What would someone normal do in this situation?

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When I finished shopping at the mall, I wasn't able to find my car in the underground parking lot even though I knew the floor, row number and color of my parking spot. Though I had paid utmost attention on the way from the car to the mall, I couldn't find the place back. I looked for a long time. I asked about 6-7 security guards but they didn't know where that parking area was either. There were no maps or signs anywhere and 2 security guards I asked told me there was no Information Desk (I didn't see one either).

I have NVLD and likely also AS. I'm very curious as to what an NT would've done to solve the problem (let's assume the NT wasn't able to find the parking place either, even though I guess they wouldn't have my visio-spatial difficulties so they would've been more likely to find it).

Most NTs would press the "panic" button on their electronic lock system and listen for the panic noises, if they happen to have such a device on their key chain. Should that fail, they would either attempt to reconstruct the path to the mall mentally, straining to remember whatever they could, do exactly what you did (asking for help is a fairly common response), and/or wander around until they found their vehicle.

If it makes you feel any better, it seems that misplacing one's vehicle is a common occurrence for any car owner.

I remember my family losing our car in a giant dirt parking lot at an air show when I was little. It was very traumatizing. I don't remember how we found it eventually. If I lost my car, then I would wander around until I found it.

<--- Also wanders around till he gets lucky.

I believe most malls have some kind of coordinate system for parking lots. It could be something like just a letter for smaller lots or a letter number combo for larger ones. Airports use the letter-number system as well. Obviously this system was designed for NTs.

I once had anxiety in Spokane because I misplaced my car in the parking garage there at the mall in downtown. I actually cried and I then decided to look on each level and it turns out it was on the next level up on the other side. I got turned around about where I parked it. I started to pay more attention to where I park and what floor and what spot. I don't use cars as my landmark since they change. I use walls as my landmark or anything nearby like the elevator or stairs or doors. Those never change.

This must be a normal thing than an AS thing or else we wouldn't have floors marked in colors or numbers.

I had a meltdown because the guards were so unhelpful, yelled at them and threatened to call the Police if they didn't help me within 1 minute. One of them was nice enough to go look together with me, and after asking around (and getting cooperation because he was wearing a guard uniform) he found the place.

I think they should have called the mall management or the parking management immediately and asked where that row number was. I plan to take this to the customer-protection association and make a huge fuss about it. No maps, no office to turn to for help, uncooperative guards --- everyone's going to get it from me.

last time this happened to me, I rang my husband I looked and looked and couldn't find it so I called him....(nothing he could do, but he is the person I tell when I need help)

Yeah, I probably would've cried...

Your response--asking for help--was probably the typical NT response, once they had exhausted their own abilities. Some NTs ask for help earlier than others.

It's good that you have learned that skill, because it is an essential part of independence. When you can't ask for help that you need--when you're autistic this usually occurs because you don't think of it, not because you are afraid of asking--then obviously you can't get that help, which can leave serious gaps. It's a problem I have, not being able to ask for help, or even see it as an option. Theoretically I understand it; application is still difficult.