How to get people to observe a No Parking sign?

March 18, 2006 11:47 AM

How can I get people to stop blocking my apartment building's driveway?

I've lived in the same SF neighborhood for over 10 years, and the forces of Gentrification have descended upon us. Now one of the city's trendiest coffee spots is 2 doors down from my building, down a little alley that used to be quiet and sketchy, filled with homeless people and abandoned cars.

While the alley smells much better now, the coffee shop has attracted a most unneighborly crowd. At least once a day (and often more) when I attempt to leave my apt, there's a car blocking the driveway I share with 12 other people. Right in front of the No Parking sign.

I honk, and often see an arm go up claiming the offending car, and hear "hang on, I'll just be a minute..." People can be seriously obnoxious and self-important, even sneering at me as they get into their cars. Others in my building share the same complaint.

If it's been your car, then you can stop wondering where all your good parking karma went.

There aren't enough police/DPT folks to actually enforce the parking laws in SF, so I feel I need to take it into my own hands. I want to deter people from parking there without being sued for damaging property, and without spending a whole lot of dough. Any creative ideas out there?

posted by nadise to society & culture (37 comments total)

We had a similar problem (Russian Hill) until we posted a sign with the name and number of a towing company and actually towed the cars. This was perhaps different as they were blocking the driveway on the sidewalk (as opposed to in the street) - I don't know what the property laws are, but you might want to check to see whether that's an option. The private towing companies love this setup as they make money every time you call.
posted by aberrant at 11:57 AM on March 18, 2006

I've called a tow company before, and they can legally tow a car parked on the street in a no parking zone, so that's not an issue. The problem is that because the coffee shop is more of a cart (outdoor only), the cars aren't typically there long enough for a tow truck to show up, and when the truck did show up in time, people are able to see them coming and prevent the tow.
posted by nadise at 12:07 PM on March 18, 2006

Have you asked the coffee shop manager for help yet? While he (she?) may shrug it off, there are some who find it decent (or more profitable) to be responsible neighbors. Can't hurt to ask.

If the store won't cooperate, yeah -- just post a tow notice and USE it. Between the 13 of you living there, someone should be able to spot a car almost as soon as it parks and make that call. The regulars will catch on.
posted by nakedcodemonkey at 12:12 PM on March 18, 2006

Pay one of those window-washing bums to hang out in front of your place. pay him a dollar for every car he scares away. :)
posted by clord at 12:14 PM on March 18, 2006

Can you say which neighborhood it is? It might make a difference. In mine, for example, there are enough cops-in-golf-carts roaming around that I would feel completely comfortable asking one to hang out during peak hours. Usually the sight of a golf cart with flashing lights is enough to deter illegal parkers.

If the cops in your neighborhood have different priorities, it might be a tougher sell - but it's revenue for The City for each one they nab, so it's not all bad.
posted by aberrant at 12:15 PM on March 18, 2006

Also, I'd be interested in hearing where the city's trendiest coffee spot is. Is it that good? I promise you I won't drive there. :)
posted by aberrant at 12:16 PM on March 18, 2006

Sorry, didn't spot that "cart" thing on preview. If they're really coming and going that fast, honestly it raises the questions whether an obstructed driveway is the main problem, or rude people raising your blood pressure. The good news is, the latter problem would be one you can take control over. Refuse to let your blood be boiled, and as they wave and sneer you get to glow in the warm visions of all the bad karma that awaits these numbskulls.
posted by nakedcodemonkey at 12:18 PM on March 18, 2006

One other (mean) possibility: could you put a sign out that says "No Parking - Severe Tire Damage" and then put some nail-studded boards in front of the driveway? You'd have to remember to move them as you get out, but I'd imagine it would be a short-term effort for long-term results.
posted by aberrant at 12:19 PM on March 18, 2006

It's Hayes Valley, and the coffee spot is Blue Bottle Coffee Co. on Linden.

Their coffee is good, if a bit expensive. They do their drip coffee when it's ordered, so you're often waiting a couple of minutes. Their lattes are heavenly smooth. They sell whole beans too, which are among my favorites.

I'll try talking to the proprietor first, and then the homeless window washer idea -- brilliant, I might add.

Thanks to all for the input!
posted by nadise at 12:21 PM on March 18, 2006

oooh - I've been there (on foot :) ). Decent coffee. Didn't realize it was so trendy.
posted by aberrant at 12:24 PM on March 18, 2006

I found a parking deterrent. but it may not work for you and it is somewhere around 250 british pounds. I wonder if you can plant a messy tree, or hang a bird feeder over the spot.
You could probably make a fake but very official looking parking ticket. Leave the ticket under the wipers when the driver is not looking. They may even end up donating money to your cash starved local police.
posted by gearspring at 1:11 PM on March 18, 2006

I had that problem where I lived due to large number of bars around. Calling parking enforcement was usually a waste of time because by the time they showed up the person had left already. I tried a few methods either by letting all of the air out of a tire or by pasting a large sticker over the driver's side of their windshield with a note saying it was illegal to park in driveways. I don't know if it made too much of a difference in the long run but it made me a little happier.
posted by JJ86 at 1:20 PM on March 18, 2006

Here are a few more ideas, off the top of my head...

Coordinate with the landlord to replace the generic "No Parking" sign with one that is bigger and bolder and actually says "No Parking Whatsoever (Even if it's only for five minutes)" and states the actual statute designation and the name and number of a tow company. Or you could even have it say outright "If you block this driveway for Blue Bottle Coffee you WILL be towed no matter how brief you think you are going to be here."

Shame them when they do this. Get a megaphone and walk out there and start yelling, "The disrespectful owner of the black civic, license place ABC-1234 is currently blocking in 12 people in their apartment that cannot leave because of him. This person obviously cannot read or else he would have no parked here...."

Find a way to trap them in while you wait for the tow truck to tow them. Of course that's getting quite combative and probably not legal, but it may be worth a shot.
posted by Rhomboid at 1:54 PM on March 18, 2006

Would you believe fake fire hydrants?
Of course it's at replica hydrants dot com your one stop shop for fake fire hydrants.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 1:57 PM on March 18, 2006

You need a parking meter like this one installed.

It can detect when a car is there, and features "Auto-towing notification". I take that to mean it will call the towing company for you automatically.

Take it to the coffee shop, your landlord and the city. If none of them are willing to pay for such a beast, I can think of a few legal avenues to make them (and if necessary, you should see an American lawyer).
posted by Count Ziggurat at 2:36 PM on March 18, 2006

We have the exact same problem, and I've written notes across the windshield in really oily lipstick. It's a pain in the ass to remove, but it causes no damage. People very quickly stop being repeat offenders. Also, it's cheap.

If I'm really in a hurry, I have them towed, which as you mentioned won't work since they can see it coming.

Love, love, love the alarm that gearspring posted!
posted by digitalis at 2:39 PM on March 18, 2006

doesn't a cart-based coffee shop have to be licensed by the city? ... isn't one of the conditions of having a license that you not create problems in the area you do business in?

i'd research that ... and talk to your landlord and the coffee cart owner about what you find out

perhaps the coffee cart needs to move down the block a little
posted by pyramid termite at 3:17 PM on March 18, 2006

Too bad you and your room mates aren't large enough to just tip the offending cars over and out of your way, or are you? (of course you will create more trouble than it is worth if you do) Perhaps some of those very hard to remove stickers saying that "this car is illegally parked" posted right on the windshield if front of the driver's seat would satisfy a desire for revenge without causing too much trouble. You might also check into your state laws. In my state citizens can turn in people who park in handicapped spots. There are a few well known folks who turn in hundreds of such violators. They take pictures and provide statements etc. If these guys would all start getting parking tickets in the mail it might change their behavior. I bet tickets in SF aren't cheap.
posted by caddis at 3:59 PM on March 18, 2006

I have a very similar problem in SOMA. My loft building has a small construction office downstairs; people often park in my driveway entrance when they stop to pick up a check or whatnot. Very annoying. Construction office doesn't care.

You can call for a tow but be prepared to wait--you have to meet the DPT in person, and then s/he calls a tow truck. I am 5 minutes from the tow yard and for me this is a 30 minute process. Not quick enough to catch these jerk offs.

You can however; request that a ticket be issued. I believe (don't quote me) the fine for blocking a driveway is over $100. Tell the coffee shop you and the other tenants have agreed to call every time someone is in violation. Hopefully coffee shop will agree to post a sign to this effect. That should help.
posted by vaportrail at 4:15 PM on March 18, 2006

Buy an old American car with big steel bumpers, and "accidentally" back into them (repeatedly).
posted by madajb at 5:07 PM on March 18, 2006

doesn't a cart-based coffee shop have to be licensed by the city? ... isn't one of the conditions of having a license that you not create problems in the area you do business in?

Have you been there? Its a cart but its not a cart. It sits in private property not out on the street.
posted by vacapinta at 5:17 PM on March 18, 2006

Find a way to trap them in while you wait for the tow truck to tow them. Of course that's getting quite combative and probably not legal, but it may be worth a shot.

ooh, very aggressive. I like that. Park up the street and then double park them in until the tow truck arrives or just double park them in for a good 15 extra minutes or so. Works best if you own a beater.
posted by caddis at 6:21 PM on March 18, 2006

It's just a driveway? Easy. Stick a couple of traffic cones in the driveway. Move them when you need to get out, and then put them back. Either traffic cones or one of those A-frame traffic barriers.

That oughta work. The thing is, people that live & work in San Francisco often know exactly how long it takes for a cop or a tow truck to get there to tow them, and they're more than willing to take the risk. A sign at the coffee shop might work, but people will see it *after* they've already parked like a dick. At that point, they're likely to say "Well, I'll just be here a moment.." and the original problem persists.

Some sort of moveable barrier sounds like the best option to me.
posted by drstein at 6:34 PM on March 18, 2006

I'd simply make sure they got plenty of coffee when they stop by - plenty of coffee on their windshield, and down into the intake for the A/C.

And I feel your pain - I used to live next door to a very popular pizza joint. I had people towed out of my reserved parking spot -- one marked giant "PRIVATE PARKING - VIOLATORS WILL BE TOWED" sign -- once or twice per month. One of my friends called me an asshole, but someone's right to me not being an asshole ends exactly at the threshold of my $50/month parking space.
posted by nathan_teske at 6:36 PM on March 18, 2006

I like drstein's suggestion - would the city grant a variance to allow the building's manager to place some giant cement planters at the end of the driveway? Leave a gap large enough to pull through, but too narrow to parallel park.
posted by nathan_teske at 6:38 PM on March 18, 2006

That's funny -- the last time I was at Blue Bottle (I walked!) the guy in front of me in line was with his two-year-old-ish daughter. She was leaning over his shoulder, looking backwards down the street, and he said to her, "Now remember, watch out for the parking nazis!" and she nodded very gravely. I thought it was such a San Francisco moment.

I'm guessing that people park illegally there because they don't think of it as "parking" so much as "running in to get coffee." I think that a "No Parking, Not Even for Blue Bottle" sign might help -- make them realize that the sign actually does apply to them. Given the guy in line's reaction, people do seem aware that they're illegal and in danger of being towed, so I think just bringing it home a bit more might help.

I also saw a mini-flock of three or four parking mobiles mobilizing down Linden (not that block, though) the other day, so they're around and it might be worth asking them for more enforcement in general.
posted by occhiblu at 7:18 PM on March 18, 2006

Skunk oil! Make that spot so ripe that no one will want to park there!
posted by five fresh fish at 7:37 PM on March 18, 2006

Stick a couple of traffic cones in the driveway. Move them when you need to get out, and then put them back. Either traffic cones or one of those A-frame traffic barriers.

Or the Chicago-style variant.
posted by SuperSquirrel at 7:47 PM on March 18, 2006

I dunno, traffic cones aren't always 100% proof against parking twits, the more charming of whom won't "see" them. (That was my experience a couple times, trying to safeguard an assigned and paid-for parking space.) The A-frame barriers should work better.
posted by furiousthought at 8:45 PM on March 18, 2006

My condo building in Brooklyn occasionally has this problem. Usually the culprit is new teachers at the school across the street who did not realize they were blocking a driveway.

A few weeks ago, the building owner had low brick walls put in to help define (vertically) the driveway, so that people in a hurry who don't see the garage door or the NO PARKING written in yellow paint have something else to indicate visually that it's a driveway they are blocking and not a real parking spot.

Perhaps adding more visual clues that it is a driveway will help.
posted by camworld at 8:48 PM on March 18, 2006

Invite a certain socialite to be your houseguest. Shouldn't take long.
posted by rob511 at 10:06 PM on March 18, 2006

Have you been there? Its a cart but its not a cart. It sits in private property not out on the street.

they still have to be licensed ... just about any business is ... and part of that may well involve not creating parking problems for the neighbors
posted by pyramid termite at 10:31 PM on March 18, 2006

Paint your curb red. It takes the city ages to realise you've done it and change it back.
posted by fshgrl at 10:42 PM on March 18, 2006

Print up some big 4 x 5" permanent stickers officially letting them know they're blocking you in, and that while it's only 5 or 10 minutes to them, it's 5 or 10 minutes several times a day to the residents, and means being late to work, school, etc. Leave a spot for their license # car model and date. Don't put it on the windshield; it's not worth the safety issue. Put it on the driver's side window. Give a nice BIG BOLD caption like I'M AN INCONSIDERATE JACKASS. Put one on the trunk, too, just to be thorough. The sticker will come off with the application of some oil, but the aggravation will be a good lesson, and it's sure to cheer you up.
posted by theora55 at 8:41 AM on March 19, 2006

I would limit stickering to the glass as if you mar the finish they may have reason to go after you (lawsuit, or criminal charges etc.) whereas you can always razor blade a sticker off of glass.
posted by caddis at 9:23 AM on March 19, 2006

Lots of great ideas, thanks to everyone for helping! I'll let you know if anything works.
posted by nadise at 10:53 PM on March 20, 2006

hi there...i'm james, the owner of blue bottle coffee. i found your post after some random googling, and i'm dismayed at the lack of rectitude displayed by some of our customers, many of whom, of course, are just lovely and wouldn't dream of doing such a thing. i would be happy to post a sign urging all of our customers not to consider blocking neighbors' driveways - even for a fraction of a moment, although it's been my experience that most poeple just don't read little signs. i want to be a good neighbor, and work with you to find a solution, so please call me at the roastery - 510.653.3394. we'll get to the bottom of this.
posted by bluebottlejames at 10:27 AM on October 5, 2006 [1 favorite]