Beach parking

[Compugasm]

"DEL MAR – Workers have unwrapped two parking machines... and handing out $35 tickets to violators."

This is a local news story. But, try and correlate it to something in your community. Those who enjoy talking about government oppression and officials stealing your money unjustly will enjoy my source article about beach parking.

It's kinda funny in a bad way. The parking enforcement being discussed, is just as Patrick Henry describes as a "Police State". The number of officers scooting around in electric vehicals is astounding.

THE GOVERNMENT:
1. Need meters because there aren't enough parking spots to go around. On a sunny weekend, most of the spaces near beaches are filled by 10 a.m.
2. Beach area: generates $30,000 a year in revenue and parking citations (Citywide: $860,000)

THE PEOPLE:
1. Don't like paying the $1.50 an hour to park. Metered parking is enforced all week long.
2. People have to run out and feed the meter. Other towns have large lots with all day parking.
========================================
The questions I pose:
* Is the govt "stealing" your money under the guise of "sharing" 30 parking spaces?
* Does metering on public property need to be put to a vote by the public?
* Should the government building more spaces, or more enforcement of policy?

traffic cops of all sorts get my guff. traffic law is mundane and repugnant. if the government is unable to provide adequate roadways they should not 'solve' that problem by making you pay for what is already there. that is poor capitalism.

build a parking garage. dig a parking garage if it's ugly. but don't charge me 50 bucks for parking on the street after 6pm in boston. or i will come to your house unexpected.

[Dieval]

Well, if there weren't so many damn people here(I personally live in San Diego and have the potential to be affected by this), then there wouldn't be a need to pay for parking......I'm really surprised it took them this long to start charging...have you seen the prices of parking downtown, for say a baseball game?

[Scribbler1]

Originally posted by Compugasm, "DEL MAR – Workers have unwrapped two parking machines... and handing out $35 tickets to violators." This is a local news story. ======================================== The questions I pose: * Is the govt "stealing" your money under the guise of "sharing" 30 parking spaces? * Does metering on public property need to be put to a vote by the public? * Should the government building more spaces, or more enforcement of policy?

1. If it is the will of the residents, then it is not stealing. If it is the will of a few officials eager for a quick buck, it IS stealing. However, this form of theft is usually sone under the guise of saving the citizens money as the fees are SUPPOSEDLY to prevent tax increases, which usually happens anyway. These small town governments look at fees like some kind of windfall when it isn't.

2. Anything that affects people indiscriminately (anyone can use a parking space, including town residents) should always be put to a referendum vote, but the people are sheep and just ignore it until it personally affects them.

3. Not sure what you meant with the last item. But if you mean should they create more parking spaces, that is on a case by case basis as a lot of towns don't have that much room and annexing an adjacent parcel of land is usually not easy.

But I don't see how metered parking is SHARING anything, as quoted in your source.

[PatrickHenry]

Why can't local govs think outside the box and create a friendly atmosphere for beach goers? Wouldn't that put folks in a buying mood, benefiting the local vendors? How about remote, free or low cost parking with frequent free shuttles from parking to beach?

[gr8fuldaniel]

I agree with you Patrick. It looks like if you want free beach you have to go north about 2 miles to Solana Beach, for free on street parking or to solana beach park for (I think its free)off-street parking. Another 3 or 4 miles is Cardiff which has free parking. Its just the ritzy little burg of Del Mar that attracts the most tourists. I used to live in Del Mar. Thats some prime real estate.Every inch is spoken for and if the city were to buy land for parking a run down shack goes for over a million bucks there. Eventually they will have to do it if it remains as popular as it has always been. Its right on old highway 101, which runs North/South the entire Pacific coast. You got the beach, the del mar racetrack/fairgrounds, so the community has the cashola. The best Prime Rib in the world is at Bullys. Dont tell anyone but there always seem to be a spot in Bullys lot below street level.

[PatrickHenry]

Del Mar could purchase land in another city for the remote lots couldn't it? If it benefited the local businesses wouldn't that fly?

[gr8fuldaniel]

Well, as far as bussing goes they could concievably park at the fairgrounds and have a trolly or tram during the summer. I think folks that live in Del Mar want to park their mercedes and such in front of the little shops in town. The overspill from beach parking is crowding the township. The bussing may not work due to surf boards

[gr8fuldaniel]

Del Mar is famous for being the first city (In the world, I think)to make it illegal to smoke outdoors. I am not sure if that still applies since I quit smoking 8 1/2 years ago.

[Young]

Any of You who have traveled know that some places/towns set speed traps on their sections of highways. Small towns do this a lot, because they must have Police, but they have very low crime, for funding they make the speed limit 55. As your cruising down the road maybe you miss the sign that says 55 & you get caught, and the town profits from your mistake. Who decided what speed was safe? Don't conditions change appropriate speed? If Your car was capable of knowing the speed limit, and warned you so that you could slow down....wouldn't that take away from the money made by speed traps? If they can put a breathalizer in your car for a DUI, and now they can fit a new car with a device that won't allow Your car to crank unless your monthly payment has been received....then won't insurance companies want to link to the system? If Your insurance is expired because you didn't pay it, then the car company surely wouldn't want you driving & it wouldn't be so much of a stretch to think that the insurance companies would Pay to get in on this new approach. However, if your insurance payment is lost in our mail system and your wife is walking into a parking lot and a man tries to rape/attack her and she dies because even though she gets to the car...it won't start, wouldn't the insurance company be liable in her death? Especially when the check was dated and would of been on time to keep the car in working order, and the U.S. Mail explains that they lost it.

[Compugasm]

I've never paid for a parking space. Just recently I had a job a few miles from there. I had was issued a parking pass. Everytime I went out to my car I see officers in little golfcart things checking for these passes. I think I'm with Bob on this one in that they just get on my nerves. My crime boils down to parking to long.

[Compugasm]

Young kinda rambled on a bit, but I think I finally got what he was saying. Who determines that my fee is $35? If I parked for 73 minutes, shouldn't I owe $1.75 and not $36+?

[Technosoul]

Here in California for the most part, we have gaint beaches and tiny parking lots. Some people then hope to park on neighboring streets where people live on in lots used by local stores. It is a problem no doubt.

Likewise most cities have a law about no overnight parking on any street. (Big problem for truckers and people who come to someone's party and get drunk and do not want to drive home under the influences, the guest only has so much room in his driveway).

And they put up all those silly signs about "2 hour parking" only, I recall getting a ticket on one of those when I was at the city court building paying a parking ticket and it took longer then 2 hours to stand in line.

But Beach parking is not logical - if it is a public beach (free useage) then you should have free parking. First come first serve.
Plus they got all them girls in tiny swimsuits, how can they expect us to pay attention to meters?

The fines are way too much, would anyone else be able to sell a parking space for $35.00 a day, or for a few hours useage? I think the lot would be empty. So what makes the local city hall think they can get away with doing that - on a mandatory set price?

Also, sometimes people have car troubles or they run out of gas, what if they do not have coins to drop into a meter and can find no unposted areas to pull over and park?

I think people need to ban together and get a peitition going, to ban the use of tax funded police departents being used to raise extra funding for city hall. Perhaps we should tax city hall for all the profits they make on tickets, and use that money buy our self a backyard swimming pool.

Technosoul.

[Compugasm]

Originally posted by Technosoul, what makes the local city hall think they can get away with doing that?

I think surfers use those spots, most people dont surf. I'd also guess that most people in San Diego don't need to park there, so they don't care. I'm not blaming them. But, I am fingering the local govt for the whole "divide and conquer" reasoning to this kind of taxation. By picking smaller and smaller subgroups, and feeing that group for "enjoyment of the beach" then eventually you can find a way to tax everyone.

[gr8fuldaniel]

OK, Ive got it
Dig up the beach, install a huge plate glass window for an aquarium.Pave it and stripe it put a lid on it pour sand on top and charge for underground parking. Badabing. Next Issue.

[Scribbler1]

Originally posted by PatrickHenry, Why can't local govs think outside the box and create a friendly atmosphere for beach goers? Wouldn't that put folks in a buying mood, benefiting the local vendors? How about remote, free or low cost parking with frequent free shuttles from parking to beach?

As long as people shrug their shoulders and accept the fees, there is no reason to create a friendly atmosphere, regarding parking in this case. Instead of voting with their money, i.e. go to another town, they keep coming.

But the shuttle idea is a good one. The problem is it costs money and the meters (after the initial investment and very limited maintenence) are almost free. Just plant 'em and empty 'em.

[Technosoul]

Yes Compu - that might be a problem, it is all the little fines that slowly add up to massive amounts. Most people could care less about two or three new parking meters at one beach area, so City Hall does not have to worry about some big outcry or major protest.

Parking tickets, permits, and so forth all designed to funnel more money into the hands of the local governments, and why? Often that money might pay for a trip so that some local mayor can go to another city or country to try to talk someone into bringing jobs to the local city (and while at it they visit Disneyland and get a suntan at the fancy beach).

I just do not know what really happens to all the money generated from parking meters, perhaps they use the money to buy more meters and to hire more metermaids? But I remember in the 1950s we had only a few parking meters and few laws about parking otherwise (being enforced) and no big problem. Now it is a big mess.

Technosoul.

[PatrickHenry]

That was before the whole USA decided to move to California

[gr8fuldaniel]

If they would give me 40 acres and a mule in the desert I would leave California.

[Compugasm]

Originally posted by Technosoul, I just do not know what really happens to all the money generated from parking meters..

Here is an UPDATE on the story. Apparently the money is "...among several fees increased by the council last year to plug a $30 million shortfall in the $743 million fiscal 2004 operating budget..." It sounds like a Tax, which of course they claim it isn't. That doesn't sound to me like they're properly using the funds to improve the parking situations.