A "search" is looking at what is private, not normally visible. The inside of your house is a place where "search" is the correct term. But if you're outside,

A "search" is looking at what is private, not normally visible. The inside of your house is a place where "search" is the correct term. But if you're outside, you're visible, both to the police and to regular people. Your home may be your castle; the parking lot at the mall (for example) is not. You have no expectation of what you do there not being seen.