Parking Carma

George Costanza famously likened paying for parking to prostitution.  He said if you just apply yourself, you can usually get it for free.  It's a trait I share with George (who I do realize isn't a real person).  Finding the perfect (free) parking place is one of those sublime things in life, not unlike witnessing a beautiful sunset or finding a four leaf clover.  For the first fourteen years at my job, this wasn't an issue as we were given a remote control button which opened the gate on a private, fenced-in parking lot.  Free, safe and guaranteed parking everyday.  That changed last fall as our company moved from a squat cinder block building on the nondescript Northwest Side of Chicago to a temporary home on the sixth floor of NBC Tower.  My excitement about finally working 'downtown' was tempered by the realization that we'd be on our own to find parking.  Oh sure, there was an offer to get 'discounted' rates at a garage across the street for only $140 a month.  It was my mission to find cheap and/or free parking, none of the $140 a month crap. Game on.

Now I knew Saturdays were gonna be rough, finding free on-street parking at 6PM would be nearly impossible, so I conceded that and found the cheapest flat-rate lot I could, which charged $12, not bad.  My challenge was find free on-street parking during the week, only paying when absolutely necessary.  After a fall and brutal winter weather of complete success finding semi-plentiful (free)parking, I got a phone call from one of my colleagues.  (See, those of us who followed the Costanza model looked out for each other, looking out for 'secret spots' and streets where we were likely to get lucky.  We even scouted spots for each other from our 6th floor studio once in a great while, alterting one another to open spaces when needed.)  The colleague said, "I found the most amazing spot tonight and there's room for both of our cars and it's totally legal!!"  Sure enough, it was a spot long enough for two small cars or one limo.  And it was literally fifteen feet from the front door of our building.  For weeks we parked there unfettered, the very definition of 'rock star parking'.  Then, one evening my colleague was stopped at the front desk and asked if the blue car out front was his.  He admitted it was his.  Despite signage that clearly indicated we were legal, he was told his car could be towed if he ever parked there again.  They also told him that if he knew the person who had the same make and model as he did that also parked there, he should warn them (me).  We were defiant, were not going to be scared away from perfectly legal, free spot, no matter the threat.  We figured we had the law on our side and had adquate proof of that should it ever come down to that.  

Then, one Saturday night I was denied a spot in my normal 'pay' lot (due to a valet service renting the whole lot for the night) so knowing the 'magic spot' (as we came to call it) became legal at 6PM, I checked to see if it was available. It was and I parked there.  When I got done with work that night I took the short walk to my car and saw a Chicago Police squad parked next to my car.  I didn't see a ticket on the windshield but saw the cop writing a ticket, so I unlocked my car, started it and drove off.  Two weeks later, I got a ticket in the mail.  It was from that night.  Undaunted, I sent it back requesting an in-person hearing.  On Monday, I drove to a facility across the street from Lane Tech High School and pleaded my case to an arbiter.  I presented five photographs which clearly demonstrated that I was completely legal in parking there.  The arbiter ruled in my favor, dismissed the case but then said, "You had to take the time to get here, make your case to contest this ticket, next time, don't park there, it's not worth it."  He said the spot was in a curbside loading zone (which isn't specifically marked) and that I could be towed next time.  It was worth it; I cleared my name and saved the $60 fine.

Thing is, as far as the law goes, I'm legal, the signs are on my side.  The ruling was in my favor, why should I stop parking there, except for that ever-present specter of a tow or a ticket hanging over my head?  What would you do?

Comments

[Jeff]

Hmm that sign says "No Parking" and then has a line before it give the time it's a loading zone. Perhaps it's always 'No Parking' and is only a 'Tow Zone' between 6am and 6pm. If so, then you will be dogged with tickets and arbitration and spend a lot of time by Lane Tech. Not worth it.

[Mu]

I see Jeff's point, and I'd like to point out that (if Jeff's interpretation is correct) that is maybe the most confusing, obtuse, no parking sign in the city! I'd hate to come to the US, speaking english as a second language, and then be forced to interpret the city's parking signs. They confuse me and I've lived here most of my life.

[ken]

That's precisely my point. The sign is ridiculously vague. There are other signs that are equally vague and I think the City if Chicago uses that to their advantage. Since they be interpreted so many ways, they can write tickets and hope for the best.

[Jeff]

Of course they write tickets off of vague signs for their advantage - where on earth did you get the idea that they would interpret it for *your* advantage?

And people wonder why I'm cynical about the government getting more involved in health care... ;-)

[ken]

It does sometimes play in our favor too as the signs are vague enough for visitors/tourists but if you know the laws, you can park in areas they're afraid of.