Chron roving videographer Jason Witmer unearths the catalyst of the strip-center parking-cone epidemic: It’s those valet addicts.
“Even if it’s right in front on a Sunday and you’re the first person here,” says Antonio Gianola of Washington Avenue’s Catalan Food and Wine, “some people — when they realize there’s no valet — decide they’d rather leave.â€
Apparently, it’s not too hard to find one of these “customers”: “I have gone and talked to the manager, and said, y’all need valet,†Cathy Mayfield says on camera.
Cathy Mayfield says she just likes the convenience. She doesn’t even look to see if there are parking spaces nearby: “I’m willing to pay a little bit of money not to have to be driving around looking for a parking spot.â€
Others say it doesn’t make any sense that spots right in front of the restaurant are blocked off for valet.
- Is valet parking a must? [Houston Chronicle]
Video: Jason Witmer
Wouldnt it make more sense to have spots far away as designated valet spots, rather than the ones that are convenient for people who aren’t dredged from the deepest hellhole of LA?
I agree Evan.
I also have a tendency to avoid a place that has valet period. If I’m stuck going to a valet place, I go out of my way to park where I can avoid the valet guys.
Cathy Mayfield symbolizes all that is wrong with Washington Ave.
I love Catalan, but I do hate their aggressive and unnecessary valet service. It has kept me from eating there many times just because I don’t want the ridiculous hassle of having to wait for the valet to pick up my car when it’s a very short walk away.
Pretentious is as pretentious does. Never mind the Zagat rating. Does it have valet?
I am not a valet hater. I think they have their place. I whole heartedly agree with Evan that I should be paying them to park my car when it’s not convenient for me to do so myself.
When dealing with valets, though, I think it’s important to remember that they are hired by a restaurant and patrons shouldn’t take their disdain for the practice out on the guys who are just trying to do what they were hired to do. I do, however, feel that Canopy (on Montrose) really needs to re-evaluate letting their valet company have a sign out front that says “Your generosity is our paycheck.” I just can’t defend that…
Though I don’t know Cathy Mayfield, one of my thoughts was that she may have a very dry sense of humor. :-)
I went to Catalan recently. Was one of the first cars in the parking lot. I had my friend get out of the car and move a cone and parked my car. No one said a thing.
From kjb434:
I also have a tendency to avoid a place that has valet period.
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Well, that’s most every nice restaurant in the country. Why would you choose not to eat at a restaurant because they have valet? Just don’t use the service. Do you avoid restaurants that have waiters because you’d rather serve yourself?
From Matt Mystery:
Pretentious is as pretentious does.
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What’s pretentious about using valet service? Let me guess; because you don’t like it, anyone who does is pretentious?
My mother is 70; she and her friends love places that have valet because she feels much safer using the service than parking down some side street, in some parking garage, or across a big lot, especially at night.
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There have been many times that I’ve been happy for a valet because it was storming or 100 degrees outside and I’d prefer showing up for a meeting or date, dry.
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If you don’t like it, don’t use it; but not using valet doesn’t make you superior to the rest of us.
Yeah, just love it at Catalan. After you’re forced to valet b/c every spot in eyesight is cone’d off (even though 25 of them are empty), you drop $300 on a meal, and then you get some valet croaking at you about how he works for tips and you’re ripping him off.
I mean, seriously? I pay that much for a dinner and then I’ve got to get hit up by one of your representatives and treated like **** b/c someone just has to sap five more bucks out of me?
How about this — if you’re going to force your customers to valet by blocking off all of the available spots, you pay your valets a living wage or tell them that tipping is for excellent service, at the customers’ desire – not something to berate them about.
Last time that just completely ruined our dinner to finish off a great with the seething attitude.
Love the food at Catalan, but this valet stuff is out of hand. Neither my partner nor I carry cash, and we always shudder when we go to a nice restaurant and see that we’re being forced to valet for no good reason.
Restaurants that basically “force” you to use valet should be boycotted; it’s rude to block prime parking spaces that sit empty for hours until filled by valet. And let’s not forget that while majority of valet experiences go off without a hitch, turning your second-largest asset over to a stranger is risky. There is a reason why in Hollywood movies/TV the guy who uses valet often gets screwed over somehow.
I absolutely loathe valet parking and will gladly walk several blocks in high heels to avoid it. I cannot see spending good $ to watch some guy I don’t know park my car in a space about 50 feet from where I got out. Moreover, what happens if the valet damages your car? If they don’t carry insurance (which some of them definitely DO NOT), then that is an unforeseen cost I would bear in addition to the cost of my (occasionally) pricy meal.
On a final note, one night we went for dinner to Gravitas and due to the complete lack of street parking, we told the valet parker that we would be willing to pay him his fee but that we wanted to park our in one of his spaces ourselves (to avoid any mishaps). He refused. We went inside to see if the Manager would be more reasonable and overrule the valet parker but they refused. We left and have never been back since. I have the suspicion that some sort of valetparking mafia exists in Houston.
Rimba, you had your girlfriend get out and move the cone? lol ;P
I’m with kjb: I hate valet and avoid restaurants that do not provide parking. If a business wants to offer valet as an additional service, that is fine, but when the entire parking lot is marked off with cones, I go elsewhere.
I’m with kjb and MindTheGap. I eat out every single night of the week and I don’t valet park EVER. Not at Mark’s, Gravitas, Truluck’s, or Mockingbird Bistro, and not at any of the everyday places I’ve eaten in the last year either.
My pet peeve is when there’s an entire huge parking lot that is shared among several tenants and all of the many empty spaces are coned off. I’ve been known to double-park behind assholes taking up the bank parking spaces at the Chase that shares a lot with Fleming’s, just so I can use the ATM, while the end of the lot in front of the restaurant is empty.
Seriously, unless you’ve got a physical handicap, valet parking in this city is stupid. This isn’t Manhattan, after all. There’s enough empty real estate that you should never HAVE to valet park. If I pull up and there’s only valet parking, and no street or open lot parking available, I go to one of the other 8000 restaurants in the city, because if I can’t park, there’s probably an unbearable line, and there are, after all, 8000 other places to eat.
Valet is an essential thing *when parking is difficult* and worth the money. It’s supposed to make life easier and more convenient. When all the spaces near the restaurant are coned off, valet makes visiting *less* convenient. It’s a way to suck a few dollars out of you. Idiotic and makes me somewhat less likely to eat somewhere.
The Kroger on Voss/San Felipe offered valet (this is now 13 years ago) and I loved it because I had a new baby and the gentleman even put the groceries in the trunk while I settled my son in his car seat. I love the valet option at the Galleria during the holidays. I don’t love valet parking that is often not optional at many eating establishments and the fact that they reserve parking spaces that would often be used for another place of business that I do need to visit, and could do so conveniently if only the parking spaces weren’t blocked by god-da*ned cones.
Love valet parking. When I’m making reservations I ask if they have a valet. It’s a relief when they do. Parking in midtown and montrose can be such a problem that it’s nice to have a valet. The cops are practically hiding behind every bush waiting for you to accidentally park in a place where they can tow you. I’ve literally walked up and down streets in Montrose reading every sign I can find to try to make sure I’m not breaking some obscure parking regulation. I have a $100k car and I’ve never had a problem with a valet yet. I sure have been ticketed, towed, blocked in and broken into when I didn’t use a valet though.
It’s so weird that some people seem so proud of the fact that they don’t use a valet -EVER! So what? Big deal! Get over yourselves. What a bunch of whiners. “I eat at Mark’s where dinner costs $100 per person, at least, but I’ll be damned if I’m gonna pay a valet a couple a bucks!” Good Lord, get a life.
To John at 7:49pm:
It is more than just being cheap and wanting to save a couple bucks. First, I don’t regularly carry cash, so it is a hassle to have to plan ahead to go to an ATM, pull out twenties, and then get them broken. Second, it is irritating as hell to stand in line waiting for your car after a meal, especially when you can see it parked across the street. Third, I drive a brand new Audi with a manual transmission; I simply don’t trust valets with my vehicle.
To me, I don’t valet mainly because in 95% of the time the valet is pointless. As many other posters have noted, the parking spaces right in front of the restaurant are available.
Times I do valet are times when parking is technically impossible. Staying in a hotel in the French Quarter in New Orleans is an example. The parking is literally two to three blocks away in a parking garage not accessible to the public and the valet staff is not a fly-by-night operation. The valet staff actually works daily in shifts. It’s actually a full time job. These valet’s DO have insurance and the security of your vehicle and anything inside is guaranteed.
The other primary reason as someone mentioned before is that I really never carry cash with me. When I know cash will be needed, I have to plan to have some on me. In general, I just don’t like to carry the stuff.
P.S. Parking in the Galleria during the holidays is a piece of cake if you know where to park. Go to garage floors beneath Galleria IV or go to the roof of Galleria IV. They are always fairly empty even during the height of holiday shopping season. Both have easy access to elevators and/or escalators from the garage if you don’t want to take stairs either.
What a bunch of whiners. “I eat at Mark’s where dinner costs $100 per person, at least, but I’ll be damned if I’m gonna pay a valet a couple a bucks!â€
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I have yet to find a restaurant worth $100 per person in this city. But then I was spoiled by Jimmy’s in Beverly Hills. Which was worth $200 per person. And the valets were worth the tip. They would empty the ashtrays, pick all the assorted wrappers up off the floor, clean the windshield if it was dirty, and made sure they knew your name when you left and always asked if you enjoyed your evening.
Unless you were chi-chi. Then they just sort of shoved you in the car when you left. And hoped you never came back.
From Matt Mystery:
I have yet to find a restaurant worth $100 per person in this city. But then I was spoiled by Jimmy’s in Beverly Hills.
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As you wrote earlier, “Pretentious is as pretentious does. “
From kjb434:
To me, I don’t valet mainly because in 95% of the time the valet is pointless.
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I mostly agree with you,(I’d say 50%) but that’s a far cry from earlier statements claiming that you avoid restaurants that have a valet, period – which is ridiculous. Sounds reasonable to me; don’t want to valet – then don’t. Why all the moaning and groaning because some people do, or because the service is offered at all.
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You have to worry about carrying cash??? Puh-leeze, that is so lame. They reserve the good spots up close? Well, duh – people pay (more) to sit in the front of the plane, the front row at the game/concert too. That’s life, but at most restaurants, the valet is complimentary anyway, so again – what’s the big deal?
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And yep, I can always find a spot in the Galleria, but as I mentioned earlier, my Mom feels unsafe parking in garages that big and loves the valet service. It’s great that businesses offer options for their customers.
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Oh yeah, I’ve rarely seen valets that are directly employed by the business and are not contracted, that’s almost unheard of. I’ve also never seen a valet, garage, or paid parking lot that assumes fiscal responsibility for your car. You almost always agree that they are not responsible by using the service. This is true at restaurants, the airport, even most carwashes, all over the country.
I don’t see what the big deal is. If these people make enough money and they want to blow it on valet where a parking space is right in front of them, that’s their preogative.
If I go to a restaurant that has valet, it’s usually because someone else in the party wants to go there.
What’s the point of valet using the spots up close? Those spots could be used by people who prefer to park themselves and the valet can park the cars further away so that the valet service is ACTUALLY a convenience.
Most of the valet here in Houston isn’t much of a convenience. There’s no need need to pay a guy to park a car 50-ft from the door. If it was being parked high up in a parking garage or at a lot down the street, then the convenience of valet become apparent.
The restaurants that offer valet are purely based on image. Nothing else.
Matt Mystery: You consistently rail against anyone who isn’t middle class, yet you are a faithful reader of a website that focuses on real estate, architecture, retail deals, etc in the city that is the oil capital of the world. The entries on this blog are about things that cost money. I’m sorry if you don’t have as much as some others do.
america would not exist if we were not a “nation of whiners” and this proves some things are idiotic enough to warrant a good fight. the proliferation of unnecesary valet parking is one of those things.
however, one must keep in mind that these are businesses trying make smart business decisions. if having valet helps them brown-nose the fools with $100K cars and retain their repeat business then they just may stand to profit more off of valet even it turns away some of the business from middle class folks.
From joel:
“…the fools with $100K cars…”
So, you’re a fool if you own a $100K car? How about a $50K car, is that OK with you? $20K? What price car precludes one from being a fool in your world?
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Why have any car at all? Even a horse would cost thousands, and wouldn’t that be foolish when you could just walk for free – and never have to park at all?
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Are you serious?
I think that most restaurants in Houston with valet parking offer it as a convenience for patrons rather than as a status thing. Frankly, there just isn’t enough parking at some of them. I have a Buick so I don’t worry about the valet parkers damaging it. If I had a fancier car, though…. My pet peeve about valet parking is when the system is disorganized and it takes 15 minutes or more to get your car (eg. Moe’s). And I’ve had valet parkers tell me that anything less than a $3 tip is an insult. You might as well not give them anything.
kjb, there’s LOTS of things in this world that aren’t necessary, but because people have the money, they do it. That not only goes for the rich but us middle class too. If we lived just of what was necessary, America would look like a much different place.
I say if they want to get out of their car right in front of the restaurant door, that’s fine, even if the parking spot is 50 feeet away. You can’t take the money with you.
I can’t believe some of you people. You don’t eat anywhere that has valet ever? Valet is pretentious and it’s too hard to carry $3. You’re lucky you live in the midst of sprawl.
Maybe you would rather have a parking lot where you pay $8-12 on weekends to park yourself? In downtown Boston you can often find a lot to park yourself on the weekend but it’s $20. Should we bring that model to Houston so you don’t have to worry about someone denting your leased 3series for whatever pocket change you have? And if you do drive a higher end car and refuse to valet because you don’t trust them to drive it, I bet you are also one of the jerks that parks across 2 spaces so no one will door ding your second largest investment. All that does is make me more likely to park really close to you just to tick you off.
My wife valets at the Galleria all the time. She is juggling two kids and all the crap that comes with them. It doesn’t make her pretentious. It makes her practical.
Some of the time, I love to valet. It’s easy and convenient. Maybe it’s raining, maybe it hot and I am in a suit. Maybe we have our kids and would rather not deal with trying to get 2 young toddlers across the street or through a busy parking lot. Some of the time valet is available and we don’t use it. We can see ample street parking and opt to use it. Options! Why do you people always have to be so black or white?
Ray!!! A mature voice of reason – finally.
There are restaurants where valet parking *is* necessary, such as shortage of parking spaces and unsafe areas. I also don’t mind it at fancy restaurants. But it *is* annoying when not-so-fancy restaurants (Chatter Cafe, Hungry’s and Teala) which have their own parking lots (and certainly not small, either) insist on valet parking. It’s an exercise in absurdity. It’s like the restaurants are trying to be something they aren’t. :-)
This thread is too funny. John you are so right on the spot. Carol–you nailed it as well.
Matt Mystery–who gives a damn about your life in California? You are such a narcissistic piece of work it is laughable.
I love that everything that is either out of the financial, social, or emotional reach (real or preceived)of some people is considered chi chi, pretentious or the root of what is wrong with society.
If that’s your attitude then you have 10,000 McDonald’s with no valet, $1.00 blue icing stale cupcakes from Kroger and
a garage sale going every moment of every day somewhere where you don’t have to be thought of as part of the bourgeoisie.
I have yet to find a restaurant worth $100 per person in this city. But then I was spoiled by Jimmy’s in Beverly Hills.
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As you wrote earlier, “Pretentious is as pretentious does. “
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Oh, please. People in Houston go to Tony’s to be seen. To feel “part of.” People in Los Angeles went to Jimmy’s for a pleasureable evening with people who weren’t there just to be seen.
From Matt Mystery:
I have yet to find a restaurant worth $100 per person in this city. But then I was spoiled by Jimmy’s in Beverly Hills.
************
As you wrote earlier, “Pretentious is as pretentious does. “
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Oh, please. People in Houston go to Tony’s to be seen. To feel “part of.†People in Los Angeles went to Jimmy’s for a pleasureable evening with people who weren’t there just to be seen.
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Matt, Forgive me. You are absolutely correct; the food, wine, and service at Tony’s is sub-par, I totally wasted my money when I dined there; AND pretentions do not exist in the City of Angels. My bad.
I just don’t want some valet to find the bazooka in my car and report me. That would stop me from taking out the VERY NEXT PERSON who weaves into my lane because they can’t admit they are a dangerous threat handling a cell phone and a steering wheel simultaneously.
I’m ordering a .50 cal machine gun on E-Bay
to mount in my trunk for texters.
Disclaimer – I’m lying.
However, restaurant owners, I do have a mental list of alternate non-valet options when i see them “guarding” your prime spaces.
See ya – never. You picked your poison. Also, I’m one of those everyday eater-outers, and I buy alcohol (we know your margins on that).
A few Houston restaurants have literally no other option. If they are long-established and have been penned-in, perhaps I’ll make an exception. If they’re new and penned-in, then they don’t get a break from me. Your business model is based on strangers entering and operating my car. Not ’til my long list of fine establishments with no coercion involved fades away; I know others disagree – hope your Ray-Bans are there next when you check the next a.m.!
PS – I laugh when I see all those uneasy folks just wanting to go home waiting in line for some dude to bring them their car – whoops! Just cool your heels for another 10 minutes or so…
…AND pretentions do not exist in the City of Angels. My bad.
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Los Angeles created chi-chi. City of Narcissists is more like it.
But some, again, just liked good food with good company. Jimmy’s was just one of many. But truly at the top. Just not over the top with pretentiousness.
Pet Peeve:
After building that enormous parking garage at River Oaks Center, Griglia’s valet parking takes all the surface parking behind Sur la Table. Pain in the asses should be forced to use that garage.
From miss_msry:
After building that enormous parking garage at River Oaks Center, Griglia’s valet parking takes all the surface parking behind Sur la Table. Pain in the asses should be forced to use that garage.
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Did you ever consider that La Griglia PAYS for the use of the lot? It allows them to service their customers quickly. It’s called good business. Don’t like valet, you are free to use the enormous parking garage. What’s the problem?
John,
Patrons of restaurants usually stay 1-2 hours, if not longer. When I go to Sur la Table I can be in and out in under 10 minutes. This hurts the merchants more than it hurts me.
Sorry to be glib but valet parking is a useless courtesy. Stop being so darn lazy and park your own car, and walk God forbid. I personally refuse to use them, will go elsewhere as needed, being that there is no zoning there is always a residential street to park on. Safer, convenience, no just spoiled with far too much disposable income and more that content to flaunt your status. Tacky much? Yeah but no worse than your 100k car…
Your choice to valet, my choice not to.
I’m usually not comfortable handing over the keys to my fine beemer to some kid.
The last time I went to Catalan, knowing that I had no cash to tip the valet, I parked on one of the side streets and walked to the restaurant. Some poor soul who’d done the same ended up with a car nose deep in the drainage ditch. No idea how they later got that car out of there.
Valet is fine but honestly, I have yet to find a place in Houston where valet is really required. There is always plenty of street parking in this city, even in Midtown, Montrose, Washington Ave, etc.
Other than the elderly or physically disabled, the people who are saying that valet is the only option sometimes either (i.) don’t know how to parallel park (not surprising considering the dearth of driving skill in this city) or (ii.) are too lazy to park a few blocks away and walk.
My biggest complaint about it that if I choose to give a restaurant my patronage, I should have equal access to the available parking spaces. Providing a convenience for the customers who choose to use it shouldn’t further inconvenience those who choose not to.
Some years ago I inadvertently parked in a ‘valet’ spot at Grotto, in Highland Village (I did say ‘some years ago’). After dinner, I discovered that the air had been let out of one of my tires. I have never looked at valet parking the same way, since….
I have absolutely no problem with valet parking EXCEPT when you are forced to use it at slow business hours and given no other options. My hubby and I stopped frequenting Cyclone Anaya when we had to valet several times with nothing sitting in the parking lot except orange cones. Finally, on our last visit, my hubby just ran over a cone and parked. Valet should be used where and when appropriate. And this is coming from a chick who, many years ago, came out of a Montrose restaurant to find her hubby’s two-week old truck wrecked by a valet who tore down a fence because he couldn’t drive a diesel with standard transmission. Ah, good times…
Safer, convenience, no just spoiled with far too much disposable income and more that content to flaunt your status. Tacky much? Yeah but no worse than your 100k car…
Classist much? What exactly is too much disposable income? Are people that are successful supposed to just leave all the money in the bank until we die? Why did I even work hard in college and get a good job?
This weekend I went to an establishment that has valet parking. I got there too early and was not able to use the valet. I parked behind the building and when I came out to leave someone was parked directly behind me. I waited an hour for the jerk to come out so I could leave. I was kicking myself for not using the valet.
My opposition to using valet has nothing to do with the silly class arguments some are peddling on here. If you have the money and want to spend it, go ahead. It’s yours to spend. It’s not pretentious to use a valet. It’s pretentious (and annoying) to mention it to everyone that you did or you prefer to go place with valet.
My opposition is more rooted in that I generally don’t trust many of the smaller restaurant valet operations and on top of that I don’t want to use a service that requires tip if I don’t have cash on hand (which I rarely do).
Some valets are of a different level. The valet at any of the nicer hotels in downtown and uptown come to mind. I wouldn’t use, but I’ll throw the valet at the Galleria in the better Valet group since they operate all day every day for the property.
Maybe I’m just combative, but when the valet ends up parking my car 10 feet away, I won’t go get it. I will stand there and wait while they move it. My boyfriend complains and wants to just take the key and go. I insist that if I’m paying for a valet, they’re going to bring me the car.
To be a world class douche? Just because you can do something doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do. A ford will get you to work and back just as well as a BMW, and since you’re big on education why not save for your kid’s.
To be a world class douche? Just because you can do something doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do. A ford will get you to work and back just as well as a BMW, and since you’re big on education why not save for your kid’s.
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I assume you are talking to me. I don’t have any kids. You are correct that just because you can do something doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. Now give me a good reason why I shouldn’t spend $100k on a car. I have the means to afford it and I enjoy it. Other people choose to spend money on different things. I take my car on vacations with people that own the same car. I take it to track days. It’s my hobby. I suppose that we should all only spend our money on things that you want to have. And you’re calling me the douche?
Ray and Dave’s comments made me think of something: if the valet service at a restaurant is no charge and the spaces they have reserved are close to the front, would valet haters park their own car in the space and give the valet guys $3, calling it paying for parking?
As Houston gets more developed, ample parking will be harder to come by and more garages will be built and more garages and lots will become ‘pay to park.’ So, if you want to go somewhere and have to pay $3 for a convenient space in the garage (or more for, say, a sporting event. You can’t park safely for a Texans game without using their lot and it’s way more than valet), would you never go to any of those places? If it’s the act of being valeted more than the money, park yourself and throw them the $3…
Sorry to be glib but valet parking is a useless courtesy. Stop being so darn lazy and park your own car, and walk God forbid.
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Oh, I also walk at least 5 miles a day. Two miles of it to work and back. 3 miles of it to get my lunch. If I can walk 5 miles a day in the hot sun in June I can park my car and walk to a restaurant. I think you’ll find your glib assumptions about other people are wrong sometimes. You should show a little more tolerance for people that have different opinions and lifestyles than you.
CM is obviously a dumbass. Using his/her analogy, a burlap bag will cover your rear the same way a pair of jeans or skirt will.
Why eat steak when a squirrel from the backyard will suffice?
Why sleep in a bed when a straw mat on the floor will work?
Why buy toilet paper when a corncob will do the same basic job?
Why don’t we all wear government issued clothes, eat only government supplied MRE’s and live as bleak an existence as possible so that everyone is equal and unpretentious?
Leave it to valet parking to rile up the crew. Lots of A+ comments on here.
Oh, I also walk at least 5 miles a day. Two miles of it to work and back. 3 miles of it to get my lunch.
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You walk 2 miles to work and 3 miles for lunch when it’s 100 degrees and 200% humidity but drive the $100,000 car to the restaurant when it’s 90 degrees and only 100% humidity and there’s usually a breeze? Whatever makes you happy…
You walk 2 miles to work and 3 miles for lunch when it’s 100 degrees and 200% humidity but drive the $100,000 car to the restaurant when it’s 90 degrees and only 100% humidity and there’s usually a breeze? Whatever makes you happy…
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Yes, that’s exactly what I do. It’s more convenient for me to walk to the bus and walk to lunch when I’m working. I don’t have to pay $150 a month for parking downtown. When I’m going out to eat I don’t want to be bothered with bus schedules. The point I was trying to make is that people don’t always use the valet to avoid walking as CM indicated. I don’t. As I’ve stated in previous posts. I’ve never been towed, ticketed, or broken into when using a valet. All those things have happened when I didn’t.
JT gets quote of the day in my book.
I second CK’s note.
Ray at 33:
You’re lucky you live in the midst of sprawl. Maybe you would rather have a parking lot where you pay $8-12 on weekends to park yourself? In downtown Boston you can often find a lot to park yourself on the weekend but it’s $20. Should we bring that model to Houston so you don’t have to worry about someone denting your leased 3series for whatever pocket change you have?
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We’re not “lucky” to live in sprawl. Rather, many of us chose Houston—despite opportunities in other cities—because of the pains that come with living in more urbanized locations. I like the sprawl and all the advantages that come with it, including readily available parking. And accordingly, I try to patronize businesses that encourage that support that type of development by providing adequate parking for their customers. I want Houston to stay easy-living Houston, not become an expensive pain in the ass like Boston or Chicago or New York.
And accordingly, I try to patronize businesses that encourage that support that type of development by providing adequate parking for their customers. I want Houston to stay easy-living Houston, not become an expensive pain in the ass like Boston or Chicago or New York.
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I agree, but in some areas its too late. If there was safe parking at all the places I go I wouldn’t use valet. Now you’ve even got neighborhoods in Montrose that have permit parking on public streets. I’m more worried about cops when I park my car than thieves. There’s one club on Montrose near where the old Daiquiri factory was where you have to walk past the tow trucks and cops on your way in who are just waiting for you to accidentaly break one of the crazy parking rules. I walk up and down the street reading all the signs after I park but who knows what you’re going to miss. I need my lawyer to come along with me when I park in Montrose.
Now you’ve even got neighborhoods in Montrose that have permit parking on public streets.
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Didn’t used to be that way. Before the yuppies and guppies arrived. Makes you wonder what they do when they have parties. Issue temporary permits to the guests? Or maybe they offer valet and the valet parks the cars on someone else’s street?
Montrose. Ain’t what it used to be…
Actually, yes, temporary permits. At least that’s what they do in the neighborhood just east of the museum district. I went to a party a few weeks back and I was given a temporary permit.
I went to a party a few weeks back and I was given a temporary permit.
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Too much. When the streets fall apart, the homeowners should pay for the repairs then since they are the only ones allowed to use them.
Matt and I may actually agree on something; parking permits are one the worst things this city has enacted in ages. They are ridiculous, having the affect of privatizing public streets for a select view who are arrogant enough to think that a public street should only be used by them.
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Houston doesn’t even know what parking problems are – yet. Wait until there are one million additional people living here. At the rate we’re going, you’ll have to park in Katy to visit Houston because every street will be permit only.
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Its’ lousy stupid politics that does absolutely nothing to address the real issues which are how lame and behind the times our business and construction codes and permitting departments are in this “town”.
Below is a link to an interesting discussion on parking regulations and effects on cities and transportation. The link takes you to slate.com. The best thing is all you cranks, miscreants, know-it-alls, and actual pundits can make your own suggestions about how to fix parking disasters straight to them!
http://www.slate.com/id/2257814/
I’m a little surprised that no one has commented about the woman who was killed by a stranger who offered a ride to the storage lot because her car had just been towed from McDonalds across from the bus station. Sure, it is marked that vehicles will be towed from McD’s and sure, it is not wise to get in a car with a stranger. Still, someone jumped on that tow in five minutes at 1:30 am and that’s hard to justify when the end result was the loss of someone’s life.
John,
The concept behind the parking permit is no different the concept behind the parking meters downtown.
The difference comes in that meters are there for businesses and public facilities that have high turnover of patrons and the metered time enforces that. Under your argument that it’s the public’s street, the parking meters must be removed because anybody can park there for however long they want.
The permits are no more restrictive than a parking meter. It’s just a cheaper way to implement parking restrictions than parking meters for a high volume neighborhood of non-businesses.
kjb434, You’re just flat-out wrong. Apples & Oranges buddy. A parking metered street is open and available for anyone to use with equal access – pay the meter. Parking permits restrict the use of the street to a chosen group of people. There is no comparison.
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Using your argument, most of the ‘problems” cited that result in parking permits being issued are due to business patrons; primarily it seems restaurant and bar-goers, so perhaps these streets should get meters instead of privatizing permits.
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Everyone can park on the street by paying the meter, including the visitors of residents. Residents should already have off-street parking, if not, they can pay the meter too. Residents in buildings downtown and midtown don’t get to privatize streets, why should single-family homeowners?
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You will never convince me that parking permits are the legitimate answer, not as long as the street is a public paid for and maintained with our tax dollars.
The parking permit and temporary permits are identical to meters. They are paying for the usage of the street. The temporary permit IS open to all who have a reason to park on the street. The same way a meter is open to all who have a reason to park on the street.
Both are paying for parking. The mechanism is a little different. The city won’t put a parking meter up because it cost way more for taxpayers than using a permit system.
I completely agree Matt.
But kjb, there’s a big difference between permit parking and metered: the meters are public, first-come, first-serve and open to anyone. Permits are exclusive for the residents only. I lived in an apartment in Montrose with no off-street parking for years and I learned I had to deal with fighting for parking. It came with the territory. It stinks for the homeowners in the area, but what’s fair is fair. Your property should have a driveway if you want private parking. Streets are public and paid for with all of our tax dollars. This is one of the things that drove me out of the area (along with a friend getting a sawed-off shotgun stuck in his face walking from my house to Lola’s).
“The temporary permit IS open to all who have a reason to park on the street.”
That’s a joke, right? Last time I checked I get to decide if I have reason to park at a meter. Umm, who decides whether I have a “reason” to park on a permit street.
KJB has been felled by Southampton Syndrome…
Whoops…I type too slow. Others beat me to it.
Problem is, the permits are still exclusive due to the mechanisms for purchase.
To make it fair, there needs to be a dispenser for permits somewhere in the area for immediate purchase or signage on where to buy for the general public.
Yes, that’s me living it up the Southampton way in my 200k townhome in Cottage Grove.
Apparently, you don’t have to live there to have the syndrome. I live off Washington now and many of my neighbors have it too. We need to find a cure.
Yes, that’s me living it up the Southampton way in my 200k townhome in Cottage Grove.
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Don’t have to live in Southampton to be felled by Southampton Syndrome.
There is a difference between parking in business districts and parking in residential districts.
Just like there’s a difference between restricted land and unrestricted land.
And by the way you don’t have to pay to park on the street downtown after 6 pm. But you can’t park at all after 6 pm on some residential streets. Even though they are public streets.
The real issue is not who has the right to park on the street. The real issue is the City of Houston’s complete lack of balls for not developing logical parking and density guidelines in the midst of the “I am going to cram as much as I can on as little space as I can because it is my God given right and screw the trickle down effects” mind set of anyone who wants to build in density. The Third World narrow steets of Rice Military/Cottage Grove and West End should have never been over developed without street improvements. curb cut guidelines etc…..but we’re stuck with it now.
I recommend taking the Metro. There is a bus stop next to Catalan. It’s a stright bus from most of Montrose or Midtown areas. I am not sure about the Heights route. The Washington Wave Jitney is very nice to take too if you are used to walking along Washington Ave from rice Military or West End or if you are catching it from 1st or 6th Wards.
JT, on many if not most streets in the Washington Corridor, there is plenty of right of way to rebuild streets with wider lanes that can support parking, curbs, sidewalks and gutters, but the “leaders” of the associations spend all of their time and political capital fighting bars and privatizing streets instead fighting for the CIP expenditures that would address many of these issues.
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Yeah, it’s a multi-year, multi-million dollar proposition, but it will never happen without credible area leadership.
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Meanwhile River Oaks Blvd, and streets throughout River Oaks are being completely rebuilt for “drainage” improvements.
John,
You are quite mistaken. Most streets in Rice Military and Cottage Grove have 50′ right of ways which is insufficient for curb and gutter streets. A minimum 60′ is needed. Cottage Grove and particularly Kansas St were the subject of a parking and drainage study. The neighborhood (and many others also) is against curb and gutter streets. I can go either way on the curbs.
The city won’t convert the streets even if they have all the money in the world if the neighborhood doesn’t want it.
kjb wrote: “A minimum 60′ is needed.”
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As usual, you can’t (like most engineers and city planning staff) look outside existing guidelines, no matter how outdated or irrelevant to current conditions. This lack of ability, willingness, and vision to change and reconsider what is believed to be the “only way” to do things is what continues to hold this city back.
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It’s dangerous to claim to know what everyone thinks. Most of my neighbors said at a recent block party that they would LOVE curbs and gutters and sidewalks. The kind of people who want none of those things are probably the same types who were against the railroad quiet zone – people I don’t understand.
John,
From the area meetings I went to in Rice Military 2-3 years ago, to get the streets rebuilt requires an 8-10 year wait. It has to go through the City’s Capital Improvements Program. whether it is on schedule or not, I don’t know. On many streets it would not make a difference for parking because there are so many driveway cuts–which is a big part of the issue. I am unclear on why you bring up River Oaks. Why shouldn’t they get their streets re-built? The neighborhood is 70 years old and God knows they pay a hefty property tax-a $1.8 million home pays in the $8-9k range just to the City vs. the average $300k townhome at $1k. Maybe they pushed for it in the late 90s or early 2000s to make it happen.
Wrong again John,
The city PWE department along with the study group came up with many street configurations that are not typical and not in line with standard city designs. One configuration even had an open ditch on one side with a curb on the other to separate a parking lane on one side of the street.
The reaction from the neighborhood was based upon many civic association meetings throughout the study process. Bill White came to several meetings along with various engineers from the PWE dept. METRO and the firefighters had reps too in the process since the ability for them to drive while people are parked is a priority. If nothing is done, on street parking maybe banned completely (mainly due to the ability of fire trucks and ambulances having access).
The civic association is quite nice in that it is made up of many various residents from people who lived in the neighborhood for 40+ years to people who just moved into the area. The meetings were well publicized and attended.
Safety of the citizens does trump the ability to park any day. This is one of the biggest reasons the city has no problem granting a permit setup in the Rice Military area where parking on the street can actually endanger residents by blocking fire trucks and ambulances.
a $1.8 million home pays in the $8-9k range just to the City vs. the average $300k townhome at $1k.
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Yeah, but you can fit at least 8-9 townhouses on one of the $1.8MM lots for a so that’s really not much of a point.
JT,
The CIP process does take about 10 yrs for most major improvements unless you are in River Oaks. Like everything else in life, money and influence matter. I worked for the city for nearly ten years, managing a department’s CIP plan, so I have direct knowledge of how it actually works.
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Most major projects take 8-10 years, some can take 15 UNLESS your project is in the district of a particularly powerful city councilmember, big-time political donors, OR a very well organized and relentlessly active community group. River Oaks area CIP projects were routinely moved up, expanded, and funded ahead of projects in other areas. Some poorer neighborhoods with very strong HOAs and Super Neighborhood groups have been very successful at this game too.
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A River Oaks drainage project can easily become a street rebuilding project, while a similar drainage project on say, Airline Drive, wouldn’t stand a chance of expansion to include new streets no matter their condition.
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The point is that the Super Neighborhood 22 of the Washington Corridor could have as much mojo, particularly with the drastically increased property values over the last 5 – 10 years, to get major CIP work done. Yet, every meeting I’ve been to is nothing more than people bitching about bars and clubs, and patting themselves on the back for privatizing streets with permits.
kjb, You are drowning in the Kool-Aid. What you just described is a great PR piece for not doing anything, for maintaining the status quo, and for promoting permits.
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Question, if a street is too narrow for the general public to park on, why is it wide enough for people with permits to park on? Are the residents’ cars smaller so that fire trucks can magically get by?
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There are streets all over inner Houston with streets and right of ways as narrow as those in Rice Military and Cottage Grove. Some streets in the Heights may be even more narrow. If this were a public safety issue, ALL of those streets would have restricted parking. They don’t because this is not about public safety, it’s about the warped sense of entitlement held by people who don’t want “us” parking on “their” street. People who think that they should never be inconvenienced in any way – even on a public street. People who think they have a god-given right to park in front of their house 24/7. People who should probably consider moving to a gated community in the burbs because it’s not going to get less-crowded inside the loop any time soon.
John–interesting points. I haven’t been to a Super Neighborhood 22 meeting. The four or five Rice Military Civic Club meetings I’ve attended seem more social in nature than down n dirty political. So what do propose to be a solution to the lack of parking?
John,
Super Neighborhood 22 does have the power you speak of. The reason they don’t flex it for new streets is that they don’t want them. I know some of the people in charge of SN 22 and many residents are a fed up with the people in charge. The people in charge have directly told me that they prefer the open ditches to curb and gutter. It’s the “green” choice. They are also the types that think people can’t park, then tough on them. They should be driving those evil “non-green” cars. They also believe the city is doing a bang up job right now and rather fight the private businesses and state agencies like TxDOT.
SN 22’s other push is to eliminate the Washington Wave. They are very hostile to the owners and want it gotten rid of to be replaced with a METRO run service.
Welcome to SN 22.
Also, the city was considering banning permit parking (including the ones in Rice Military) because of the safety issue. If the street isn’t wide enough for parking as it is, why permit them. The city has made it known to the residents who requested the permit parking that cars could block emergency vehicles and access for police. The city couldn’t technically deny the permit because they don’t have the proper ordinance and accompanying policy in place. The first couple of homes that burn down together because the fire truck couldn’t get to them will be when we see the permits get changed.
The big difference between Cottage Grove and Rice Military is that the parking is primarily from residents themselves than from business patrons from out of the neighborhood. This is a main reason there isn’t a call for permits in Cottage Grove.
Kjb,
Please note that my comments are never intended to be personal; call me passionate. My experience at the city leaves me knowing all too well the difference between ‘official” positions and political realities. I have no doubt that you believe that the guidelines, rules, studies, reports, etc. are the bottom line in many of these issues. I know that they often are not, for better or worse.
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I’ve been so disgusted with my interactions with the leadership and agenda of SN 22 that I’m not sure that it will ever be a worthwhile organization.
You’re not alone. Several residents are in disgust with SN 22.
The sad part is that many residents won’t fight back. They’ll just walk away in disgust. I can’t blame them. I would likely do the same.
Living just outside of SN 22, I get to see and hear a lot of what they do with meetings that involve people from inside and outside the neighborhood. I think I like the Rice Military Civic Associations and a couple others in the area a lot more than SN 22.
JT,
The ultimate answer to the parking and development problems is for the city to adopt planning/buildng/business codes and guidelines that are applicable to Houston’s various neighborhood conditions; that don’t punish businesses for being too successful, and that recognize that things change.
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In most places this is called Planning, in some places it’s called Zoning.
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At the very least, we should expect consistent application and enforcement of existing codes and guidelines.
kjb: “SN 22’s other push is to eliminate the Washington Wave. They are very hostile to the owners and want it gotten rid of to be replaced with a METRO run service.”
An innovative private company was able to make money (and employ people) while offering a service that helps the parking situation in their area and they want them out of business and for our tax dollars to pay for more Metro instead? Ugh!
SN 22 knows that the Wave is popular, convenient, and relatively inexpensive which they believe only encourages more people to patronize the businesses. They hate that!
Yep,
I had a board member say so to me directly.
It came up in conversation when I praised the good work the Washington Wave was doing. He didn’t think they were doing good. He though METRO can do better.
What may be a funny is that METRO will be starting it’s own form of the service to compete against the Wave. What will likely happen is the Wave will continue to do good and they’ll have to try to pull some legal move to eliminate the Wave.
Metro could do better? Can someone help me clean up the pulled pork sandwich I just spit up all over my monitor?
And wasn’t Super 22 the group touting a $22 million dollar Metrorail Line? Perhaps I should give them my pork.
Yeah,
$22 million won’t do a damn thing to build rail other than pay for METRO’s to shut down all the businesses when the rail goes to construction.
“…they’ll have to try to pull some legal move to eliminate the Wave.”
Yep, that’s it…double Ugh!
While I’m not a huge fan of the Washington scene (though I am an over-the-hill Walters fan), I sure like seeing vibrancy over decay. I had hoped that once the trendy places closed up there would be some that would survive ala S. Congress. This group will run everyone off and be left with nothing but empty, vagrant-filled buildings once again.
River Oaks area CIP projects were routinely moved up, expanded, and funded ahead of projects in other areas.
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The sewer upgrade on Kirby Drive may have been moved up but only because it was part of the planned widening of Kirby – other than that, River Oaks sits and waits like everyone else. The sewer upgrade on River Oaks Boulevard has been a long, long time coming. After years of flooding, sewage overflows in the streets, and even sewage backupsin the homes. Yes, even in River Oaks that crap comes back up the toilet just like it does everywhere else.
Some believe they are actually moved back so as not the give the impression they get strings pulled for them.
Although they did pull some strings to save the median and the oaks along Kirby Drive. Other than that they are a pretty mellow crowd and laid back about it all. Including hirises that cast shadows. Although some have come to love the shadows. Particularly the ones in the afternoon now that electric rates have made even the rich a little “energy conscious.”
Just thought I’d throw that in as my Southampton Slam of the day…
Matt,
I got this vibe from the CIP manager (Ms. Ellenger) also. She isn’t the one to play favors.
The Kirby Drive project through River Oaks was part of the projects that were rebuilt after the winfall of federal money from Tropical Storm Allison. Kirby is also considered a primary corridor for traffic which also led to it’s improvements. The majority of people who drive on Kirby through River Oaks don’t live there. The improvements were as much for everyone else as it was for River Oaks.
I used to drive that route everyday for my commute when I lived by Westheimer and Kirby at the Oak Lane Apartments.
Matt, I’m not knocking the residents of River Oaks for getting things done; for having their streets totally rebuilt as part of a drainage project, for getting potholes filled post haste, for getting a new $7M library built when the CIP called for a $1M renovation of the existing one, etc.
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As I mentioned, it’s not about just having money; it’s about organization and relentless participation in the process. Pleasantville, a neighborhood far removed, in every way, from River Oaks has some of the same success with the CIP.
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kjb,
I don’t doubt that Ms.E. doesn’t play favors, but councilmembers and department heads do. The departments heads ultimately decide what gets in the CIP, based on staff recommendations, their own depts’ prioritizing criteria, and political pressure. City Councilmembers get to vote on the actual budgets that support these projects.
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The deal making can be fierce, and if you are a CIP manager – infuriating. Those groups, especially SNs that stay on the ball, pay attention when dollars or dates for listed projects are “adjusted”, and keep the pressure on, are the most successful. It also helps to be represented by a councilmember who is eyeing election to a more coveted office – they like to “get things done”.
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Most groups do not fully understand the need to stay involved and to keep the pressure on in order to get a listed project completed. Showing up once a year at your councilmembers CIP Review meeting is not enough.
You got that right John!
I have to sift through the CIP each year along with several other engineers in our firm to figure out what jobs we want to go after. You can get a feel of what areas of the city are getting attention (especially when looking at minor streets). The major thoroughfare projects are pretty sporadic and usually happen in tandem to potential commercial development or areas where a TIRZ will be chipping in money for reconstruction.
So info for everybody:
From experience, several major thoroughfares start off as just a road projects to replace the pavement and substructure. Many often turn into road and drainage projects which often throw the CIP into tizzy. In the end it makes sense if your are going to tear up a road to go ahead and take care of the drainage issues. Several thoroughfares get rebuilt primarily because they start off as a drainage project.
P.S.
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I’m not even knocking the process. We have a representative form of government at every level; city, state, federal. If we don’t get involved and stay involved, we miss out. Those that are most involved, most vocal, most organized tend to be most successful at getting what they want. The process works the way it is supposed to.
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When your SN (22) spends most of its time and resources fighting business owners that they don’t like instead of fighting for infrastructure improvements that will affect positive change in the long run, you lose.
“This is the most contentious issue in Houston!” I would have said a few days ago. But now I have no idea what is being debated here – the valet-parking thread has been, um, splayed and tangled?
Anyway.
I mostly NEVER use valets because I’m cheap and have two good legs to walk on.
However from the other side of the issue, restaurants need to maximize revenue from their clientele, and they aspire to provide services to them… even if the valet spots are so obnoxiously coned off from the cheap-skates…
Luckily there are plenty of (other) places to eat.
My first job was as a valet at a dinner club, and it was a great job. I set the policy for the lot, and I never restricted or blocked any spaces. Some people would have me park their cars even when all the front spaces were open. Others would cruise the far reaches of the lot rather than let me do it. That was OK with me. There are some good reasons not to turn your car over to a stranger – such as valuables or guns in the car or peculiarities about how the car runs.
Also OK was the small percentage of non-tippers. I figured that some people mistakenly though sincerely believed that the service was complimentary by the restaurant. Others did not have the change on hand but would make it up the next time. What I hated was when the driver had a tip ready but put it back in his pocket as soon as he saw that I was not going to pressure him for it.
I always ran for the cars and made it a point to remember who drove what car, so I made patrons feel important instead of turning them into claim check numbers.
I am particularly offended by shopping centers that block all of the close spaces for valet service. It’s fine to provide the service for those who need or want it, but hogging the front spaces sends the message “We’re fancier than you, so you have to pay to get near our stores.â€
Many of the powers that be assuming roles of supposed importance within SN22 are naive misguided leftist social engineers hell-bent on churning the Washington Avenue corridor into their twisted big government version of utopia. Naturally, said utopia will never occur, but if these misinformed social engineers have their way (and there are several clueless venue owner who have drunk from the same Koo-Aid) the lure of a massive, taxpayer funded, (and federally subsidized, cause we have to have the omniscient feds involved) business destroying rail line will ruin what is a thriving Washington Avenue Corridor. These agenda driven social engineers wholeheartedly “know” that what the corridor “needs” to survive long term, is a big government funded and operated (by the hugely successful, well managed, transparent and budget conscious Metreaux) light rail line that is entrenched with millions and millions of public funds, immovable and vastly more expensive than the currently successful, privately operated Washington Wave. What amazes me is the owner of The Wave stands right by her buddies that own these venues who are contributing to the funding of this “study” reaching out for federal grant money to facilitate Washington Corridor light rail. We all know …. well those of us capable of cognitive reasoning know how successful all those businesses along the dangertrain route on South Main have done. These dim bulbs think that a massively expensive infrastructure expenditure like light rail will ensure long term economic prosperity of the region. Hybrid diesel-electric buses make far more economic sense at a fraction of the price and are flexible with the ability to be deployed to wherever the need evolves to…. which is exactly what these social engineers don’t want. They want the huge, massive investment in infrastructure to guarantee a Utopian business environment, which it won’t. While The Wave’s small but growing fleet of gasoline powered buses adequately serve the Washington Avenue corridor currently, this small, but flexible and privately operated (and funded mind you) entity can evolve into an economical and ecological organization that serves the entire corridor ably. Unfortunately, power hungry social engineers don’t have their thumbs over this type of a private business, and that cannot be allowed.
Given the choice, I would sooner go through the drive-through at Burger King than hand over the keys to my new Honda to some inexperienced kid valet.
Valet parking is pretentious and stupid!
It only makes sense for people who are physically handicapped or elderly and in need of assistance.
The wholesale appropriation of strip center parking spaces by restaurants et al. for valet parking is reprehensible ought to be made illegal!
Valet parking is pretentious and stupid!
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And don’t forget chi-chi…
Just thinking about cars long enough to read this thread has been exhausting. Excuse me; I need to go ride my bike to dinner. I have plenty of other problems, but I’m glad valet isn’t one of them.
Really, John? “Matt and I may actually agree on something; parking permits are one the worst things this city has enacted in ages. They are ridiculous, having the affect of privatizing public streets for a select view who are arrogant enough to think that a public street should only be used by them.”
I live near the Edwards cinema on Weslayan, and before permit parking, we couldn’t get into and out of our own driveways because of all the jerks who would line our streets, and didn’t mind that their car stuck out 4 feet into our driveway!
This was folks who were too cheap to spend $3 to park at the movies AND local strip mall owners, who parked their own cars on our street, and had their employees do the same, so that more spaces would be open in their parking lots. So, sorry about the confusing parking regulations near your favorite haunts, but parking permits SAVED our neighborhood.
And for the record, I avoid restaurants where I am forced to valet. Even if it’s complimentary.
However I’ve been forced to reconsider, and will now stop tipping at forced “complimentary” valet stands, unless the service (driving my car 50 feet) is exceptional. Nobody owes them a living.
From El Kabong:
” Nobody owes them a living.”
Really? So you don’t tip waiters, bartenders, bellman, or anyone else in the service industry either. You must be a fun customer to serve.
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Regarding “saving your neighborhood”. Blocking your driveway is against the law; something that HPD should deal with. Permits just relieve HPD of doing that job, and inconvenience every other tax payer who should be able to park legally there. It’s interesting that HPD will claim that they don’t have the manpower to respond to those calls, but they sure have plenty of manpower to assist the towing industry once permits are in place.
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Furthermore, if permits are put in place in EVERY neighborhood on EVERY street near commercial activity, then eventually nearly every neighborhood inside the loop will be off-limits. This will be a tremendous waste of prime city assets.
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“…who parked their own cars on our street…”
What makes you think that YOU should have the right to park on a street, any street, but that others should not? NEWSFLASH: It’s not YOUR street!
NEWSFLASH JOHN: Funny how an affected property owner would pay a pro-rated portion of the costs to re-build HIS street. Of course you are so tunnel visioned on this paermit parking thing that you resort to hyperbole. As if every inner loop neighborhood would need it…Unfortunately, The City of Houston is so spineless and bass ackward in regard to enacting guidelines that would prevent this, so homeowners are left little choice if they feel like having a place for Grandma to park when she comes over for Sunday dinner.
From Melanie:
“…As if every inner loop neighborhood would need it…”
Of course not, just YOUR neighborhood, right? How convenient. And a parking space for Grandma on Sunday? So every other Houstonian should be inconvenienced Mon-Sat, 24 hours a day, so Grandma can park for dinner on Sunday. Are you serious?
Are you serious John? EVERY other Houstonian would be inconvenienced……talk about a drama queen. I was using the same type of outlandish example that you use. I live close to a neighborhood with permit parking but unlike you, I can respect my neighbors
who do and if I need a visitor’s pass or whatever, so be it.
Melanie, What does your respect for your neighbors have to do with this issue? What are you talking about?
John,
I respect my Rice Military neighbors right to have permit parking without bitching about it and if it takes an extra step for me to get a parking permit from them in order to visit at night, I have no problem with it. In other words, I am not railing about my rights as a Houstonian are being trampled etc……it’s called welcome to the Big City.
Melanie,
I find it ironic that you end your post with “welcome to the Big City” because that’s exactly what I say to people who bitch because others want to park on a public street. If it is such a problem, move to a gated community in the suburbs instead of the crowded ‘big city”.
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Question; Would you have a problem with your neighbors getting permits to use a local park because it’s too crowded with “outsiders”? Or perhaps permits to use the local library because too many outsiders were taking up all the computers and checking out all the good books?
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What’s the difference? Why should any public asset be reserved for a select few people? I stand by my opinion that parking meters in crowded areas make more sense and remain available to anyone.
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I live in the Washington corridor and most every house in my neighborhood has a 2 car garage and/or driveway off-street parking. Those few residents who can’t park in their own garages because they are full of junk are the ones who bitch about not being able to park on the street 2 nights a week. So every one else has to suffer because they expect their own private on-street parking spaces?
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You will never convince me that this is right or legitimate. Public street means just that.
John
What’s the difference? A library and a park are designed to enhance life and are specifically built to draw people from all over. A street, while public, pretty much exists to allow movement from one place to the another–residential streets primarily serving those who live on that street. You act like everyone in Houston is so inconvenienced that they can’t park on five or six streets in Northern Rice Military, go to a club on Washington, get drunk, vomit on your lawn, trench your landscape, get stuck in a swale etc….And why should you dictate that folks should clean out their garage if they want more parking? The only reason the club goers wanted to park their is to avoid paying $6-$10 to park in a private lot.
JT wrote: “And why should you dictate that folks should clean out their garage if they want more parking?”
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Why should they dictate who parks on a public street?
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Really, why? I haven’t read a single plausible explanation why one group should get to decide that no one else parks on any public street. Your arguments are lame. Why should anyone, clubgoer or not, have to pay for parking IF spaces on the street are available that they ALREADY paid for with taxes?
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“..residential streets primarily serving those who live on that street.” Where did you get that idea? Houston does not have zoning.
“..residential streets primarily serving those who live on that street.†Where did you get that idea? Houston does not have zoning.
Uhhh I guess I got it from driving down many streets that are primarily residential- which would apply to most every street in Rice Military. If you live in the neighborhood, it would be rather obvious–Lillian, Rose, Blossom,
Feagan to name a few almost exclusively have single family homes or townhomes.
You arguments against permit parking aren’t exactly hallmarks of public policy.
Just angry missives is how they come across and not really convincing.
So every clubgoer is now a taxpayer? Boy you paint with broad brushstrokes.
From JT: “So every clubgoer is now a taxpayer? Boy you paint with broad brushstrokes.”
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Actually you had the broadest, claiming that all clubgoers “get drunk, vomit on your lawn, trench your landscape, get stuck in a swale etc…”.
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If you had a clue you’d know that it’s likely that every clubgoer is indeed a taxpayer. Club cover charges, cocktails, and food are all taxable. The city and state loves these clubs. Most of them likely live in the city and pay property taxes too. They even pay taxes on the gas they put in their cars to get to the clubs. What don’t you comprehend about this?
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Why are you so hung up on clubgoers. I’m almost 50 and have no interest in them, but I also don’t blame them or their patrons for the City of Houston’s sorry-assed codes and regulations.
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Let’s blame Houstonians for always voting down zoning and then always wanting the benefits of zoning when something affects them – Ashby Highrise, for example.
Yes, in an ideal world, HPD would respond promptly to cars blocking us out of our own driveways. But they didn’t. Permit parking made our neighborhood liveable once again.
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“You will never convince me that this is right or legitimate. Public street means just that.” Happily, I don’t have to convince you. Done is done.
My brother in law the tow truck driver tells me you don’t need to call HPD to have a car blocking your driveway towed. He could be wrong, but he does it regularly for folks who live in areas where this is an issue.
I’m SO glad I don’t drive in this loopy city!
My chauffeur was trained in Naples, Italy and can handle ANY conceivable parking situation!