This car was parked near my house on a recent morning. Normally, there’s room for two cars to park in this space. But on this day, there was only one. And somewhere, I heard a neighbor gnashing her teeth in exasperation.
If cars that park too close to a driveway cutout are a bane to some Bernalwood garagistas, the equivalent for street-parkers must be cars that greedily occupy two street parking spaces as if they were just one. As reader Marco put it recently:
Is there a DPT sign to put on windshields of cars that leave six feet between the edge of the driveway and the front bumper and take up two parking spaces?
Miss Manners would like to remind all Bernalwood motorists that we do not live in the suburbs, so please refrain from taking up two parking spaces when one would suffice. But let’s also remain mindful of those driveway curb cutouts. Not too far and not too close. Happy parking makes for a happier neighborhood. Thank you and carry on.
Photo: Telstar Logistics
Bernalwood 
Can someone get this message to the van owner who parks this way all the time on Crescent — leaving 6+ feet between his van and his *own* driveway?
Watch that car. When the significant other gets home from work, they’ll pull one car forward and park the other behind it. And then they’ll repeat the trick when they need to use one of the cars later.
I see this all the time in the Mission, especially with people who have a scooter purely for space-saving purposes (parked in the center of a spot while the car is gone; and parked in a garage, on the sidewalk, or behind the car when the car is back).
Parking is a huge game and these guys are really poor sports. It sucks.
Across the street from my house (in the Mission), there is a stretch of curbside parking where two full size cars/trucks/vans fit nicely. An normally, neighbors with such vehicles vie for those spots. However, sometimes there might be a compact car (Mini or SmartCar) or motorcycle parked on the forward space — near the driveway curb cutout. Making for a situation where the next vehicle that parks behind them will be in the middle of that stretch of parking spaces. So only another compact car will fit behind that second vehicle. But the kicker is, when that first vehicle leaves, it leaves the second one looking like the Subaru in the photo — parked in the middle, taking up two parking spaces and everyone is hating on them.
I hear you someJuan! Recently, I was sternly scolded by a guy on Peralta Street for taking up two spaces with my car. What he didn’t realize is that at the time that I parked, there was a motorcycle parked diagonally in front of me. Of course, the motorcycle left at some point, making me look like a space hog. It really bummed me out that a neighbor would make a nasty comment to me based on an assumption. Readers like Marco and my neighbor up on Peralta need to get a life and/or mind their own business.
At least he did not leave you an anonymous note! 😉
This also happens on my street, but when our inconsiderate neighbor leaves, he places two garbage receptacles in place of his car so that when he returns, he can again hog two spots.
I also would like to place some sort of notice on his car referencing a DPT regulation.
I’m going to see if I can find something online, and if I find something I’ll post another comment.
That sounds like this guy on Bronte – it’s indicative of deeper problems – he’s also been known to toss cherry bombs at people that annoy him…
Sean – you are correct! He also flips people off, threw water on a dog, etc. etc. Allegedly he reported one neighbor to the city for what he considered an illegal business run from their garage. The city exonerated them. Bet that sent him into a tizzy. And by the way, the neighbors sold & moved to the country. I wonder what he has in his garage that prevents him from using it.
Whoa, that is DEFINITELY not OK. No Savesies!
my parents old neighbors on the 500 block of anderson st used the old orange pylon cones to reserve thier spot, not cool since they were clearly marked property of at&t
That person must be from the suburbs. No one there knows how to park.
The guy a couple doors down from us on Moultrie painted the curb in front of his house blue. Took about a year before someone from the City told him to put it back the way it was. So he painted it gray, which barely covers the blue paint to this day. Even stenciled SFPD on it for gravitas.
I’m tempted to call that chutzpah, but that would be slightly hypocritical.
We have the same situation with a 2-space spot right across from my house on Elsie. When people take up two spots with one car, I leave a note on the windshield asking them politely not to do it again (and if I don’t, my neighbors do!). My wife suggested simply painting some white lines on the street, like one in the middle of the two spots, to hint at folks that it’s two spaces. Would the city allow that and/or do it for us? Seems like a reasonable way to communicate the situation to drivers unfamiliar with the territory.
Oh, brother. Too many cars and not enough spaces. Can make living in SF craaaazy.
second to frank. i received an *anonymous* note the other day in true passive-aggressive SF/bernal form scolding me for taking up “two or three” spaces on anderson st. well, dear anonymous – when you’re parked behind a mini, smart car, or a motorcycle, or maybe even the family that blocks their 1/2 space and driveway with their cars – it leaves plenty of irregular parking situations. if i’m forced to choose between parking my car or giving half a s#!^ about what my neighbors with way too much time on their hands thinks – its gonna be #1 every single time.
The problem with the logic of the philistine in this blurb is that “annoying” does not equal trapped in my own driveway…chew on that. Hope that wasn’t too passive aggressive for you new aged bed-wetters.