Happy Parking Problems Monday!

You have to get your car off the wrong side quick. Sometimes you get lucky; other times, you're just seven minutes late and it's a done deal.

This guy looked genuinely stunned that she stuck the ticket on the windshield despite his presence. She had already scanned the information and written it up, so he really was just two minutes too late here. They had a very civilized conversation about the situation. Nice to see. I think he was still in shock, though. It was past 8:30. And it's not like she had been waiting there at 8:25. Afterwards, she walked leisurely to the van and the other car up the street. No staking out today.

The following photos show the worst in un-neighborly behavior.

Now, you might ask, "How the heck did he get his car like that?" Well, HE didn't. The car in front of him did it. Or at least that's what it seems happened, judging from the young man's reaction when he saw the car. The owner of the middle car LOVES his car. He takes really good care of it and he even shows respect when parking. His bumper is clean - without a bumper cover. No squeezing into spaces for him. Then this happens.

I mean, come on people. I know parking is key, but the next block up usually has spaces available. Or doing a round or two will show a parking spot in easy walking distance. Do you really need to crush the signal light and MOVE the car behind you to get a parking spot? (Actually, some people seem to think it is necessary.) If it's that important to you, you should have planned better.

Even though he was pretty upset, the owner didn't go ballistic or take out a key or even leave a nasty note. Those would have been un-neighborly responses. Especially without definite proof. He also couldn't move his car without causing further damage. Hopefully it will all turnout well - little or no damage, little or no negative interactions, and future courtesy on all sides. Perhaps there needs to be an official Etiquette of Parking in general. Double-parking has some unspoken rules.

The Etiquette of Double-Parking

Most of my time in NYC has been as a vehicle-less lass. However, for a couple of years in the 90's, and for almost two years now, I've been traipsing around in a car when the bus or train were too daunting. And yes, I've double-parked when I couldn't find a space within a reasonable distance. That reasonable distance has gone from a five-block radius to a two-block radius since having a kid to tote around. And admittedly, I was lucky with parking when I lived in the now unaffordable Carroll Gardens; I left for work before 7 AM and got back right around 4 PM. That allowed me to use the school parking on my block. Yeah!

So, this morning, at about 9:40 AM, I left with my cherub to greet the pouring rain and dash to the safe haven of our car. The closer I got to the car (Michigan plates - better be a visitor and not one of those people who uses another address to get cheaper insurance), the more my heart sank. The ONLY double-parked car was in front of my car. At first I thought that I could maneuver my way around it and get out. But no. I checked the dashboard for a number. But no. I honked the horn - the friendly reminder honk - a couple of times. But no. So I waited, occasionally honking again. It was only at 10:05 AM that the owners of the car BEHIND me arrived and left. This gave me the room to back up and around the double-parker. Hooray! I could get to CostCo before it got too gross.

In my years with a car I've learned a few things about double-parking etiquette. The first thing to learn is that it's still ILLEGAL. Just because there is a seeming agreement to not ticket double-parkers who arrive five minutes early and leave no more than five minutes after the alternate side parking is in effect, that doesn't mean it CANNOT happen. In fact, there was a recent spat of ticket giving.

The second (and most important to me this morning), is to leave a number where you can be reached on your dashboard. The parking rules here are only an hour and a half. Don't tell me that you're leaving the neighborhood, or even your home-base, in that time. It's only human to realize that your car could be blocking someone in. I know some people will say, "Well, if you needed to leave, why didn't YOU double-park and let the guy with the Michigan plates and "Everlasting Life" and "fish with Greek writing" bumper stickers take a legitimate space?" Yeah, well, that's why I made an effort to find a legal space the day before. How difficult is it to put a little piece of paper with your cell number or home number on it so I can call you to please move your car? It saves me from honking (my car is more like a bleat) and annoying my neighbors. Or, it saves me from wishing you into your everlasting life a little early - I'm sure that must be bad karma for me. The good news is that I scooted into the back seat for the fifteen minutes and changed my baby's diaper and listened to NPR. I also left a very polite note on the windshield suggesting that my neighbor leave a number next time he needs to double-park. I thought that was much more appropriate than leaving the dirty diaper on the windshield.

The third piece of etiquette to learn and love is to move your car to the other side a little early, or at least not LATE. You're not going to get a ticket for parking on the "illegal" side at 9:57 AM when the hours end at 10 AM. You can also do what they do in CG and CH, wait in your car for a while and enjoy the neighborhood scenery. In the same vein, don't park someone in early. It's better to do a spin around the block with the extra three minutes. Youjust might find a space.

There are a couple of things I'd also mention in more detail (try to double-park where someone can still get out, like before or after the fire hydrant or the corner), but hopefully everyone gets the idea. I feel so much better now.