Tech Tuesday: Dude, Where's my car?

When I’m walking around the house like a lunatic in search of my glasses, keys, or phone, it is absurd to think I could lose something as large as an automobile, but given the right circumstances, I can.

Have you ever driven around in circles in San Francisco, looking for a parking space within a few blocks of your destination? By the time you actually squeeze your car into a spot, and dance victoriously to your favorite restaurant, gloating that you only spent 17 minutes in search of a parking space, it’s likely you’ve forgotten whether you were on 19th Street or 20th.

Or the multi-level parking structure in Disneyland? I bet plenty of parents have nightmares featuring this lot. There is no margin for error when you are dragging young children through a parking lot. Every extra step costs something.

Quick tip before you head to the mall again: Download the app “Find My Car.”

Here’s the catch: You have to use it for it to work.

After you’ve parked, open the app and click “Set my car location”. The screen will display a map. With an extra click you can add a photo or type a note, such as Level 3. That’s it.

When you are ready to locate your car, open the app and click “Find my car”. A GPS-enabled map will guide you back to the coordinates you set when you parked.

I find this app most useful when parking in a crowded destination where many of the streets look alike.

Author
Recent Posts

Whitney

RookieMoms.com co-founder Whitney lives with her husband, son, and daughter in the San Francisco Bay Area where she writes about parenting, crafts, and activities that moms can do with babies in tow. She and Heather also publish 510Families.com, a site for East Bay parents.