Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with parking

Affordable Overnight Parking in Dublin

billtron — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 03:55:13 -0800

I need to park a car overnight tonight in Dublin, Ireland, near the Samuel Beckett Bridge. I'd rather not spend 50 Euros, which is what the closest parking garage charges. Any recommendations? I'm arriving in the early evening and driving to the airport early tomorrow morning. Looking to leave the car somewhere for the interim.

Flying out of the other Birmingham

SpringAquifer — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 09:10:44 -0800

Any good parking options for Birmingham's (Alabama, not England) airport? Hub-to-hub flights can get expensive, so it's often significantly cheaper (almost $100) for me to fly out of Birmingham rather than Atlanta. But this requires a bit of a drive, so the costs and savings begin to break even if I leave my car in Birmingham for too long. (Unless I take Amtrak or Greyhound, but those both require multiple bus and rail transfers just to get to and from the station in both cities.)

I've found Alabama Airport Parking, which offers parking for $9/day, as opposed to the $12/day they charge at the airport. But I don't really know Birmingham very well, and things in a city like that aren't always easily Googleable. Are there any other, cheaper (and safe, though again, I don't know Birmingham) options I might have missed?

Affordable parking in Washington, D.C.

billtron — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 09:47:54 -0800

Parking my car at the Renaissance Hotel on Mt. Vernon Square during a conference in Washington DC in November will cost $25 a day. Is there something else I should do with my car for the 4 days I will be in town?

Park and Ride in From PA to DC

mulkey — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 09:48:32 -0800

Help me figure out a Park and Ride scenario during rush hour PA -> DC. I'm trying to figure out the best way to minimize driving between Harrisburg, PA and Washington DC during evening rush hour on a Friday afternoon. I have a car, but I'm headed to downtown DC and it would be far better/cheaper/happier if I can park and use public transit.

Both Greyhound and Amtrak from Harrisburg to DC are four hours (ouch) and Amtrak conveniently takes me through Philadelphia (huh?). So I'm looking at Marc trains, which would be a little more driving, but it looks like there are park and ride options.

But where do I go? Looks like the closest places to me are: Monocacy on the Brunswick line and West Baltimore on the Penn Line. Maybe Penn Station on the Penn Line as well (Actually Hunt Mills, Timonium and Owing Mills are closer but there's no park and ride).

But I'm wondering if it's better to go to Monocacy because there might be less traffic in getting there (avoiding Baltimore entirely) but am I wrong? What would you do?

Presumably since I'd be getting there around the evening rush hour I wouldn't have a problem finding a park and ride parking space right??? Right?

Any other ideas/suggestions that might work? I've heard there are faster buses between DC and Harrisburg but I have no idea where they might be found.

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?

Where can i park on the cheap in downtown Portland, Maine?

Willy Wombat — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 14:56:41 -0800

I will be staying in Portland, ME at a hotel near the intersection of Congress and Forest. Hotel parking is in a garage nearby and naturally it's an additional charge. Any suggestions for places I might park for less than 20 bucks? The free-er the better.

Overnight Weekend Parking Charleston

sandmanwv — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 10:29:41 -0800

Parking in Charleston, SC, overnight. Where can I park safely in downtown Charleston overnight on a weekend (tonight)? Must be within walking distance of the various bar districts.

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!

Avoiding post show traffic at Comcast Theatre in Hartford?

Yukon — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 15:02:54 -0800

What is a good parking plan for concerts at Comcast Theatre in Hartford (formerly Meadows)? Is there a way to avoid insane traffic after the show? I have heard that the parking has gotten worse over the years and don't want to sit for 1-2 hours trying to leave. Any first hand experience or advice?

Want to land on Free Parking.

floam — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 01:06:57 -0800

How would one find the most affordable options for long-term, 24/7 access parking in urban areas? For me specifically, downtown Portland. I wish I could go without my car, but unfortunately my job involves driving out to clients that are far away pretty often. ZipCar would cost a lot more than it costs me to own and drive my car.

So, I'm interested in any strategies you guys know of to locate the most affordable long-term parking in urban areas possible. The big garages have pretty bad monthly rates unless there's some trick to make the prices go down. Haven't seen hardly anything pop up on Craigslist. There's got to be people that aren't large expensive parking businesses that want to rent some area they've got to my small vehicle.

I'm hoping to drum-up some good general advice that'd be applicable in many places to many people, but if anybody knows anything pertinent to my specific situation, I'd certainly take it. I'm looking around SW Portland. Even more specifically, something within reasonable walking distance from here. 24/7 access is a total requirement, as I'm living here and need to get to places that aren't here on short notice at odd hours. I'm not just parking it while I commute here from elsewhere at certain hours. I am a student at PSU but the University's rates for parking are pretty atrocious even compared to the market.

Thanks!

Keep my registration sticker where it belongs

oinopaponton — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 12:24:22 -0800

Foolproof way to prevent registration sticker theft? I recently visited some friends in the city, and at some point during the night my car's registration sticker (on my license plate) was stolen. I found a $40 ticket on my windshield the next morning for an expired registration. Fun.

The DMV's sending me a new sticker, and I'm appealing the ticket. No big deal for now, but I really don't want to have to deal with this more than once. I'll definitely be parking in this area again, and street parking is the only option. Has anyone come up with any good ways to make sure your registration sticker stays where it is? Clear packing tape? Some additional adhesive? Thanks!

How to rent out a parking spot?

jrichards — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 06:46:58 -0800

Need help renting out a parking spot near several hospitals. My husband and I just rented an apartment (actually a condo that we are renting from the owner) that comes with a parking spot. We do not own a car and the owner has given us written permission to sublease the spot. We are in downtown Philadelphia where parking is very difficult and a parking spot like this is hard to come by. We are also less than one block away from three major hospitals.

Other than Craigslist, how can we find a renter for our spot? Will hospitals let us post a flyer on their employee bulletin boards? We are not car owners, so is there something that would be especially alluring to drivers? We've mentioned that it's well-lit, safe, and accessible 24 hours a day. There are several garages in the area, and we are asking a comparable price. We would prefer to do a 3 or 6-month renewable lease, rather than month-to-month.

Also, is there anything we should be sure to include in a lease? Any suggestions for a sample/template we can use?

Help! I've gotten a ticket and I don't know what to do!

Groovytimes — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 08:55:46 -0800

Could I argue this handicap parking violation? I recently got a ticket for parking in a handicap parking slot. It occurred around 8:30 pm and I truthfully did not notice it was a handicap spot when I parked in it (I know this is not a valid reason for contesting it). The only reason that I am considering contesting it is the fact that it was not properly painted. There is a sign, but the curb is extremely faded and there is no painted symbol on the ground. Just down the street in the same square there are multiple cases of properly painted and signed spaces.

My questions are:

Is it the law to have these spaces properly painted or is it just enough to have the sign? What are the regulations for a handicap space? Do State regulations or Federal govern city regulations? If I go to court, could I plead “no contest” or just “not guilty” and how would I argue this? (If in fact it is arguable).

Here here here and here are pictures of the spot I parked in

Here and here are pictures of a spot on the other side of the square.

I live in the Bay area in California. The ticket is $308.00. The ticket tells me to write a letter first if I wish to contest it, then I’ll receive a letter back if I can, isn’t that weird?

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?

OK, so what you gonna do?

ignignokt — Mon, 11 May 2009 18:32:25 -0800

What are the consequences of not paying a parking ticket issued in a city you don't live anywhere near anymore? I moved from the Chicago area recently and have received forwarded mail about parking tickets. They're ridiculously priced and mention that they'll be referred to a collection agency if I don't pay them. I haven't dealt with a collection agency and don't know how good they are at finding and effectively harassing people.

I'd prefer not to pay these tickets, so what will consequences will I face if I don't, keeping in mind that I no longer have the same license plates or driver's license?

Let's stay away from whether or not I should pay these tickets and focus on what will realistically happen if I don't.

Where to leave my car in Knoxville TN?

Rocket26 — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 06:26:29 -0800

I'm meeting some friends in Knoxville, TN and want to leave my car there, parked, for the weekend. We're then taking their car to the kentucky derby. Any thoughts about places in Knoxville I leave my car parked for two nights? I was thinking about the airport, but maybe just a good neighborhood where people leave cars on the street?

It's a pretty old car, I'm sure no one would want to break into it or anything, but I wouldn't want it to get towed.

Parking at EWR?

whataboutben — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 12:58:57 -0800

I need to get from Philly area to Newark Airport. I can drive, but airport parking is expensive. I will be gone for 9 days. Is there a better way? The cheapest near-airport parking I can find is $8/day at E-Z way parking. I have read some bad reviews of it (things missing from cars, minor damage), but I am not too concerned with that since I drive an old worthless car and won't be leaving any valuables. Still, that will be $72 just for parking.

Do I have any better options? I've looked into driving to a NJ train station (Princeton Junction or Hamilton) and taking NJ transit the rest of the way -- those stations have cheaper daily parking. But I'm hearing that the daily lots tend to fill up early in the morning. My flight is around 7pm, so I won't be trying to park until late afternoon (going early in the morning isn't an option, I only took a half-day from work).

A cab ride would clearly be much more expensive as would be taking amtrak from Philly and Newark. Any other ideas? Thanks.

Birthday dinner near the Chicago Theatre?

desjardins — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 07:40:54 -0800

ChicagoFilter: For his birthday, I am taking my husband to the live taping of This American Life at the Chicago Theatre. Where should we eat beforehand? I can't afford to splurge, so it will have to be a medium-priced restaurant (whatever that is for downtown Chicago). I would prefer that it be walking distance to the theatre so we only have to park once. Parking suggestions are very welcome.

His favorite foods are steak, ribs, and lasagna. He'd prefer a nice-but-not-overly-fussy atmosphere. Must serve hard liquor.

Searching for a cheap flat surface

readery — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 19:08:32 -0800

What do I need to know about cement, asphalt or crushed gravel and which would be best to create a parking area next to my garage? I have an area 25 feet wide and 15 to 20 feet deep that I would like to convert from a weed filled part of my yard to income producing parking spaces. I live in an area where parking is premium, so I know that I can rent the spaces, accessible from the alley. I got a quote last year for $3500 to have the area dug out, levelled and cement poured.

I have also heard that I would do much better using crushed gravel, from both the expense factor and potential resale value of my house (easier to convert back to lawn/garden). Anyone have any ideas? This is not a DIY project, I would have to hire someone to do it.
Thanks!

Can you beat a San Francisco parking ticket if it has no VIN number on it?

roxie110 — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 19:28:06 -0800

Can you beat a San Francisco parking ticket if it has no VIN number on it? Can you beat a "blocking sidewalk" ticket in San Francisco if they say "can not read" VIN number, even though it was readable? Or any other way... :) This is one of those lovely "pulled into boyfriend's driveway leaving plenty of room in front of car for pedestrians to walk by, ran upstairs for 3 minutes, came back to find a ticket--even though it was 8 at night in the middle of nowhere in Outer Sunset." All the other identifying info on the ticket is correct--including the gasp-inducing fine of $100.

Any advice would be appreciated.

parking near Guildford station

bunnyrabbit22 — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 02:48:19 -0800

I'm moving to Clapham Junction and reverse commuting to Guildford every day on the train - I'm going to be leaving my car overnight at Guildford as I need to have my car at work. Does anyone know the nearest place I can park my car on street near Guildford station? I'd be leaving it there after 7pm, and picking it up in the morning by 8am, so I wouldn't have to worry about the parking restrictions in place (residential parking permits etc.) Anyone else do this reverse commute? Any tips? Many thanks!

Does anyone know anything about the back corridors in malls behind the stores?

Sully — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 19:41:34 -0800

Does anyone know anything about the back corridors in malls behind the stores? This is kinda a tricky question because it makes me sound like I'm going to burglarize a mall, but I don't know how else to ask it.

Okay, I'm writing this short story about a group of friends who all work in a mall. They weren't friends before, but got to be friends after they all started working there.

Trouble is, I've never worked retail, and I've never worked in a mall before. Sometimes though, inside a mall, I'm tempted to go exploring, just to answer some questions, but I've always been deterred by the Authorized Personnel Only signs.

I googled 'Mall Blueprints', to find out the layout of malls, but understandably, for security reasons, anything but the basic layout of a mall, like the kinds they have on these black plinths near the entrance for shoppers, aren't shown.

So I guess what I'm wondering is this - I know that there are these corridors that run behind the stores in some malls. They're pretty basic and ugly and sometimes there are cardboard boxes and stuff in them - in my story, my characters like to go into them and smoke.

But I've also got this huge elaborate scene later on and I just want to know if it's possible for someone to exit a store into the corridor, then go to an elevator just off the corridor and take it down to the loading docks, with stops in between that let out into a parking lot structure. Essentially, these kids begin to hang out in these areas. This is their "club house".

I know that a lot of malls are different, and that it would depend on the mall. But does this make sense? Or to someone who's ever actually worked in a mall - would they cry bullshit on this sort of layout?

That's all. Thank you in advance.

Parking ticket appeal denied. Now what?

deadcrow — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 08:43:28 -0800

Is there any hope for getting out of a parking ticket that was wrongfully issued (after they denied our appeal)? (forgive me if this has been asked before, a quick search didn't help me answer my question)

Last weekend my husband and I took a 12 hour (round trip) drive to Folly Beach in South Carolina. We found a parking spot (labeled #1) right on the beach and adding money to the drop box every couple of hours to make sure we were parked legally. We got a ticket which states that we were in spot #2. We were not, but didn't take any photos because we didn't notice the discrepancy until we were on the way home. We filed an appeal online.

It was rejected with this tidbit: We are sorry but Our records show that you were in spot two not one.There was no money in space two. Were sorry but your appeal has been denied please pay 20.00 by 3/21/09 to avoid any further charges.

There is no clear process for another appeal. There is a phone number on the city website, but of course, they emailed the denial on a Saturday, so we can't call back yet.
Is there any way we will not have to pay this ticket that we 100% did not deserve? Any suggestions for increasing our chances for success?

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.

$30/night for parking, I don't think so

ninefour — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 15:25:29 -0800

Staying at Red Lion Hotel downtown Seattle but don't want to pay outrageous hotel parking fee ($30 a night!). Does anyone know somewhere else within a reasonable distance where I can park for cheap? I've got strong legs and some patience.