Admiral aggravation: Safeway’s parking smackdown

First we saw a warning posted on one Admiral Junction store’s door this morning; then we got e-mail from another shop … so this is new and could get ugly. See the sign at left? At least a dozen are now planted all around the parking lots on three sides of Admiral Safeway. And the fine print, “monitored by employees of Diamond Parking 24 hours a day,” is no idle threat. As neighboring businesses are warning their customers, those DP employees are writing tickets. The photo below shows one in action on the south side of Safeway (bad news for families from Lafayette Elementary across the street). The parking situation in Admiral has been tough for a while; right or wrong, this won’t make it any easier.

westwood March 9, 2007 (2:33 pm)

If I ever get a ticket from Safeway for using their lot for five minutes to drop my daughter off at school, I will stop shopping there. They should realize how many parents pop into the store at drop off or pickup for something.

pops March 9, 2007 (2:34 pm)

I’ve always thought that if the people who ran Safeway had a sense of humor they’d call their hi-test gasoline Lucerne Premium.

The question here is – why now?

I’ve been going to that store for over 15 years and this is the first time I ever remember there being a porblem. Back before we did all our banking online I used to go to that WA Mutual. But every time I used the Safeway lot because there weren’t enough spaces in the back of the bank. And God knows how many clerks watched me park and go to the Video Vault without saying a word.

lifer March 9, 2007 (3:12 pm)

Well it seems obvious with these comments why Safeway has to do this. Everyone feels entitled to park there “when needed” if they’ve ever shopped at a Safeway in the last couple of years… I doubt the neighboring businesses are helping Safeway pay the mortgage and taxes on their parking lot property. Parking is only getting tougher in this town as things become more dense.

Safeway’s parking enforcers better be careful though. I once got a ticket at the Greenwood McDonald’s under a similar scheme – although I had come in and eaten there, and hadn’t gone somewhere else. They said I did, but had no response when I showed them the debit card receipt I had from their store and the time on the ticket. I called the parking enforcers and they agreed to drop it “just once”. Some nerve, I thought, since I hadn’t even transgressed their policy.

Chet Desmond March 9, 2007 (3:32 pm)

No one ever parks behind their store for shopping or for any reasson so I don’t think they are hurting for parking spaces .. are they doing this for a cut of the ticket? If they want the more money, they should put condos behind their store :) Come on Safeways, get with the times!

flipjack March 9, 2007 (5:57 pm)

Yeup, if you are a proponent for urban density then you have no room to complain. This is what happens when too many people are crammed into too small a space with no decent mass transit. I hope Nickels, or whoever he has buying his lamb chops for him gets a ticket sometime.

eric March 9, 2007 (8:36 pm)

their lot – their rules.
shouldn’t we all be walking or riding transit anyway??

Admiral Janeway March 9, 2007 (9:01 pm)

I am guilty of using the parking lot to do business elsewhere. We’ll see if Diamond Parking enforcers are still on patrol once Whole Foods and QFC opens in the Junction.

m. olson March 10, 2007 (7:07 am)

maybe safeway needs another database. a parkimg data base. that way they will know what i eat, how much i spend, how much gas i use, and what spot i use at their parking lot and what time of day or night i want a doe-nut.

beef March 10, 2007 (12:32 pm)

those tickets they write are worthless. won’t hold up. your word against their’s. now it might cost you a bit of time and effort to get rid of them if they so desire to harass you. the ticket is unenforceable.

Bill March 10, 2007 (2:51 pm)

Just another reason to ride your bike.

gina March 10, 2007 (4:38 pm)

Lafayette does have its own parking lot. Usually only 1/2 full during the day, most of the teachers park on Lander or on 44th.

The House March 10, 2007 (4:52 pm)

You can avoid this issue by simply dropping your kid off and going into Safeway to buy your morning coffee at the Starbucks inside or do some shopping. Makes both parties happy! I can side with Safeway….it’s their lot. Don’t some of the comments above (flipjack, m.olsen, beef) make you turn your head to the side and go “What the heck are you thinking when you type this stuff”?

Jan March 10, 2007 (6:25 pm)

well, Safeway owns the lot, so they can do as they please. I live across the street on the east side of the store, and I surely wish they were as vigilant when the local…um…highschoolers? ..park their cars on the side of the store at 1am on weekends, and party, laugh, scream, play loud music, etc. I called the store once at 2am, and they were oblivious to it. The manager on duty at the time seemed reluctant to intervene. Daylight savings time comes tomorrow…and hopefully warmer weather..and that’s what brings them out…I can’t wait…

Gina March 11, 2007 (8:34 am)

Jan-I live on the west playground side of Lafayette. You can hear the Safeway night screamers all the way over here. I think they get tired of Alki, come up to Jack in the Box’s drive through, and bless our neighborhood.

Chet Desmond March 12, 2007 (7:59 am)

Amen flipjack. My condo comment was in jest, illustrating insanity with insanity. Also calling it Safeways .. why do people but an S on the end of everything!? BTW Safeway sucks IMO. Club card BS. A fake Starbucks. Fluorescent lighting. And now, parking monitors. Wooo Hoo! Even though Safeway is closer, I go the extra block to Metropolitan. Sure it costs more but in this case you get what you pay for.

Jan March 12, 2007 (1:58 pm)

Chet…your condo comment was in jest, but I had a conversation with the manager of Admiral Safeway last summer about that very thing. He said…they own the property outright, it’s not a lease, and if QFC happens quickly, and then perhaps the much talked about but never happening Trader Joe’s goes in at the corner of Admiral and 42nd with condos above, that they will consider the very same thing…remodel the store and build above ala Jefferson Square….and there goes the neighborhood…

Chet Desmond March 12, 2007 (3:22 pm)

Lord help us all!

MLJ March 13, 2007 (7:43 pm)

Just a word to the wise:

Diamond Parking has stepped up it’s enforcement all over WS. I have seen enforcers lurking in the lots behind the West side of California, South of Alaska. When people run in for five minutes to pick up something at Guaymas, they find a $30 surprise on the windsheild.

And yes…while it’s totally up to them to run their business as they see fit, I witnessed this predatory enforcement practice when California was torn up and the parking was extremely strained. It would’ve been nice for Diamond to lay off, at least until the construction was done.

A 15 minute grace period would be a nice way to say “we’re a good neighbor and WS business”, but it would be hard to enforce. Either that or offer an increment lower than an hour for people who just need to run in for a few minutes.