I now plan jobs based on where in town they are because parking is so difficult. Sometimes the only feasible way to do a job is to bring my motorcycle. I hate to do that because then I can’t cut keys, everything has to be planned out well.
Part of the issue with parking is that many parking spaces are taken by cars containing people doing nothing more than reading their phone, despite being in a load zone. Some of these people might be waiting for somebody else who is loading or unloading something but most of them are not. Some are rideshare drivers waiting for a call. Some are just whiling away the time!
Last week I needed to park close to a jobsite at the corner of Mercer and Queen Anne Ave. This is historically a difficult place to park and now there is even less parking due to bus stops and other bus infrastructure. There is a very large load zone that could allow multiple cars, but it was filled. I parked illegally (something I frequently must do) and looked in the window of one and saw a guy sleeping! I woke him up, let him know I have some stuff to load and unload in this zone, and politely asked him to move. He was agreeable and I eagerly waited for him to move while blocking the bus lane.
To my surprise, he ran into the vehicle directly in front of him which was also in the commercial permit only load zone (without a permit, naturally). Even more amazing, a bearded man immediately stepped out of the second vehicle! So, these guys are both just camped out in load zones napping and doing who knows what else.
Yesterday I had a job at 4th and University where there is a 30 minute load zone and ended up parking illegally in front of it because, you guessed it, there was somebody parked there reading their phone. I asked him if he could move, but this time he just stared at me like I had a third eye.
After making no headway with him I got to work. I may have done more angle grinding and hammer drilling than absolutely necessary on the sidewalk next to our vehicles. I finished the job and left. As I backed up I made eye contact with the man who was sullenly still holding his phone, no need to go anywhere as rush hour traffic screeched and honked around him.
Sometimes I get contracted to do work at University Village which is a nightmare to park in. There are large parking garages that my vehicle can’t fit in but nobody wants to park in those, they all park nice and close to the shops where I literally need to park. The best way to deal with this is to park them in until one of them needs to move. They call the number on my dashboard and then I get their parking spot. If you need to park there this might not work for you, normal size cars would probably get towed.
I am uncertain why so many people like to sit and read their phones in load zones but I wish they would not. There are much nicer places to go to read. I am thinking of Richmond Beach Saltwater Park here. Maybe Discovery Park or one of the many other parks in the area.