Meriden, CT – December 15, 2004 |  When looking for a parking spot at the mall, do you use the “search and destroy” method or the “lay and wait”? Or, are you a “stalker” --- following your fellow shoppers as they head back to their cars?

According to Response Insurance, a national direct to the consumer auto insurer, there are four major approaches drivers use to find that perfect parking spot. But, not all are created equal.

• The Search & Destroy type roams the aisles cruising endlessly for the perfect spot to open up. This stress-provoking method can also lead to conflict with fellow Search & Destroyers.
• Those who Lay & Wait position themselves at the end of an aisle waiting for a space to open up in what they start to see as their territory. This type runs the risk of turf battles with Search & Destroyers.
• Drivers who simply See It & Take It are often the most successful and least stressed out. They take the first spot they see in the lot, almost regardless of the distance to the store entrance. They will likely walk farther (and work off some of those holiday-pounds) and will often save time as well.
• But perhaps the most predatory are the Stalkers, who watch for shoppers leaving the store and slowly follow them back to their parking spot, like the shark in Jaws. This method is fraught with pitfalls since either a Search & Destroy or a Lay & Wait might be closer to the space when they get there. In addition, the shopper could either intentionally or not, walk down the wrong aisle looking for their car, leaving the Stalker out in the cold.

The Response Insurance National Driving Habits Survey revealed that Stalkers are much more likely to be women, who are more than twice as likely as men to stalk people to get their parking spot.

On average, 12% of female drivers admit to trailing people in their cars, but just 5% of men do so. Regionally, drivers in the south are most likely to stalk for parking (12%) vs. the mid-west, which nationally ranked lowest (6%). In addition, drivers in metropolitan areas are more prone to stalk (10%) vs. those in non-metro areas (7%), and the survey also indicated that single people were somewhat more likely to stalk for parking than those with children (12% vs. 9%).

Response Insurance is a direct to the consumer auto insurer that regularly provides to the public news and information regarding driver safety and transportation issues. They issue safety tips, reports, analyses, and conduct original research as a public service. The Response Insurance National Driving Habits Survey of 1,001 adults was conducted 4/27-30/00. The survey has a margin of error of + - 3%.