Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with car and parking

This parking space is mine. So why are you using it?

almostwitty — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 08:01:13 -0800

I have a parking space allocated to my flat in West London. Someone else keeps parking there, and ignoring all signs. How do I "persuade" that person to stop parking there?

help me thrive with a car in nyc

jak68 — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 20:07:15 -0800

NYC parking filter - I need to know what you know. I'm going to have a car in manhattan around 125th street.

I didnt want to have a car up here but i'm stuck with it now.

Can you help me make my car-in-NY experience a bit more bearable?

I will learn the alternate side of street parking rules in my neighborhood. But -- is it true that once the street cleaner passes by, you can go park your car back where it was, even if the official time slot for no parking (for instance, 8:30-10) isnt over yet? The street cleaner doesnt come back, does it?

Is it true that the street cleaner comes by at around the same time for a given street, each time that it comes by? For instance, if I observe it coming by at 9:30AM on a given street, will it come by around 9:30 AM again the next tues or thurs?

So could I just sit in the car a bit before the expected time, wait to see the cleaner, drive around the block and park once more where I was once the cleaner has left that street?

Is it worthwhile to park waaaay far away like in queens even tho i live in manhattan? I hear the parking rules are much less oppressive there, with alternate side parking only once a week instead of twice.

Is it worth finding out "good parking neighborhoods" along the #1 subway train going uptown, parking up there and taking the subway back?

So what kinds of things did you do to survive NYC parking? Can it actually become bearable?

thanks!

So what I'm gonna do is piss and moan like an impotent jerk and then bend over and take it up the tailpipe.

soonertbone — Fri, 15 May 2009 11:39:46 -0800

My car was towed last night from my apartment's parking lot, and I believe it was done so wrongfully. Is there anything I can do about it? I live in a small apartment building. There is a parking lot out back that is shared with the building next door. A permit is required to park there and it is issued by my landlord company.

I've lived in this building for two years and have always had my permit displayed. Last night I parked in the same place I always parked. This morning my car was gone.

When I went to the tow company, I looked at the car and saw this and this. (Apologies for the poor iphone pictures.) As you may be able to see, the permit is there, on the rear view mirror. I have two problems: 1) the permit is on the rear view mirror. I concede it's not the most visible thing in the world, but it's clearly there. If you peek through the side window you could have seen it. But, 2) the permit was turned a full 180 degrees--in fact, it covered part of the rear view mirror, as you can see here and here.

Nothing ever touches the permit. And even if the permit was touched, there's no way that it's going to flip all the way around to where it was. And even if it did flip all the way around, there's no way that I wouldn't have noticed it when I last drove the car, because the permit is covering up the rear view mirror!

I called them this morning before I went over to complain that my car was towed, because I knew the permit was inside. I think that after that phone call, they saw that I was correct, managed to jimmy the lock, and flipped the permit. Total cost to me: $252.00

Is there anything I can do?

Is side parking with horizontal move is possible?

emmoglu — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 16:51:54 -0800

Do you know any car which has the capability of horizontal move to achieve side parking when both of car length and parking area length are almost equal (i mean there is no space to parking maneuver)? Do you believe a car with this skill can improve your parking opportunities? And most importantly, is such a car suitable for mass production and feasible?I will be glad if you can share your detailed ideas with some source -if possible- for my mini research project. I am actually interested in the technical aspect of the matter.

parking brake woes

speef — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 22:38:55 -0800

car help: parking brake stuck! I can't move my car... even to take it to a mechanic. I have a 2002 hyundai accent (stick shift). Today, when I attempted to start the car (in reverse out of its spot in a heated parking garage) I noticed that it was seriously resisting and even squealing... it even left tire marks for the 1 foot I managed to reverse it. Since it's a stick shift, I habitually put the parking break on. I, of course, pushed the brake lever off before I drove and the light went off as well; however, the brake is clearly still on as the car will not move. I attempted to put it in neutral and push the car, because I have noticed a few times recently that the brake will stick for a moment, and then 'groan' and 'pop' out of place when moved a couple inches. Unfortunately, this time it did not work, and the brake is still on. I also attempted to pull the lever back and forth over and over to engage/disengage the brake, but this hasn't helped. The car is good on oil, but I don't know what else I should check.

how do you fix a car that you cannot drive to the mechanic? what can more can i do myself to help it unstick?

Can I Pad my Parking Garage Pillar to Save My Paint Job?

bonheur — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 15:36:24 -0800

Where can I buy a padded jacket for the concrete pillar in my parking garage that I keep accidentally scraping my car against? So, for the second time this year my mom has scraped the side of her car against a concrete pillar in our parking garage. The repairs are very expensive. I'm sure I saw a padded pillar jacket in another garage, something thick and squishy wrapped around the pillar to help reduce damage if someone were to accidentally touch the pillar with the side of their car. I know I could do this myself with carpet padding or something similar, but I'd really like to buy something pre-made that attaches with velcro or buckles. Can anyone help me find something like this online?

Parking during snow in Chicago

ztdavis — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 21:54:56 -0800

How does Chicago's "No Parking if snow is over 2 inches" rule work out in practice? Are the blocks of cars parked on my street (Sheridan at 7600 N) all going to be towed overnight and tomorrow morning? I know other members have been towed, but how cautious should I be?

Where to garage a car near Manhattan for a few months at least?

dcjd — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 08:41:40 -0800

ManhattanParkingFilter: I am moving up to Manhattan and I need a garage to keep my car for at least a couple of months, while I decide what to do with it. I don't actually need my car to be in Manhattan, but fairly close would be nice. I would need subway or PATH access to my car. I looked at garages in Hoboken, which I believe are around $300/month for a non-hoboken resident. I do not want to do the opposite-side street parking thing in Manhattan. (My schedule over the coming weeks or months might be unpredictable, so I'm willing to pay something to have my car in a safe location.) I also would like to avoid further vandalism to my car! Thanks!

Oxford: Parking for myself and a car?

MasonDixon — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 05:35:29 -0800

Oxford UK: Want to know where I can park myself at an inexpensive B&B and my car. (There is an older AskMe B&B Oxford question, but it is two years old.)

Looking for an inexpensive B&B for myself --as a student I always liked the cheap ones where I got to stay with an "old" couple whose kids had moved out or somesuch. Needn't be in city centre, but I would like it to be no more than a half hour by foot, bus, train or car.

As for the car, I know this is somewhat dependent on where I lodge, but will I be ticketed without a permit for street parking? How is parking generally in Oxford? Are daily or weekly car parks available for a reasonable rate?

Help me not hurt my paint job any more than I already have.

crinklebat — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 18:55:48 -0800

How do I know where my car ends and the rest of the world begins? I've been involved in two minor incidents with my car since getting it in September, both of which occurred when I failed to adequately judge where the edges of my car were in relation to the world around me while trying to get out of a parking space. This isn't a problem while I'm driving, in general, since I just leave a lot of space between myself and the car in front of me and can generally figure out whether I'm in my lane. It's easy to be cautious and leave a lot of room.

But in parking lots and garages, I feel like things are very touch and go. By definition, there isn't much space, and the margins for error can be small. I've never tried to parallel park because I just can't believe there's any way I could make it work.

I'm a person with a history of phobic feelings about driving so I'm working with a lot of baggage. In general I'm good on the street and highway but I definitely sweat a little in a crowded parking lot.

How long did it take you to learn to figure out how much space you were working with? Did you develop any good rules of thumb for how things should look when parking or getting out of a parking space? My parents told me I would "just figure out" where the edges of my car are, but I haven't done it yet and I'm worried things will get expensive before I do, so I'm trying to speed this process up in whatever way I can.

Where in SF should I park my car?

BuddhaInABucket — Sun, 10 Dec 2006 12:23:00 -0800

Where can I park in San Francisco? I haven't found a place to live yet (am staying with a friend) and need someplace that doesn't require a permit to park my car. Ideally this would be somewhere safe and I'd only have to move it once a week for street sweeping if I wasn't going to use it.
Any suggestions?

Valencia Street Parking

mto — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 21:41:22 -0800

In San Francisco, CA, on Valencia Street, in the Mission, I've noticed that many people park in the turn lane. Is this legal? There is almost always free parking in the turn lane, but I've always been to chicken to park there. Do these folks have a pass? Are they just taking a chance? I see people do it during the day and the night, so I'm starting to think it's legit.

Where's my car? (I'm inside it.)

obliquicity — Mon, 04 Sep 2006 14:04:19 -0800

My car has no corners! How do I learn where its edges are? I recently moved on from my much-loved '88 Volvo station wagon to a ca.-2000 Saturn coupe. Perhaps naively, I looked forward to the switch for one reason: it would be so much easier to find parking in San Francisco with a smaller car! The sad truth, though, is that I could park the Volvo in a tiny spot, thanks to its incredibly visible corners/edges/perimeter. The Saturn, on the other hand, I am very nervous about parking without loads of extra room, because I'm never entirely sure when I'm going to bump the cars in front of and behind me. The low driver's seat, the swoopy curves of the car's body, and the (relatively, I know) tiny windows ensure that I can't see a thing that's going on.

I assumed, based on past experience, that I would quickly get used to the new dimensions of the car -- but it has been nine months and I'm still getting it wrong. Is there anything I can do, short of bumping into things until I "get it," that will help me learn what shape and size my car is?

Parking in Cambridge, MA

lilybeane — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 08:31:23 -0800

Help me avoid parking woes in Cambridge, MA! We're moving to Cambridge for 10 months. The place where we'll be living in Central Square does have parking attached, but it costs (gulp) $210/month. Considering how much we're already paying in rent, I'm not eager to shell out that much. I'm looking for a monthly parking garage that is more affordable than that. I've only found about three private garages listed online, but there have to be many others. Looking for locals who might know of garages.

Note: I know many of you are going to say "DON'T TAKE A CAR." But I'm taking my car. We'll be there for only 10 months, and I do not want to sell my car. Although I won't be driving it much during the week, I want to have access to it for weekend road trips. I think we'll do many of those.

Also, I know I can park my car on the street, but I'm not sure I want to deal with that hassle, either, especially when the snow rules kick in.

Thanks for any recommendations!

Parking ticket

MrMulan — Fri, 12 May 2006 05:46:13 -0800

I just got a ticket for parking at a commercial meter in NYC. Can I leave the car there for the rest of the day or do I need to move it?

Parking with Peace of Mind

auntbee — Sat, 18 Mar 2006 22:52:47 -0800

Help! I need to know where it's safe to park in Lincoln Park, Chicago. The last time I rented a car... The last time I rented a car, I woke up early to feed the meter only to find it towed when I went back out a couple of hours later. (doubtful that there was a full 2 inches of snow...) There are signs everywhere and each one seems to be a trap that requires careful dodging. Does anyone have any resources or tips so that I can park with peace of mind? I'll be visiting mid May from Thursday to Monday- fyi, just in case they have rules for every month AND day of the week. Do I need permits or stickers? One friend told me that there are areas where the W-E streets are safe and the N-S streets are free for towing. How is anyone supposed to know that?!? I'm grateful for any help you can give. The more specific the better. You can even suggest sections of certain streets that are safe and at what times etc. All info is welcome. Thank you Mefites and particularly Chicago/ LP Mefites!

Long distance parking violation

neustile — Thu, 13 Oct 2005 18:52:34 -0800

I got a parking ticket on a rental car in Reykjavik, Iceland recently (meter expired.) I'm back in the US now. The ticket is all in Icelandic (but there is a web address) and I don't see any obvious location for a credit card # or really anything to make heads or tails of it. How do I pay it? I'll gladly pay it but I don't know how. I assume that if I don't, they will contact the rental car agency who will probably destroy me with some sort of fee via the credit card I used to pay for it (in ISK too, even worse!) Is that true? What are travelers supposed to do in this situation?

Dude, where's my car?

kirkaracha — Sat, 19 Feb 2005 00:17:07 -0800

Can I have my car send a GPS signal to my web site to let me know where it is? I mostly take public transit to work, so there are often gaps of several days between times that I drive, and I forget when I parked. This is a problem because I get tickets for parking during street cleaning, etc. I want my car to send a signal that would update a map on my web site. (I know there are less involved ways to solve this problem, but what kind of fun would that be?)

Parking in and around New York City

striatic — Thu, 17 Feb 2005 11:36:53 -0800

Hi, i'm looking for a place to keep a rental car in or around New York City. My friends {travelling from toronto} and i will be staying at a hostel on 891 Amsterdam Ave and will be staying arriving Friday, overnight Friday and Saturday, leaving early sunday. Leaving the car outside of the city is fine so long as it remains secure.

Is it better to pay to keep the car in the city? the hostel people say that we should be able to pay 15 to 25 dollars per day at a nearby garage depending on the size of our car.

Is it better to park outside of the city and "commute" in by transit? if so, any suggestions as to where to keep the car?

any and all help would be appreciated, and thank you in advance.

Scratched Someone's Car. Left Note, Took Photos. What Else to Do?

ruwan — Sat, 23 Oct 2004 21:54:28 -0800

Accident Filter. I just hit a car in a parking lot... [mi] I was backing up and bumped a red car that was parked behind me. I stopped and looked at the damage. Literally, there were no dents or anything like that on the car I hit. There was one scratch about 1.5inches long in the paint which was probably due to me, but could've been there previously. I left a note saying "I bumped your car, please call me if you notice anything." (And my name and number). I took pictures with a PDA, but it was dark and the lighting wasn't too good.

Any tips or anything on what I should do now? How do I deal with the person I hit on the phone? How do I deal with the police if that comes up? With my insurance company? I've never had anything like this happen to me, and I'm pretty freaked out. Thanks MeFi.