Question about parking problem

[lizzyclean.livejournal.com]

Hey everyone,
I'm new to this board so bear with me if this is a silly question!

Over the last several months I have been encountering a little problem that is relatively small, but at the same time drives me up a wall. I want to pose the question to you guys because maybe others have encountered the same issue and found a solution. Or, you can tell me to quit whining.

I've lived in Teele for three years now. I have a car (unfortunately) and must park it on the street. I also have two jobs, one of which on some evenings gets me home very late at night when most people are already sound asleep. This doesn't really present a parking problem except when it's street cleaning night.
Lately, since I think a slew of new people have moved into the neighborhood, I've been encountering parked cars that take up more than one spot. That's normally fine (annoying, but fine), but on the nights when everyone has to park on one side of the street, parking is obviously at a premium. Last night when I came home late, there were four cars taking up two spots each and I had to park quite a ways away from my house. If any of those cars had just been pulled up a foot more, me and my small car could easily fit on the same length of curb.

Obviously, I don't think anyone is dong this out of malice, I just think people aren't aware of how they are parking. I have considered leaving NICE notes on cars or posting signs on the street, but I'm always concerned people will take offense. I definitely don't want to come off as a know-it-all. I just want to find a way to gently nudge people into being a bit more aware of how they park, so that everyone can fit on the street.

Has anyone else ever encountered this and found a solution? Or should I just suck it up and consider it a battle I'll never win? Thanks!

Comments

[nomirena.livejournal.com]

I can certainly relate and you're right, it is definitely annoying.

However, I once had the pleasure of receiving one of those "nice" notes on my car which said something to the effect of, "no one is any better than anyone else in this neighborhood. Please only park in one spot. Not trying to be mean, just neighborly." It made me feel really bad because when I had parked, I had pulled up right behind another car in front of me. When that car left, my car appeared to be taking up more of its share, which I couldn't have predicted easily. I found that note to be really mean, especially since I've been living in Somerville a long time and I'm already very sensitive to that problem. argh.

So, bottom line, notes are ok and make the note writer feel better, but very rarely are they taken well by the note receiver...

[dj-daeva.livejournal.com]

ditto! i got a similar note when i moved into my new apartment. they didn't take into consideration that my car is really small so when i pulled up a normal distance behind the car in front of me, there was still extra space behind me (even though had a normal sedan pulled into that space they would've been all the way to the end of the space)

i had also just moved in, was totally exhausted and didn't think so park at the other end of the opening, just because my car's smaller.

The note leaver said that i should look to see how many cars are parked and if there's only one person at the front of the opening, i should've made sure to park at the end of the opening to allow the middle to be open.

sorry folks, but i pulled up as close as i could to the car in front of me and parked my car. at the end of the day that's pretty much the best you can ask from someone.

i wasn't horribly offended by the note, but i was definitely irritated and look at the house with slight contempt every time i drive by :D

<3

[dani-namaste.livejournal.com]

Well, that note wasn't really nice - it was quite tacky, actually.

[prunesnprisms.livejournal.com]

I think it's a losing battle. you think street sweeping is bad, wait until people are fighting for snow-safe spaces.

[lizzyclean.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah, I've already lived through 6 winters with a car in Boston/Somerville/Brookline. And it's definitely worse than street cleaning time! But thought I'd put it out there anyway.

I have nothing useful to say so I will just rant

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, I think this is just one more piece of the general "nobody exists but me" attitude that is oddly prevalent around here. I find it particularly glaring in drivers, pedestrians, and T riders.

In San Francisco, few people pulled that kind of parking shit, but if they did, they might get their car keyed. I think it should be a ticket-able offense, personally. But then, I also think drivers who don't stop for pedestrians in (non-light) crosswalks should be ticketed, and pedestrians who cross against the light and get hit should be 100% liable for both their own injuries as well as any damage to the car and/or passengers. (That green arrow means the CARS CAN GO, you morons!!!)

Re: I have nothing useful to say so I will just rant

[lissie930.livejournal.com]

*heh* I saw a note left on a car in my neighborhood in SF that read something like "If you parked so that you only took up one spot, your neighbors would be less inclined to slash your tires." It amused me at the time.

I have asked people to repark on our street when I saw them parking and taking up two spaces. The only issue about leaving a note is the exact one referenced above-I've been the one also where I thought I was parking courteously only to discover I was not, due to someone else's poor parking job.

Re: I have nothing useful to say so I will just rant

[hammercock.livejournal.com]

I find it particularly glaring in drivers, pedestrians, and T riders.

So...pretty much everybody, then. :)

Re: I have nothing useful to say so I will just rant

[bombardiette.livejournal.com]

Amen. OMFG. Amen. I've never understood how so many people in one city can be so oblivious to everyone else around them - and if they do take notice, it's only because you've somehow gotten in their self important way.

I've lived here since I was a teen-ager and have watched this phenomena grow and fester as more and more college students come here and decide to stay on. Is it a course that BU is giving maybe?

[bikergeek.livejournal.com]

Suck it up. That's life in the Big City, and unfortunately, as the n00b in the neighborhood, you are on the bottom of the social pecking order. That's just the way things work around here.

[lizzyclean.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm not really new in the neighborhood. Is that what n00b means?

[fanw.livejournal.com]

Sounds like new folks are in the neighborhood (hey students!) and maybe you'll have the luck that some are reading this post and will be a little more aware. I find it annoying too.

[ah42.livejournal.com]

Speaking as someone with a larger vehicle, I completely agree with your complaint. If you have trouble fitting your smaller car in spots, imagine the trouble I have! (Thank god I've moved out of the area. Still visit almost daily, though.)

One of my big fears, however, is that I'll park somewhere, and trying not to take up too much space, I'll be stuck when I come back without enough space to maneuver out from my parking spot. That happened to me twice, and I had to call out of work. Now I always try to park at a corner or driveway, so that I don't have to worry about someone pulling up too close.

(To defend my position, in case anyone wonders, I *did* need my pick-up truck for work.)

And yeah, like the other commenter mentioned, sometimes it just happens as a result of other people re-parking throughout a given day, and there's nothing you can do about it. Not everyone can agree where a parking spot should begin and end.

[ah42.livejournal.com]

Oh, and also. My neighbours loved me in the wintertime because when the street was void of cars a day or two after a storm, I was the only resident with a snowplow. I cleared where the city didn't, now that the cars had a chance to move.

[lee-cheri.livejournal.com]

I used to encounter similar problems when I lived in Teele...
In front of my house was a strip of sidewalk at which 3 cars could comfortably fit. However, certain cars (that I came to recognize) would leave a ton of room in front (but of course not enough for another car to fit) which would only leave enough room for one car to park behind them.
I left a nice note (something to the effect of - "Hi - sorry to bother, but there is actually enough room for 3 cars to park at this strip, so if you could inch closer forward in the future another car can park!) - and the problem was resolved. Until, of course, someone COMPLETELY blocked by driveway with their uglyass van, and I had to have them towed b/c I needed to leave. ;]

Anyway - yes. Leave a nice note...just don't be rude or unkind...

[watchamacallit.livejournal.com]

At the risk of sounding bitchy... deal with it. Parking problems are part of city living and not everyone will park exactly how you think they should.

[lizzyclean.livejournal.com]

I have been dealing with it. Thanks!

[xuth.livejournal.com]

Maybe the "offending" person parks that way defensively. When I moved into the area, I specifically got a place with off street parking. It drives me buggy watching how people believe that the proper way to parallel park around here is to hit the car in front of and/or behind them (most people aren't even apologetic for doing so, it's just the way your supposed to park as far as they're concerned).

[two-stabs.livejournal.com]

You'd have a good time with the jamokes in eastie. :P

[lizzyclean.livejournal.com]

Thanks for all the different points of view! This has been something that's been bugging me for years and I finally just needed to vent, I guess. But a lot of you pointed out things I hadn't even thought about. Very cool. I'll definitely continue to suck it up with this parking thing, as I have no choice, but if the opportunity presents itself for me to talk to a neighbor, I will. I have no interest in being mean or snarky or starting a silly fued. (Though some of them probably could use some snark aimed towards them....)

And just to be clear, I have been living in Boston and the various neighborhoods for 14 years so I have some idea what life is like in the (big) city. Sometimes you just want to see what other people are thinking! That's why I love this community board.

[ellf.livejournal.com]

Not sure what your financial situation is like, but you can generally find an off-parking spot in the Cambridge/Somerville area for $100/month or less. It's a hit, but one tow ticket in the winter would be the same.

Granted, I've been on both sides of those economics, and I've made do with the horrendous job that most people do with parking. It's an effort to not imagine them as completely self-absorbed, but I try to remember that most of the world can't even afford a car, let alone complain about the difficult of parking it in the middle of a (relatively) affluent city.

[firstfrost.livejournal.com]

I wonder if it would work to paint on the street, those T-shaped parking indicators that you see on roads that have parking meters. (Or, if paint seems too permanent, chalk?)

(I didn't post this before because it doesn't count as "found a solution" if I've never seen it tried. But it might work.)

[xxv.livejournal.com]

Not a bad idea! Sometimes it's hard to tell when an area is big enough for 1 car or 2, while still leaving enough room between the driveway (the law says allow 2ft, but this generally seems like overkill).

Of course, this wouldn't let 3 smaller cars take up less room (assuming people followed the guidelines) unless there were "compact car" spots.

[glowroper.livejournal.com]

How about a note to every car on the street? Just acknowledging that there are a lot more cars since the students came back, and if everyone pulls up that'd be great.

Unfortunately, the first time you get a ticket that nails you for parking within two feet of a curb cut (as for driveway or something), you will give up your altruism. :( And the even suckier thing is, opinions of the parking enforcement officers vary on whether tis best to allow parking compassionately on street-cleaning nights, or penalize us for banding together and sharing space, and adding to the plump coffers of the traffic control bureau.

[dani-namaste.livejournal.com]

that's what I hate about living in Somerville - this city exists to give you parking tickets. I can't tell you how often I've gotten a ticket because I was parked in the exact same location I've seen other cars parked every single day.

[glowroper.livejournal.com]

How about a note to every car on the street? Just acknowledging that there are a lot more cars since the students came back, and if everyone pulls up that'd be great.

Unfortunately, the first time you get a ticket that nails you for parking within two feet of a curb cut (as for driveway or something), you will give up your altruism. :( And the even suckier thing is, opinions of the parking enforcement officers vary on whether tis best to allow parking compassionately on street-cleaning nights, or penalize us for banding together and sharing space, and adding to the plump coffers of the traffic control bureau.

[turil.livejournal.com]

Parking well away from a curb cut is altruism, in my book!

[theodosia.livejournal.com]

I've noticed that they're ticketing more zealously about corners around my neighborhood (Spring Hill).

FWIW, I've been the recipient of two polite neighborly notes over the 14 years I've lived in Somerville, and it didn't scar me at all. Both were times when I really hadn't considered (or noticed) the ramifications of a tight parking situation, so I felt properly chastened, too.

[hammercock.livejournal.com]

There's a spot in front of my house that can easily fit two normal-sized cars if people parked considerately. Very often, though, especially in the last month or so, there have been a lot of single cars parked there because they've hogged the entire spot, and it's irritating. It doesn't affect me personally, because I have access to a driveway and usually park there, but the selfishness bugs me. The only good reason for that spot to be taken by only one vehicle, IMO, is if that vehicle is a van or pickup truck or one of those godforsaken Canyonero things (I'll spare y'all my rant on anti-socially large vehicles :-).

I have considered putting up a sign on the tree abutting the space that says something like, "This is a two-car spot. Please park considerately."

[joylewis.livejournal.com]

This has been my favorite way of addressing this issue in the past. The Car Talk website has tickets that you can print up that look AMAZINGLY like Somerville parking tickets from a distance. At least, enough to give someone that little jolt of adrenaline when they see it under their wiper. And then they feel a lot better when they realize that it's a fake ticket when they actually read it and hopefully realize that they've been inconsiderate (or laugh if they know that it wasn't their fault).

http://www.cartalk.com/content/tickets/print-ticket3.html

[turil.livejournal.com]

You may laugh, but most people get stressed out when they see a ticket or even a compaining note. And then they get into their car and take that stress out on the roads. (Did you know that stress hormones take several hours to dissipate in the brain!)

[turil.livejournal.com]

Everything you do with your car causes someone else to suffer in this city where there are more cars than space to put them. Parking really close to driveways is mean to the people who use the driveways, and parking kindly away from driveways pisses off the people who want to cram as many cars onto the street as possible. Ultimately, the only thing to do is to accept reality for what it is, and do whatever you think is right.

[elements.livejournal.com]

I hear ya, tho agree with others that there's not a lot of anything that can be done about it. Little things like this post may help some folks be more aware, for a while, and that's probably the best that can be expected.

My brother visited me this past weekend, with his mini. It was crazy that on so many spaces on the street, cars were surrounded by 4-5 feet of space on either side. There would have been room for a mini if the other car had been pulled even one foot farther forward.