Home › Forums › West Seattle Rants & Raves › RANT: WS parkers
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January 12, 2012 at 2:20 am #601825
SeekingEurosParticipantI am sorry, but people do not know how to park in West Seattle. I rant against those who:
1-park too close to intersections. I am not surprised at the hit and runs (tho I DO NOT condone) for those bumper sideswipes of cars that don’t allow a skilled driver to have adequate space to turn the corner or more importantly limit visibility of drivers. I’m talking reasonable distances here people, what the City considers legal, nothing more and nothing less..
2- drivers that park on the wrong side of the street.. Meaning their car is facing the opposite direction of the traffic flow. This is not legal.
3- parallel parkers who need 10 feet in from and behind. Their car taking up the space that another vehicle could use. This may be viewed as contradicting #2, but along Claifornia in the Junction, there are always places where if one car s closer to the one ahead of it, one more car could have parked.
WS’ites are, in general, polite people…. But not when it comes to parking their vehicles.
Thanks for letting me get that off my mind…. Now on to the world’s bigger issues.
January 12, 2012 at 2:27 am #744897
kootchmanMemberNot so… it may be legal. Handicap restrictions for some, means they can’t push the weight of the door against a steep hill incline. They can park on the opposite side of the hill to accomadate their handicap.
“2- drivers that park on the wrong side of the street.. Meaning their car is facing the opposite direction of the traffic flow. This is not legal.”
January 12, 2012 at 2:58 am #744898
JimmyGMemberJanuary 12, 2012 at 3:02 am #744899
JayDeeParticipantSeekingEuros:
While parking opposite from traffic might be against the law, the law is not enforced. Given the generally narrow Seattle streets (generally, not all), I don’t see wherein the harm lies – A car is 8 feet wide parked one way or the other. So yes, it is breaking the law, but unlike parking too close to a corner, where is the harm to other motorists? Inquiring minds want to know.
January 12, 2012 at 4:22 am #744900
kootchmanMemberIn my ticket dissmissel
January 12, 2012 at 5:11 am #744901
wsguyMemberNot to mention when people get out of their cars they just throw their doors open whether there is traffic coming or not…
Original WS Blog WSGUY
January 12, 2012 at 7:57 am #744902
SeekingEurosParticipantKootchman, it’s only supposed to be if your car or spot is marked as handicapped. U got off on that one. Reasons are purely of safety JD. I have had, on more than one occasion, a car parked in this fashion pull out in front of me, apparently because they were looking forward. Aside from safety, it looks like back hills kentucky….which was my first reaction 20 yrs ago when I moved here. Never seen anything like it except in Appalacha.
January 12, 2012 at 11:59 am #744903
metrognomeParticipantWA’s disability parking permit was originally called an ‘overtime parking permit’ as it was created in the days before there were a lot of curb ramps, etc. It allowed the holder to park for extended periods at time-limited public parking meters. With the passage of the uniform federal disability parking statute, it also serves as ID for parking in reserved disability parking spaces, whether public or private.
There is nothing in state law that allows vehicles being used to transport persons with valid disability parking privileges (whether issued in WA or any other state, under the federal statute) to do anything other than the following:
Where you can park
You can park:
– On the street, for free, in any parking space that is time restricted (including metered parking). This doesn’t apply to privately-owned parking lots or areas reserved for special types of vehicles (fire lanes, loading zones, etc.).
– In any specially-designated disabled parking space.
o Note: Van-accessible spaces are designed for use by wheelchair vans. Please use them only if you drive a wheelchair van or no other disabled parking spaces are available.
You can’t park in zones or areas:
– Where stopping, parking, or standing of all vehicles is prohibited.
– Reserved for special types of vehicles (fire lanes, loading zones, etc.).
The first bullet under ‘can’t park’ would be interpreted to include parking on the wrong side of the street, as no one is supposed to do that. However, a judge, especially a liberal activist judge, can waive a ticket that was legitimately issued without providing a reason. That doesn’t mean a car with a disability permit won’t get ticketed again for parking on the wrong side of the street.
January 12, 2012 at 1:32 pm #744904
sbreParticipantWith regards to parking the wrong direction:
As a daily bicycle-commuter I often (no less than once or twice a month, SERIOUSLY) have this happen to me in the residential parts of the Admiral district, the driver of a wrong-way parked vehicle will pull away from the curb right into my path of travel, and never once is a blinker used to warn those that they can’t see.
More often than not we’re facing eachother but the driver hasn’t a clue I’m coming towards them as their vision is blocked by the vehicle parked in front or behind them, they’re just rolling the dice to see if they make it out of the spot unscathed, or unscathing(?). I will ride up to and stop right next to the door of the vehicle in front of them where the swing away from the curb of their vehicle will miss me but the flash of my helmet light won’t miss them.
Imagine the surprised look in their eyes when all of a sudden a cyclists’ flashing helmet light and a bright headlight on his bike, wearing a day-glow green jacket/jersey is stopped just feet from their front bumper once they have pulled far enough into the lane to actually see where they’re going. (for a couple months of the year both ways are in the dark)
Occasionally I get an “I’m sorry”, once in a while ‘the finger’ or an ‘F-you bomb’, however more often than not it’s just a blank stare as they’re hurrying to get on their way.
The legality of the issue I don’t give a damn about it’s the danger factor (and not just to me) that makes this a disagreeable habit to me.
Playing the ‘what if’ game…what if the WORST case scenario happens and the last image I have in this world the the grill of the vehicle that sends me to my maker, how much will INVOLUNTARY VEHICULAR MANSLAUGHTER disrupt their lives and those they live it with.
Take the extra minute or two to drive around the block and park correctly so you won’t (possibly) be counting minutes in a 8 x 10 with someone who scares the crap out of you!
January 12, 2012 at 4:43 pm #744905
datamuseParticipantJanuary 12, 2012 at 5:09 pm #744906
JiggersMemberYou are right data… I’ve watched idiots try and parallel park diving in head first…..lol
January 12, 2012 at 5:17 pm #744907
KBearParticipantParking on the wrong side of the street is pure laziness and it puts other drivers, passengers, and especially bicyclists, in danger. I dearly wish the city would start enforcing the law.
January 13, 2012 at 1:54 am #744908
JayDeeParticipantSbre:
Yes, I can see why people parked the “wrong way” might be annoying — I can imagine that on a narrow street with continuous cars that could be a safety issue due to visibility from adjacent cars.
I may still elect to do so when I don’t feel it presents a danger. As a sibling once quoted: “The law is meant to be broken intelligently or not at all.”
January 13, 2012 at 2:10 am #744909
SueParticipantJiggers, if the spot is large enough, you certainly can parallel park if you go in head first – just takes longer. I’ll admit to doing that sometimes in a busy place like the Junction. Sometimes if you signal and pass the spot to back into it, the driver behind you will either take the spot, or they’ll pull up so close that you now cannot back into the spot. So while pulling head-first into the spot makes it more difficult, I’ve at least claimed my spot.
February 1, 2012 at 4:21 pm #744910
mtnfreakParticipantSo I did a search on Google for “Seattle Parking Rules,” and I haven’t found anything that addresses parallel parking on the opposite side of the road. Can anyone provide me with a link to show where this is described as illegal – or that you can only park on the same side of the road as the lane you are facing?
EDIT: I kept digging after I posted above, and finally found it! Yep – its true! The only exception is on one-way streets – but even then you have to be facing the direction of traffic.
“SMC 11.70.040 Parallel parking — Right-hand side. No person shall stop, stand, or park a vehicle in a roadway other than
parallel with the edge of the roadway headed in the direction of lawful
traffic movement…”
February 1, 2012 at 4:54 pm #744911
luckymom30ParticipantFebruary 1, 2012 at 5:05 pm #744912
2 Much WhineParticipantI think it is an ironic twist that someone seeking Euros is complaining about parking here like West Seattle leads the world in bad parking. Spend time in Europe (where the Euros you seek are spent) and you’ll be thankful for what we have. We used to park in the crosswalks or on the sidewalk because you’d NEVER get as ticket there whereas if you parked in a pay spot and your time expired you’d surely get a ticket. As for facing the wrong way? Forget about it – there was no wrong way. Also, how do you know that there wasn’t an Escalade parked in front of the parallel parker when he parked and after the Escalade left a Mini Cooper pulled in leaving the 10 foot gap? Be careful where your rage is directed, it may be wrong and inappropriate. I’d like to invoke Velo-nut’s standard response here – first world problems.
February 1, 2012 at 9:47 pm #744913
maplesyrupParticipantsbre it sounds like the problem is inattentive drivers, not the side of the street they’re parked on.
I don’t really see the big deal.
February 1, 2012 at 11:18 pm #744914
dhgParticipantsbre brings up a valid point from the view of a bicyclist but there is also another very good reason to park on the right side of the road:
Imagine you’re tooling down the lane and a wrong-side car pulls out in front of you. It’s a head-on collision with a lot of damage for such a low speed. If the car is NOT parked the wrong way then it’s a glancing blow, more like a fender bender. Much less damage. And much less likely to happen because the side view mirrors show what’s coming.
February 2, 2012 at 12:48 am #744915
queseraMemberMy one gripe about WS parkers: people taking two spots in the parking lots in the junction. For some reason, people double park back there constantly. I can’t imagine the businesses appreciate that.
I will own up to parking on the wrong side of my narrow little street, if that’s the only parking available. I really don’t see the harm. I use my blinker, I check my blind spot, and when I pull out, I’m occupying the EXACT same part of the street that I would have had I parked on the right side. I’m never in “on-coming” traffic because the street only accommodates one car at a time anyway.
Frankly, I HOPE people hate seeing cars parked on the wrong side. Maybe this will discourage them from parking on my street at all and there will be some room left for those of us who live there. Hey, maybe people will hate it so much, they’ll move back to California! A girl can dream…
February 3, 2012 at 3:41 pm #744916
stardustMemberI would kindly ask that drivers also genuinely look to see if they are blocking a driveway. I also see many drivers doing this intentionally thinking it will be fine because I’m just going to run in somewhere and I’ll just be a few seconds…
February 3, 2012 at 5:12 pm #744917
beefParticipant“but along Claifornia in the Junction, there are always places where if one car s closer to the one ahead of it, one more car could have parked.”
but you have no idea of the circumstances of when they parked. whether or not a big/small car was there previously in front or behind. it would be awesome if the road would automatically shift to move cars together so there were more spots.
February 3, 2012 at 5:42 pm #744918
WSratsinacageMemberAmen stardust .. I often wonder if people just don’t think, don’t realize, or know better but will “just be a sec.” .. Call the non emergency number 625 5011 and report all people parking within 5 feet of a driveway, blocking fire hydrants, etc.. Funny thing is, people on my street could drive 10 more feet and have their choice of free, legal street parking. I’ll never understand this “have to park as close as humanly possible” mentality, unless of course one is disabled.
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One thing is for sure there are a lot of interseting people out there. This is West Seattle, not Vashon or the Wild West where anything goes. Wake up Peeps!
February 3, 2012 at 6:02 pm #744919
dhgParticipantAs one who has lived on Cap Hill, I’ve got some stories. When a car blocked the driveway but was touching the sidewalk, it was the City that handled it. That meant calling, getting a parking enforcement officer to come over and ticket and call for a tow and then wait for the truck. The officers were always very kind but it takes a long time to get a truck. It once took two hours from the time I called to the time a tow truck arrived and then the car’s owner showed up. He was not happy with the ticket and said he’d only been parked there “a couple of minutes”.
June 5, 2012 at 10:24 pm #744920
ashleygrossMemberI’m working on a story about the topic of “wrong-way parking” for KPLU public radio. If you have thoughts to share on this topic for my story, please contact me at agross(at)kplu.org. Do you hate it? Think there’s no problem with it? Think it’s dangerous? Let me know! Thanks.
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