NJ Parking Lot Rules – The Signal Light Reservation

There is no more tense place this time of year than the mall parking lot, trying to find a space so you can get your shopping done.

We thought it would be a good idea to discuss some of the common New Jersey driving practices in a parking lot to try to determine if everybody is on the same page with these things we see all the time.

Today, we'll talk about the "signal light reservation". This is the one where we see someone preparing to leave a parking spot, and we reserve that spot by lurking near that spot with our signal light on letting any other competitors for the spot know that this one is ours.

I'm not sure if that's an actual rule, but that is how I understand it. Now, even if I'm right, this practice is not void of controversy.

What happens if two cars arrive at the same time? What if one car waiting for a spot was parked near it and another car is creeping behind the driver looking to grab the spot? These questions may not have any answers besides common sense...and of course that's where it really gets tricky.

No one has patience and no one can find a parking space and that's a bad combination. So, if you see someone with their signal light reservation blinking, just remember the famous Christmas lyrics..."He sees you when you're parking, he knows when you're a jerk. He knows that isn't your spot, so get your own, so no one goes berserk".