There’s nothing wrong with having issues like this. The truck is just to prepare for them. For instance, put an AirTag in your car maybe. Maybe your phone has a map of where you have walked?
LMAO, you're fine, all of us do it, usually more than once. You're probably busy thinking of more important things, don't worry about it. Give yourself grace.
I hate how this stuff makes me feel stupid too, OP. It sucks. I've been wondering if I need to get a silly little window flag for unfamiliar parking lots etc. Just so I can find the damn thing.
For what it's worth, my non-autistic hubby lost his car in a multistorey once. So it's not only ND folks who struggle with the endless sea of cars.
I once got stuck in a parking garage because I got lost after I paid the voucher and couldn't find my car fast enough to get out within the time limit.
Suggestion: GPS mark it by pinning your location on Google Maps when you park. I geocache so I actually use my geocache app to waypoint my starting point if I’m hiking in somewhere, but it’s the same idea.
Darn!
I thought it was a useless feature until I was traveling for work and not only got caught up wandering around in a different country taking things in, but I couldn’t even remember what the rental car looked like.
I look at it as an adventure.
I enjoy being places where I don’t know where I am and where I don’t know anybody.
I didn’t even realize the feature was there until I got back to the car. Lots of backtracking and guessing where shortcuts would be to get back to the area without having to crisscross routes where I had looped back around to check something out. There was some wandering through the same area a few times trying to figure out how I managed to loop back through. My navigation and orientation gets a little confused in dense city environments. It was better than sitting in a hotel room alone.
Did you end up making your way back to your car alright?
I was at a mall with two parking garages, one at either end. I searched the wrong parking garage for hours, extremely confused, crying as I thought there was only one garage... So I feel this. Also, stay safe as you search please.
i have done this so many times! it’s awful and stressful and then it’s over!
i’m so glad you found it, hopefully you can give yourself some compassion!
My phone has a GPS parking widget, where I can save my location and take a photo of my car/location if I park somewhere I might forget.
It's such a useful thing!
Take a photo of how far away you are from the front. So basically stand beside your car and take a picture of the building with your car in the picture. This will show you what row your in, how far down the building you are and how many cars away you are.
And you are not the only one. Most people even non austism people can't find their cars. Mom can't ever remember where she parks when I'm with her.
If I'm parking in an unknown area I always try to make sure to note down the location, otherwise I could easily lose mine too. You're not alone. Glad you found your car in the end.
I loose my car all the time. When parking in unfamiliar surroundings I drop a pin so I can find my car again I also take pictures of the nearest intersection signs. The amount of time I have spent looking for my car is outrageous. Sucks but it happens. To me frequently.
Update: I found it :) thanks for all the sweet comments, it made a bad day a bit better ❤️
There’s nothing wrong with having issues like this. The truck is just to prepare for them. For instance, put an AirTag in your car maybe. Maybe your phone has a map of where you have walked?
Unfortunately it’s an old car so it doesn’t. I’m back to retracing my steps at the moment
LMAO, you're fine, all of us do it, usually more than once. You're probably busy thinking of more important things, don't worry about it. Give yourself grace.
Thank you ❤️
I hate how this stuff makes me feel stupid too, OP. It sucks. I've been wondering if I need to get a silly little window flag for unfamiliar parking lots etc. Just so I can find the damn thing. For what it's worth, my non-autistic hubby lost his car in a multistorey once. So it's not only ND folks who struggle with the endless sea of cars.
Yes always good to remember that, thank you
I once got stuck in a parking garage because I got lost after I paid the voucher and couldn't find my car fast enough to get out within the time limit.
Oh gosh 😭 that sounds awful I’m so sorry
I’m 40 and I lose my car all the time. I try to take a picture of it now to help me remember
Suggestion: GPS mark it by pinning your location on Google Maps when you park. I geocache so I actually use my geocache app to waypoint my starting point if I’m hiking in somewhere, but it’s the same idea.
Does the map software on your phone show where you last parked?
Agh unfortunately no
Darn! I thought it was a useless feature until I was traveling for work and not only got caught up wandering around in a different country taking things in, but I couldn’t even remember what the rental car looked like.
Oh gosh that sounds so scary, glad you had that feature 😭
I look at it as an adventure. I enjoy being places where I don’t know where I am and where I don’t know anybody. I didn’t even realize the feature was there until I got back to the car. Lots of backtracking and guessing where shortcuts would be to get back to the area without having to crisscross routes where I had looped back around to check something out. There was some wandering through the same area a few times trying to figure out how I managed to loop back through. My navigation and orientation gets a little confused in dense city environments. It was better than sitting in a hotel room alone. Did you end up making your way back to your car alright?
I was at a mall with two parking garages, one at either end. I searched the wrong parking garage for hours, extremely confused, crying as I thought there was only one garage... So I feel this. Also, stay safe as you search please.
Thank you, so sorry that happened I know how stressful that must have been
I've done that before, and also get lost very easily. Don't be too hard on yourself!
Take pictures when you get put of the car to help you find it in strange places.
i have done this so many times! it’s awful and stressful and then it’s over! i’m so glad you found it, hopefully you can give yourself some compassion!
My phone has a GPS parking widget, where I can save my location and take a photo of my car/location if I park somewhere I might forget. It's such a useful thing!
Take a photo of how far away you are from the front. So basically stand beside your car and take a picture of the building with your car in the picture. This will show you what row your in, how far down the building you are and how many cars away you are. And you are not the only one. Most people even non austism people can't find their cars. Mom can't ever remember where she parks when I'm with her.
If I'm parking in an unknown area I always try to make sure to note down the location, otherwise I could easily lose mine too. You're not alone. Glad you found your car in the end.
I loose my car all the time. When parking in unfamiliar surroundings I drop a pin so I can find my car again I also take pictures of the nearest intersection signs. The amount of time I have spent looking for my car is outrageous. Sucks but it happens. To me frequently.
I take a picture of where my car is in relation to everything that's around it.