Did you seriously just park there?
December 18, 2010 7:40 PM Subscribe
I rent an apartment in Minneapolis and people keep parking in front of our non-essential, but sometimes useful, driveway. Sometimes it's a bumper, sometimes it's an ENTIRE vehicle. what can I do?
I don't own the property so will calling the cops even help? The local police website states not to call 911 for these infractions, but the 311 number (city information and non-emergency contact) is not available at this time (after 7pm).
Most of the time I don't have to use the driveway, but there have been plenty of times that I need to get my kid, groceries or other things from the car and I would rather park in our driveway for 10 minutes while I get things moved, rather than down the street.
Are there any other renters in Minneapolis that have had experience with this?
**I'm a level headed and peaceful person, so i find it more funny than annoying, but I don't like to see people flaunting laws, especially when they park a whole care over the driveway
minneapolis parking restrictions
I don't own the property so will calling the cops even help? The local police website states not to call 911 for these infractions, but the 311 number (city information and non-emergency contact) is not available at this time (after 7pm).
Most of the time I don't have to use the driveway, but there have been plenty of times that I need to get my kid, groceries or other things from the car and I would rather park in our driveway for 10 minutes while I get things moved, rather than down the street.
Are there any other renters in Minneapolis that have had experience with this?
**I'm a level headed and peaceful person, so i find it more funny than annoying, but I don't like to see people flaunting laws, especially when they park a whole care over the driveway
minneapolis parking restrictions
Best answer: Call the police non-emergency phone number. 612-348-2345
Get their shit towed. I have NO patience for that sort of thing.
posted by mollymayhem at 7:57 PM on December 18, 2010 [13 favorites]
Get their shit towed. I have NO patience for that sort of thing.
posted by mollymayhem at 7:57 PM on December 18, 2010 [13 favorites]
I would call your city councilperson and ask their advice on how to handle it; as you note, if 311 isn't available at the time the problem is occurring, this kind of minor infraction can be problematic to deal with but it is a quality of life issue.
In the alternative, call 311 during the daytime and ask them how to handle this sort of thing after 311 hours. Or call the police community liaison/ombudsman/community affairs officer-type-person and ask them.
(In my city, they'd probably give me a phone number for a cop on a "slow" beat during the usual hours of infraction and tell me to call directly when the parking was a problem, and if it was a slow night, he'd come ticket. If it wasn't, he'd tell me so I could try again.)
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 7:58 PM on December 18, 2010
In the alternative, call 311 during the daytime and ask them how to handle this sort of thing after 311 hours. Or call the police community liaison/ombudsman/community affairs officer-type-person and ask them.
(In my city, they'd probably give me a phone number for a cop on a "slow" beat during the usual hours of infraction and tell me to call directly when the parking was a problem, and if it was a slow night, he'd come ticket. If it wasn't, he'd tell me so I could try again.)
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 7:58 PM on December 18, 2010
Call the non emergency police line for the local division.
posted by AugustWest at 7:58 PM on December 18, 2010
posted by AugustWest at 7:58 PM on December 18, 2010
Call 311 during the day to ask them what to do in this sort of situation. They will probably give you a direct number to some sort of traffic enforcement division -- perhaps part of the police department, but clearly not the emergency 911 number. Then when it happens, have those losers towed. There's no excuse for blocking a driveway.
(Also, in L.A. we've discovered that the tow truck gets here quicker if you state that the violator is blocking the entire driveway.)
posted by BlahLaLa at 8:05 PM on December 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
(Also, in L.A. we've discovered that the tow truck gets here quicker if you state that the violator is blocking the entire driveway.)
posted by BlahLaLa at 8:05 PM on December 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: thanks all.
I actually ran into someone outside just now who had parked there and informed them that they need to be careful. They said they thought it was a walkway, but I don't recall the last walkway I saw that was 8 feet wide.
*shrugs*
posted by zombieApoc at 8:14 PM on December 18, 2010
I actually ran into someone outside just now who had parked there and informed them that they need to be careful. They said they thought it was a walkway, but I don't recall the last walkway I saw that was 8 feet wide.
*shrugs*
posted by zombieApoc at 8:14 PM on December 18, 2010
Can you get your landlord to paint the curb (yellow? white? red) for 3 feet on either side of the driveway? People may of course ignore it but it's a strong visual cue that I've seen in other cities, that conveys "keep away from the driveway"
posted by Sublimity at 8:50 PM on December 18, 2010
posted by Sublimity at 8:50 PM on December 18, 2010
Can you get your landlord to paint the curb (yellow? white? red) for 3 feet on either side of the driveway?
Good idea but not practical in MN during the winter.
posted by nathan_teske at 9:07 PM on December 18, 2010
Good idea but not practical in MN during the winter.
posted by nathan_teske at 9:07 PM on December 18, 2010
Response by poster: Can you get your landlord to paint the curb (yellow? white? red) for 3 feet on either side of the driveway?
Good idea but not practical in MN during the winter.
posted by nathan_teske at 9:07 PM on December 18 [mark as best answer] [+] [!]
It's actually 5 feet. See the link in my post
posted by zombieApoc at 10:26 PM on December 18, 2010
Good idea but not practical in MN during the winter.
posted by nathan_teske at 9:07 PM on December 18 [mark as best answer] [+] [!]
It's actually 5 feet. See the link in my post
posted by zombieApoc at 10:26 PM on December 18, 2010
I gather your driveway isn't actually long enough to permanently park your car? Often times neighbors become more cognizant of not clocking driveways when they know a car is often parked there. But, yes, call and get them towed. Our in city driveway was pretty well respected unless there was a big event nearby, when it was anything goes. I used to park my own car across it until the event rush for parking was finished.
posted by maxwelton at 11:02 PM on December 18, 2010
posted by maxwelton at 11:02 PM on December 18, 2010
As a Minneapolis renter who occasionally deals with this problem, calling the police non-emergency number is absolutely the way to go. Works every time.
posted by punishinglemur at 10:24 AM on December 20, 2010
posted by punishinglemur at 10:24 AM on December 20, 2010
Does your landlord have a standing arrangement with a towing company?
posted by misterbrandt at 8:05 PM on December 20, 2010
posted by misterbrandt at 8:05 PM on December 20, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by sanka at 7:42 PM on December 18, 2010 [1 favorite]