The Opinionated Bastard

First, thank you for blogrolling me —-

Second, on the distinction between big business and small business anal-retentive attitudes on parking, may I offer a theory with the proviso I have never been to Flagstaff, so I am working with generalities.

Most small service businesses operate in moderate to high local density environments —- think town squares in New England or Main Street type of neighborhoods elsewhere. Space is limited, and comparatively expensive, but small businesses need density to support themselves as they are too seldom a “destination” business AND they also have path dependency towards being pre-located in moderate to high density areas. Therefore is space is limited, and thus parking is limited for daily usage, much less for surge usage. These businesses have very little to gain on their already tight margins to being nice to non-customers who are using their parking spaces. Now most larger big box retailers tend to be in areas where land was cheaper, and most likely is cheaper. They also have enough parking to accomodate their Christmas surge crowds. So during low demand times, such as a Tuesday afternoon in early fall, the cost of having one extra car in the parking lot belonging to a non-customer is both absolutely and proportionanlly smaller, so the why give a fuck attitude comes into play much quicker.

Just my theory.

Hey, no problem on the blogroll. Any lefty who can add is worth his weight in gold. Fester for President!

I agree with your logic, but you’re missing two things:

First, the health food store abuses the bookstore more then the reverse…and they aren’t downtown.

The collection of spaces form a “pool”. If each small retailer needs M spaces for peak demand, and there are N stores, you need MxN spaces. But if average demand is M/3, then if the retailers shares, then they would only need N*M/3. Since effectively, each parking space the retailer can command is part of their rent, they can reduce the “parking” portion of their rent by 1/3 by cooperating.

Now what if a customer shops at two! retailers? Then the benifits could be even more.

Specific to Flagstaff, we’ll see what zenmonkey says since he’s a small retailer downtown.

I too am a small business owner in downtown Flagstaff. I own zero parking spaces. My cusomers complain alot, but they still come. They park at the retailer next door, mainly. He doesn’t mind as they come into his shop out of decencey and obligation to signage. I am sure they spend mone yand their husbands fart around in their for a while to boot. We both benefit as retailers from this situation. The situation at New Subarus ( thats what we call the granola shop) is offensive and kinda stupid in the end. Ease up. Share, benefit. Sure, if I OWNED even one spot for customers downtown I would guard it tooth and nail and sream and curse at abusers. But that would be VERY different thatn the 30k sq.ft lot that NewSubarus shares with the piddly little used book store/ghosttown. Regarding the gas station, don’t get me started on Nackard and HIS business ethics… Now here’s another parking/walmart issue. RV camping in parking lot. Illegal. Tolerated by city somehow and supported actively by walmrt. SCOFFLAWS! :)

Wow, an intro. I, like Dave, own a downtown business. Unlike Dave, I pay rent on approximately (depending on how skillfully people are parking or how large the vehicles) 9 parking spaces located beside my building, along the alley. We’ve been in our present location for going on 8 years, and I’ve developed a very workable approach to policing the lot, based on trial, error, and intuition. There are large signs that inform people that it’s my parking, and that offenders will be towed. I’ve only had to tow a single car, and that was a semi-abandoned vehicle situation. Otherwise, the managers of other businesses, particularly the restaurants, inform their employees that they can only park in my lot after 6pm, our closing time. When I see a car appearing day after day, during a predictable time span, I look for the driver, and tell them that I need my lot for customers, and they’ll have to find another place to park. I let the barbershop patrons slide, and the porch boys who come for happy hour at the pizza place. I know all of their cars, and they ask me if it’s cool. If I’m tight on spaces, I let them know. Otherwise, we have a gentleman’s agreement. No hurt feelings either way, and everybody’s happy. I have customers who pop in and ask if they can leave their cars while they run errands, and I always tell them that they’re welcome to. My firm-but-fair approach has worked the best. People are generally considerate and use the lot discretely, leaving enough spaces for my customers, employees, and work van. On those Friday or Saturday afternoons when I’ve gotten back from deliveries to find that my work van has no place to park, I just sidle in perpendicular to the parked vehicles. Sooner or later, someone will appear to sheepishly ask me to please move my van so that they can get out, and voila! I have my parking space. My parking situation may be unique. I just know that I pay for the priveledge, guard it accordingly, and dispense favors like a petty prince, which suits me just fine. I know people who have gotten WAY pissed off at a certain business up the street that tows aggressively, and I’ve always felt that in my case, this was never needed or wanted to pursue such tactics. I just say, “Hi, I’m Dean Bonzani. That’s my lot, and…” Works for me.

Wow, an intro.

I, like Dave, own a downtown business. Unlike Dave, I pay rent on approximately (depending on how skillfully people are parking or how large the vehicles) 9 parking spaces located beside my building, along the alley. We’ve been in our present location for going on 8 years, and I’ve developed a very workable approach to policing the lot, based on trial, error, and intuition. There are large signs that inform people that it’s my parking, and that offenders will be towed. I’ve only had to tow a single car, and that was a semi-abandoned vehicle situation. Otherwise, the managers of other businesses, particularly the restaurants, inform their employees that they can only park in my lot after 6pm, our closing time. When I see a car appearing day after day, during a predictable time span, I look for the driver, and tell them that I need my lot for customers, and they’ll have to find another place to park. I let the barbershop patrons slide, and the porch boys who come for happy hour at the pizza place. I know all of their cars, and they ask me if it’s cool. If I’m tight on spaces, I let them know. Otherwise, we have a gentleman’s agreement. No hurt feelings either way, and everybody’s happy. I have customers who pop in and ask if they can leave their cars while they run errands, and I always tell them that they’re welcome to. My firm-but-fair approach has worked the best. People are generally considerate and use the lot discretely, leaving enough spaces for my customers, employees, and work van. On those Friday or Saturday afternoons when I’ve gotten back from deliveries to find that my work van has no place to park, I just sidle in perpendicular to the parked vehicles. Sooner or later, someone will appear to sheepishly ask me to please move my van so that they can get out, and voila! I have my parking space. My parking situation may be unique. I just know that I pay for the priveledge, guard it accordingly, and dispense favors like a petty prince, which suits me just fine. I know people who have gotten WAY pissed off at a certain business up the street that tows aggressively, and I’ve always felt that in my case, this was never needed or wanted to pursue such tactics. I just say, “Hi, I’m Dean Bonzani. That’s my lot, and…” Works for me.

Hmmm…. So its the serial offenders & employees that are the problem? Interesting.

Now do you rent those spaces seperately?

Agh! I posted twice. Sorry.

We have no choice about renting the spaces, as they’re included in our rent. Our landlord owns our building, the Starrlite Books building, and the land that the parking spaces are carved out of. Starrlite gets two spaces, and I get the rest.

When we first moved in, everybody and their brother filled the lot. I had to track down every last one of them and tell them what the rules were. My lot was FULL every day. Now that I’ve established that I am Lord of the Lot, I can accommodate both my customers and my friends who need a spot now and then, especially at happy hour. The worst offenders were spoiled college kids working at Collins Irish Pub. Brats. Kitchen help from Charly’s runs a close second. Occasionally, an entire band from Orpheum will camp out, and I’ll reroute them. Every once in a while, some noob will start using the lot for a few days, unaware that I see them from the many windows facing the alley, and I’ll catch them scurrying to work, apron in hand, and tell them it’s time to move on, and they do. No big deal.

Northhampton, Massachusetts. Now there’s a downtown that has figured out its parking, and keeps everybody happy.

stop worrying about parking, ride a bike and stop killing iraqi children…not for their oil..ya right.

ernie

Employees at the pizza place are the worst for me.

all the dread lock hippies hanging out in the courtyard, throwing their left over black bean burritos to feed their dogs and cigarettes buts all over the ground. That court yard has become a place like peoples park in Berkley. Pretty soon they will be camping on flag brewing company patio tripping on some good A, asking for a little change.