Or Else

Jack, you are building Conditional type II sentences (present non-factual):

(1) Correct. There are no other cars in the lot; he does not have to drive farther.
(2) Meaningless. Conditional 'would' is required.
(3) Correct. Employees do not, as a habit or by command, use this lotg; he does not have to drive farther.
(4) Meaningless. Conditional 'would' is required.

Shouldn't he say "luckily" instead of "lucky" (lucky is adj. and adv. is needed)

Formally, yes, Maverick-- but using 'lucky' here is a common colloquialism.

Is there something strange about #1?

1. 'Lucky my employees didn't park here or else I would have to drive upstairs.'

~ 'It's lucky my employees didn't park here. Otherwise I would have had to drive upstairs.'

~ 'Luckily my employees didn't park here. Otherwise I would have had to drive upstairs.'

~ 'If my employees had parked here, I would h

I see what you mean, but-- 'If they had parked here this morning, I would have found the spaces all full when I pulled in (a moment ago), and I would now have to drive upstairs.' I think he's still in the car, entering the lot.

The simple past of course led me to presume the 'would' conditional, but perhaps it is more complex than that.

Ah yes, I see – inserting the 'now' does it.