Comments on: Parking Space Hogs

By: Be_stress-free

Be_stress-free — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 17:11:20 +0000

Thinking beyond just losing parking space for residents and visitors:

* how affected are the businesses that the boxes are in front of by having these boxes there? From the pic above, it looks like Tonic’s entrance is totally obscured and you wouldn’t know it was there except for its bright orange awnings.

* is the city losing potential revenue, since these are metered spaces or does the cost of the permit covers this for 5 days?

I can understand the indignity if the permit was for 30 days, but for 5 days, it’s not that big of a deal, unless the above two factors are severely affected by Big Blue Boxes.

By: wayan

wayan — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 16:04:14 +0000

But does a car take up two parking spaces for a week without moving, on a metered section of street, without getting a parking ticket?

By: Be_stress-free

Be_stress-free — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 14:41:11 +0000

Nicely said, K-Dog. I agree that it seems weird that y’all are making a fuss about boxes, when a car is box with wheels. There is no difference and if the person got a permit to put their boxes there, then I don’t see a problem, except that aesthetically, big blue with yellow boxes don’t belong with vehicular colors du jour.

By: k-dog

k-dog — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 22:40:49 +0000

It seems that the idea of street space as a public space/resource resonates with many of you. In which case you might understand how many of us find your sense of entitlement in regards to free parking on the street to be strangely inconsistent with your perception of this space as a public good. These folks may have their boxes on the street for a full week – that is 24 hours for seven days straight, or 168 hours in total. But if you park your car every night for only the 8 hours during which you sleep – then you use the same amount of the street space for your car in only 21 days, or for over 17 weeks a year. Somehow I imagine that you might park your car on the street for more than 8 hours a day, so check your grudges about the selfishness of the one-time box people at the door because you’ve got your own issues to deal with.

By: Robis

Robis — Wed, 16 Aug 2006 13:50:11 +0000

The problem as I understand it, Ellie, is the fact that they were there for a week.

How many of us leisurely move our stuff out over a week? Not me. As nice as it would be, I understand that any space I take up on the street is space that is inconveniencing someone else. So I pack up and move as quickly as I can—because that’s what you do when you are a good neighbor.

By: ellie

ellie — Wed, 16 Aug 2006 03:50:47 +0000

lord people – of course it’s obnoxious. but think for one second about if it were you moving a houseload of stuff. i’ve had the permits to reserve a space for a moving truck and then the assholes who think I”M being selfish park in the space. large moving van appears and has nowhere to park so ends up blocking traffick making even bigger mess for everyone. who do metrobloggers have to make everything about how the world is just out to inconvenience you because you are late for a freaking date?

By: Tom Bridge

Tom Bridge — Tue, 15 Aug 2006 22:48:32 +0000

Oh, I’d rather one space for moving crates than a whole block for a giant moving truck ;)

By: Tom Bridge

Tom Bridge — Tue, 15 Aug 2006 22:47:45 +0000

I’d imagine it applies only to residential neighborhoods, Wayan.

By: Brock

Brock — Tue, 15 Aug 2006 22:07:24 +0000

Wayan: seems to me like you should find out post haste.

By: wayan

wayan — Tue, 15 Aug 2006 21:59:15 +0000

I wonder if I can get a permit for the 1600 block of Pennsylvania Avenue? oR better yet, One Judicary Sqaure?