Why do people hang out in empty parking lots?

[the7k]

Alright, I know this is weird, but this has been bothering me for many years.

You even drive around at night, after everything has closed up, and notice people hanging out in large parking lots for seemingly no reason at all?

Why the hell do they do this? I thought it was only something that happened in my town, but after moving around a bit, I notice it happens everywhere. It's always big ass parking lots, and usually in 'Dead Zones' where most the businesses in that spot left town.

I just don't get it. I've never bothered to ask them because they seem like the rough neck/douchebag/white trash type.

[Hobie-wan]

Place to hang and meet, stare at each others vehicles, do gnarly burnouts, etc. At least that's what it mostly looks like to me.

[Flake]

The empty parking lot is the urban forum for the working man to meet with his peers and discuss the topics of the day, working out answers to societal questions facing their particular demographics such as the proper way to adjust the Pimps-up to Hoes-down ratio, and how to accommodate large and belt-less trousers while eluding the Man.

[Limewater]

I've done it on occasion. Example reasons:

You're parked there some some reason earlier, perhaps at a business that was open, and just stuck around talking.

Skateboarding.

If it's late and people want to meet up without bothering their families or roommates, they need to gom somewhere that isn't one of their houses. Shopping centers are common landmarks.

Gearheads want to get together and compare cars. A parking lot is the obvious choice.

Those are the reasons I recall for hanging out late at night in parking lots when I've done it. I think usually it's just that folks don't have any place to go. If they're young and live at home or have roommates who value sleep, they can't bring large groups back to their places.

[Ziggy]

Drug deals!

Aside from the people that are mischievous, it's just to hang out. And hang out for free. I've never hung around in a parking lot I don't think (except for 7/11 a few times) but I've definitely hung out "no where" for extended periods of time.

[Hobie-wan]

I've actually met people in parking lots fairly often for Craigslist stuff. Went to a small Subaru meet and after eating there were 5 or 6 of us talking in the parking lot for over an hour after.

[Ziggy]

Once we got Taco Bell close to midnight and ate it on the outside tables at the McDonald's (which was closed) down the road then hung around for quite a while. I feel like having Taco Bell now.

Most of the times I just hung around talking was actually in or around my car in front of my house. I use to stand with friends and talk for hours. It'd be like "OK, I'm gonna get going" but then we'd talk for hours and hours. Even in the dead of winter. But the trunk of a sedan makes a good seat on a summer night.

[the7k]

Yeah, I mean, I can understand meeting for gearheads (I've seen that happen on a few occasions and didn't question it) and I understand hanging out in front of a business that either is still open or recently closed. I can also understand two people meeting in a parking lot for a CL deal (I've done it myself). It's seeing tons of people hanging out in front of completely abandoned shopping centers that confuses me.

Maybe I'm just lucky in that I always know of at least one person's place that we can chill at, instead of just hanging in a parking lot. Then again, considering these look to be the rough neck types, perhaps they are smart enough to know that having a ton of 'friends' at their place will likely result in stuff going 'missing'.

[DinnerX]

They're just hanging out there because its cheap and people probably aren't gonna bother them so it's kind of private. I only see teenagers doing this. I always thought their parents didn't want them to have people over and they were too broke to go some place.

That and sometimes those "people" are probably aliens.

[RyaNtheSlayA]

They're just hanging out there because its cheap and people probably aren't gonna bother them so it's kind of private. I only see teenagers doing this. I always thought their parents didn't want them to have people over and they were too broke to go some place.

This, also drugs.