Karma or bad optimization?

Earlier today, I found myself (at the wheel of my little green car) trailing a red sedan in a parking ramp. Before I follow up on that, I want to give red sedan's driver medium sized--if not big--ups for appreciating context. By which I mean understanding the difference between a crowded parking ramp and I-90--something that could not necessarily be said of everyone.

But red sedan--henceforth known as "RS"--was quite obviously was on the make for a parking spot a short bee-line from an entrance. The irony was, as we turned the corner more or less separating said parking lot's upper bowels from its lower ones, the prospects went from nil to nearly wide-open. I left RS to take its pick of the plummy-looking spaces at the far end and slotted little green car into the handiest stall.

Guess who was first through the building entrance? Me, actually. Why? Because the afore-mentioned "plummy" parking spaces were all reserved for patrons in wheelchairs. Thus it was that I found myself passing RC--by then moving in reverse--on my way in.

Spiritually, I suppose you can consider it just karma in action. But the geek in me prefers to consider it poor optimization. In this example, the ultimate goal in parking a car is to find the space that minimizes the amount of elapsed time between opening the car door and opening building door. The location of the parking stall is a big factor in that, true. But it's not the only factor. Just like the amount of cash you pay out during any transaction is only part of the "value" equation.

Again, props to RS's driver for not blasting through the ramp--and also for not just appropriating a wheelchair-accessible spot. Clearly s/he was also optimizing for the all-important factor of Not Being a Jerk--and that's something I certainly don't consider trivial. We need all of that we can get.