I finally got to do something the other day that I never thought I’d have to do. Have a car towed from in front of my house. Apparently not everyone in San Francisco knows the parking rules in the City.
You cannot park with your car overhanging even a little bit into a driveway or you can be towed. There is no 1″ or 3″ is OK. You just can’t do it. Luckily for me there was no question about it as you can see from the picture. I had never had to do this before so I called the police. As it turns out while the police will take your information they rarely do anything about it. I found this out after driving home and having to bounce up over the curb at around 10:30pm because my driveway was blocked.
When I called the next day and the car was still there I was told to call the SFMTA. They didn’t hesitate and immediately told me they’d be out to tow the car shortly. I went about my business around the house trying to figure out how to back the car out of the driveway with Wife and daughter in the car only to find the following when I opened the front door…
They came, they saw they towed. I would have been nice and asked the owner to move their car if the owner had ever made themselves know to me. I’m not even sure if they live on the block, but I have seen the car parked [usually in front of my house] on numerous occasions. While I can say that new people in the neighborhood have been nice and introducing themselves and/or at least saying hi we do have a new neighbor who I think this car might possibly belong to. If so she also has a dog that she walks that chooses those two plots of dirt that used to be lawn before the gophers destroyed them to take a dump on a daily basis. Wife has seen this, but not taken a picture. Me being an a-hole sometimes would be running out and filming the whole event in high def to share here and you tube, and Facebook, and twitter and where else can you publicly shame people?
Now I never really advocated this type of behavior, but the way it used to be was that you knew your neighbors and you’d knock on their door and ask them to move the car. It wasn’t a big deal if it was 8am because, well, they were blocking your driveway and that’s a lot more neighborly than a $500 tow charge right?
I honestly would have contacted the owner if they had said hello to me when I was out in front of the house so I’d know who they were, but from all I can remember from seeing them blocking my driveway previously [while they were in the car with the engine running] is that I think they are a woman. I at least have proof now of why I had their car towed if they ever introduce themselves to me and ask. Now if I can just get pictures of the woman and her dog taking a dump and leaving it behind.
Oh yeah, we’re in the process of doing something to the cemetery plots in front of our house. I’ve just been a little busy lately driving people around.
the actual law is this: anypart of the car is in the begining of the curbs offsett then they are in violation
so you knew that they lived on your block and you still had them
towed?? wow! you are a dick!! if you can’t negotiate around a car in
your driveway that blocks you by a couple of inches then you clearly
shouldn’t operate a motor vehicle! it’s people like you that make SF a city a horrible place to live! I grew up here and it is idiots like you that ruin my city!
Look at the picture again Richard. That’s not a couple of inches, but a couple of feet. I drive quite well thank you and in case you aren’t aware, access to my driveway is a part of MY property.
I grew up here as well. My grandparents came here in the 20’s and were the first owners of this house. It’s not your city any more than it’s my city.
Richard, he was not being a dick. The person who blocked his driveway was inconsiderate (especially for that amount of time!!), and hopefully he/she will learn a lesson on how to park. It’s called taking responsibility. People just aren’t used to it these days.
Gee this is like Facebook. I can like a post. Thanks Toshi!
Isnt Richard short for dick? Or is it the other way around?