Not your parking space

[PepperElf]

=/

i prefer places that have open parking myself. this apartment has it, my old apartment has it, and mom & dad's place has it.

the only gripes i've really ever had was at my old apartment someone parked their trailer hitch in a spot. i'm not sure if they were suppose to or not but that sucked. i also didn't like it when i saw an empty spot and pulled up... only to see a motorcycle there, but well the motorcycle at least had a right to be there - more right than the trailer hitch at least.


where mom & dad live if you want assigned parking you can rent a garage for a monthly fee, which is nice because... well it's a locked garage. no one has the ability to steal your paid-for spot, not unless they plan to pick the lock. They also have regular, unassigned parking in front of the apartments, though their neighbors have all kinda gotten attached to specific spots and sometimes get a little territorial over them... though sometimes the neighbors will kinda try to spin each other up by taking each other's spots.

As per mom & dad's request... when I visit, I keep my nose out of those spots. I just park a few spots to the left, where no one really parks much. sure i could technically take any of the spots but... it doesn't bother me to walk a little further (especially since some of the residents are elderly). and more importantly... mom & dad have to live with these people so, going out of my way to show consideration to their neighbors can't hurt.

[Pagan]

i prefer places that have open parking myself. this apartment has it, my old apartment has it, and mom & dad's place has it.

We've got open parking, too. The only thing I really have an issue with is when someone decides to leave their car in one of the closer parking spaces for weeks on end. There's one in a space right now that I know hasn't moved since around the 15th/16th of May. (And I freely admit that I like that particular spot 'cause when you come in, you can pull straight in and then you can back straight out....and I can see my car from my bedroom window).

I can understand leaving it in one place if you're going out of town for a while. I've done that twice when I went to Scotland. However, I moved my car to one of the little used areas of the parking lot and let the office know that I was going to be gone.

[protege]

I disagree. The parking spaces are clearly labelled - there was nothing stopping the parker from approaching the OP (or leaving a note under their door) and saying "Sorry, but there's an issue with my car, and I can't get it to move! Is it ok if I temporarily leave it there?"

Like you, I wouldn't have had a problem if the guy simply asked to use the space. But, after 2 days, I'd have towed the heap. I can understand a car breaking down, because well, stuff happens. But, to make your problem someone else's problem? Not buying it.

Case in point, my brother is one of those people who will *not* move his vehicle. He still lives with my parents, and all of the cars are kept in the driveway. Usually, the cars are arranged in order of who has to leave first. But, he's been known to be a dick when asked to swap vehicles around. That is, unless I'm the one asking for him to move. For quite awhile, I had to find the keys and do it myself. Then he flat out refused...and I'd had enough. I simply told him that if he didn't move the car...I'd move it myself...by putting a brick through the window, popping it into neutral, and pushing it into the field across the street

[PepperElf]

weeks on end..

someone did that in the winter... or they tried to. but the apartment rules are that you have to move your car every day in the winter so they can plow. now they don't enforce it exactly, cos if you go a couple of days they won't say anything. but one minivan hadn't moved for a week and the snow was piled up around it... so it got tagged with a nice little "tow" sticker.

i haven't seen anyone else try that since then. but really there is always enough parking it seems.

at the old apartment in VA beach, if i got home really late at night (especially after my theatre group rehearsal) i'd have to park in an entirely different lot, about 2-3 minute walk. but here... eh, the most i've had to walk is maybe to the middle of the lot. though part of that is probably because they aren't cramming as many people into the apartments here

[Pagan]

but the apartment rules are that you have to move your car every day in the winter so they can plow.

What is this "plow snow" you speak of? Actually, I have seen a snow plow once in my life....at the top of Trans-Mountain in El Paso....about 15 years ago.

[malmalthekiller]

I had that happen with my last apartment. I lived right across from a university, and I lived in a house in a small efficiency. However, all the spaces were stenciled with apartment letters, and it was a tiny parking lot, very clearly private.

First time it happened was the first beautiful night of the summer, and I was coming home at 11:30 after work, tired and pissed off because some a-hole was in my spot. It took them less than 15 minutes to get there and tow it away!

My landlord had a contract with a towing company (like most apartments do in this town), and anytime I needed to tow someone I called them. I had to do it 3 times over 12 months, and it was worth it every time.

[dalesys]

What is this "plow snow" you speak of? Actually, I have seen a snow plow once in my life....at the top of Trans-Mountain in El Paso....about 15 years ago.

I saw a couple of men clearing snow with brooms in Albequerque once...

Off the wings of the 727 I was in...

[BookstoreEscapee]

We've got open parking, too. The only thing I really have an issue with is when someone decides to leave their car in one of the closer parking spaces for weeks on end. There's one in a space right now that I know hasn't moved since around the 15th/16th of May.

There was a motorcycle parked in the spot closest to my building from November of last year through March of this year (we don't have assigned spots, either). There was another in another spot not far away. Personally, I think they should have put them both together in the spot all the way in the corner, since it's kind of a pain to get out of (the dumpsters are right there so you have to back out straight into the "fire lane" that's across from it) and it's usually one of the last empty spots if you get back later in the evening. If they had done that I doubt anyone would have cared that they sat there for 6 months. I don't see how that's any different than leaving a disabled car for months on end, which is clearly disallowed in the lease. If you're not using it for whatever reason, at least put it somewhere out of the way.

[Pagan]

I saw a couple of men clearing snow with brooms in Albequerque once...

Off the wings of the 727 I was in...

Well, since we only have snows that cause problems once every 50 years or so.... So does that mean you were here at the end of Dec 2006?

I don't see how that's any different than leaving a disabled car for months on end, which is clearly disallowed in the lease. If you're not using it for whatever reason, at least put it somewhere out of the way.

Hmmm, that's disallowed in our lease, too. I just haven't gotten irritated enough to go over to the office.

It could be that the owner did notify the office that they were going to be gone for some time, but they could have at least had the courtesy to park it in not a prime spot.

[BookstoreEscapee]

It could be that the owner did notify the office that they were going to be gone for some time, but they could have at least had the courtesy to park it in not a prime spot.

Well, in this case I don't believe either owner was gone, it was just too cold for motorcycles.

[greek_jester]

I saw a couple of men clearing snow with brooms in Albequerque once...

Off the wings of the 727 I was in...

You'd rather they'd left it on?

[Pagan]

You'd rather they'd left it on?

Especially since the brooms were the only choice! I honestly don't think the Sunport has that kind of equipment.

[Magpie]

Especially since the brooms were the only choice! I honestly don't think the Sunport has that kind of equipment.

I'm not sure what sort of equipment they ought to have though. I wouldn't be surprised if they used brooms on plane wings here too.