Forget the passive aggressive notes on your neighbor’s windshield. Next time, use our handy flier.
EDIT: We’ve heard the glue-paste critics out there and are happy to provide this updated flier. Feel free to use either version.
Oh, and e.e. is more than willing to make a tooth brushing flier if that would be helpful for you, but please provide a valid email address so we know where to send it.
Happy parking!
haha, nice. reminds me of this picture gallery that was just up on StreetsBlog…
http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/10/16/space-hogs-where-you-l
While it’s a cool sign, the information is actually wrong. One of Seattle’s street parking rules is that it is illegal to park within 5 feet of the driveway’s return (that’s where the arc of the driveway’s edge ends, and the street edge begins). So not only is it improper etiquette to line a car up to the edge of a driveway, you can get towed for that.
Check out: http://www.seattle.gov/Transportation/parking/drivewaymarkin
parking that close to a driveway is an invitation to having your car clipped by the resident of the driveway. especially if there are cars parked on both sides of the street. that’s why they paint the curbs yellow for about 24″ extending from the entrance/exit. same for alleys.
how does the flyer (or anyone really) know that ‘car b’ followed improper parking “etiquette”? maybe there was a moped or a smart car parked in the space in front of ‘car b’ when it was parked but it left at some point thereafter. people shouldn’t assume they’re the holy pope of driving and know what other people were thinking when they parked.
want to be a good neighbor? just do your best to get your vehicle out of the street without smashing into another car and things will be fine. see someone who’s not the parking genius you think you are? take a deep breath, shake your head and move on with your life – it’s not all that important.
Thanks for telling us all how to park *MOM*
Tell me again, how am I supposed to brush my teeth?
No, don’t write a passive agressive note to put on your neighbor’s windshield! Use ours instead!
Agreed. Not everyone is used to parking in tight city spaces. I can’t parallel park to save my life, so I’d rather be Car B and give myself a little extra room than cause property damage.
If you can’t park in the city you shouldn’t be driving.
According to Seattle Muni Code, you must park no closer than 5 feet to the “projected edge” of a driveway, no closer than 5 feet to where the curb becomes parallel with the street again.
http://www.seattle.gov/Transportation/parking/drivewaymarkin
Following the advice in this poster likely will get you a ticket or towed. If I were the author of this blog, I would take this poster down until it can be corrected.
what a bunch of complete parking nerds you all are
annnywho, none of these signs would be necessary if the park fetishists weren’t demolishing parking to … blah blah blah, you know my schtick
Anonymous notes are passive but not passive aggressive. Passive aggressive does not mean “douchebag tactics I don’t like.”
You should add a fifth item about not blocking driveways.
also, don’t be a bumper whiner…the people who freak out if a car parking touches their car. If you are that sensitive to taps or have an expensive car/paint job then why are you living in a dense part of an urban area and parking on the street? If you can’t afford a private parking space then you probably can’t afford that pricey car. (and obviously, if someone deliberately rams into another car and causes a major ding, that’s another story)
also, unless you’ve witnessed the bad parking you can’t assume that someone deliberately parked badly like in the Example #2…the B car might not have had any choice in how they parked their car 12 hours previously and they might not be guilty of egregiously bad parking.
Why don’t you just learn how to park without bumping cars to get into the space.
Sounds like you are whining.
I used to have the semi-utopian idea that there should be parking helpers w/their white gloves (sorta like the guys directing cars on the ferries) who would direct drivers to their on-street parking spots and assure the most effecient use of space. Like something that probably already exists in Japan or Singapore.
I’m with Michael S. Bumpers were made to bump.
bump bump!
Yes. Yes, we do.
I think the point isn’t that B is badly parked, its that if you “choose wisely” there will be more parking for everyone! How many times have you had to keep circling the block because that one car managed to make two perfectly acceptable parking spaces into one?
OMG your kitty is SOOOO cute! I want to gobble it up!
I’ll totally use this in addition to altering/disabling their vehicle and/or calling of calling SPD (3hr wait on Saturday mornings) when someone blocks our apt building’s driveway–which is every friday night on Bellevue as you know an extremely dense street. The addition of slide 2’s “5 ft. min distance from driveways” is critical. We’ve tried many many different suggestions and tactics to prevent blockage including the city recommended painting of the curb 5 ft from driveway and installing our own signage, but nothing seems to work, except for the aforementioned altering/disabling of vehicles. The removal of wheels, distributor caps, side mirrors, wipers, foglights and batteries is not something i ever wanted to get into doing, but it seems as the city grows more and more dense with cars (we own 1 among 4 people, critical sometimes) more and more drivers–typically very young individuals–have less respect for the neighborhood they come to party in on the weekends.
Not really.
I’m surprised the city would endorse painting.
I once got a ticket for following some “painting”. Couldn’t beat it either because they said the city didn’t paint it.
quoting http://www.seattle.gov/Transportation/parking/drivewaymarkin :
Seattle Municipal Code 11.72.110 – Driveway or alley entrance
“No person shall stand or park a vehicle in front of a public or private driveway within a street or alley or in front of or in an alley entrance or within five feet (5′) of the end of a constructed driveway return or alley entrance return, or if none, within five feet (5′) of the projection of the edge of the driveway or alley.”
Seattle Municipal Code 11.72.120 – Driveway – Painted curb
“The prohibited area for driveway returns described in Section 11.72.110 may be maintained with traffic yellow paint by the property owner or occupant.”
yep, we painted and then bought signs and them painted the posts white and installed reflectors on them but nothing seemed to work until we got the tools out. We kinda live in a cursed location I realize but drivers must be aware of their surroundings at all times.
Don’t park on Bellevue if you are not sure where to park I guess.
I don’t think they were made to bump. It isn’t bumper cars.
You guys sound like a bunch of a-holes to endorse bumping.
Yes, homeowners are responsible for the yellow paint. And yes the 5 foot rule is on the books, but parking enforcement will only do something about it if the homeowner calls (and the sidewalk has been painted). I think the 5 foot rule is too much in a city without enough parking. Also, I don’t understand why Seattle loves yellow. Everywhere else paints No Parking zones red since yellow denotes Loading. Ah Seattle. City of poor communication.
What is “city without enough parking”? I suspect you meant “a city without enough free parking” which really means “a city without enough subsidized parking”. Please show me the overflowing pay parking lots and contention over inability to add more for-fee parking, and then we can talk about a parking shortage.
I thought red curbs were reserved for fire lanes.
The 5 foot rule isn’t for looks, it has a function – for two types of vehicles, especially:
1.
low, small cars (Coopers, Miatas, certain economy cars, many nissan cars that end in Z, etc): poor visibility from these cars leaving such a driveway mean they tend to guess rather than know when it’s clear to enter the roadway.
2. long vehicles (moving trucks, full-length pickups, minivans, muscle cars, cars with a terrible turning radius, and of course VanPool vehicles): these cars cannot swing into the driveway (10 feet wide if you’re lucky) without the added space. Since most folks would be reluctant to use a 3 point turn in this case, they end up swinging into the oncoming lane instead, causing congestion and accidents.
Also note:
I think the other functional buffer zones are:
30 feet clearance from stop signs, 10 feet from corners / intersections, 15 feet from fire hydrants (both directions, not 7.5 to one side and 7.5 to the other!). There’s also a certain distance you must be away from Metro bus stops, though that’s marked by dashed red/yellow on the curb.
PLEASE don’t bump, it sets off alarms needlessly.
Hmmm. Why do the alarms go off?
Because you aren’t supposed to hit other people’s property! Bumping on accident? Sure. Tiniest of nudges that doesn’t set off alarms – ok, but still avoid it. Bumping because your car has a bumper? WTF – that’s totally irresponsible vandalism. If it were a person rather than a car, it’d be a serious crime.
1st, Many bumpers are at different heights: your ‘no damage bump’ could actually hurt the value of our cars. Not everyone owns their cars: many people get loans, so it’s not really ‘their’ car – whether a Beemer or a Hyundai, if I don’t own it I don’t own it. Have some common sense- you don’t hit other people or their stuff. Kindergarten rules, jeezus. Also, you could knock my license plate right off. Then I drive away unaware, get the ‘no tabs’ ticket for 300 bucks. No THANKS, Miss Thoughtless.
Dickheads like you hold the doors on subways too, don’t you?
*goofy voice* “welp, it was convenient enough for MMMEEE! Huh-hulp!”
/rant
It also will get you a ticket (and yes, I have received this ticket for this infraction):
Seattle Municipal Code 11.72.110 – Driveway or alley entrance
“No person shall stand or park a vehicle in front of a public or private driveway within a street or alley or in front of or in an alley entrance or within five feet (5′) of the end of a constructed driveway return or alley entrance return, or if none, within five feet (5′) of the projection of the edge of the driveway or alley.”
I don’t see why we can’t mark off parking spots on residential streets? Make for maximum use of efficiency of street, instead of people just pulling up and parking willy, nilly (love that phrase) Additionally, why not be able to purchase a spot in front of your residence? Pay the city 100 bucks to guarantee one spot in front be it for you, a worker, a friend or whatever.I think the elderly would value this very much but also just at the end of the day, to know your spot is there is very nice. ..I think this idea is civil..Doesn’t have to be an eye sore either, just use simple markings.