most often.

Yeah, there’s a vulture.

Yeah.

There should also be a word for, do you do this when you’re going to your car and you hold up your keys so people know that you’re actually going?

Oftentimes I would just kind of turn around and just kind of say, no, I’m not going to my car.

Yeah, there’s a whole language of parking lots, right?

Have you had that experience where you’re in your car and you’re kind of like plugging your phone in and getting your seatbelt together and stuff, and somebody pulls up behind you, and they get out of the car, and they’re practically at your window?

And instead of saying the words, are you leaving, they mouth them. Are you leaving? Like with no sound.

I’m like, your sound can travel through glass, you know. You can actually say the words to me.

But it’s weird that they leave their door open, and the car is right there. It’s like, is this your way of telling me to get the lead out and hurry up?

Yeah, or they make a key in the ignition motion, you know.

You go on, you go on.

No, I’ve never had that. I think we’re just too polite in Orlando. We don’t have any horns. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a horn in Orlando since I’ve moved here.

Well, if you want to feel even better about your parking and driving situation in Orlando, come to Southern California. We have all kinds of parking and driving delights.

Anyway, Aman, this was fun. Thank you for calling us. We really appreciate it.

Thank you so much. I’m a big fan of the show. Thank you so much for what you do.

Take care.

Thanks, Aman.

Bye-bye.

Bye-bye.

So that’s our next book, right? All the weirdness in parking lots and all the language that needs to be created for the weirdness in parking lots?

Yeah, there’s so much communication that goes on. Some people don’t have the blue tags that let them park in the spots for people with disabilities, but they still need to be close to the door.

So I get some of that driving habits where you circle around to you’re a little bit closer. I get it.

But some of us, we do the circling, defying all logic.

It’s true.

But, you know, the truth is that I try to park as far away as I can and get in those steps. Free exercise.

Yeah, yeah.

I love it.

Yeah.

The number to call if you’ve got a life situation that needs a word but doesn’t have one, 877-929-9673.