by nebula

Created on: October 27, 2008   Last Updated: December 04, 2008

Having commuted to San Francisco on a daily basis for school and/or work most of my life, I've done it all. You must realize that it's not always possible to carpool, take BART, or bus it into the city. Sometimes you just have to take your car. I write this article in hopes that one day, you too may become a San Francisco Parking Ninja.

We can all agree that we, the honest work-a-day people of the greater Bay Area have a common enemy in San Francisco: parking! Face it, not everyone has a valet wearing a spiffy red coat waiting every morning on site, and unless you're ready to dish out the big bucks for some parking garage that's all the way across town from where you work, you may want to read the ideas I have to share.

Parking meters. Typically, these are found in the business districts.

Sometimes you get super lucky and find a spot right in front of your place of business. This is wonderful if you have a lot of quarters, and are able to repeatedly break from work in order to feed the stationary money glutton. Better set your egg timer without fail; everyone knows how efficient the SFMTA Cushman jockeys are.

Parking zones & permits. Residential and business areas.

Always read the signs! If you're parked in a two-hour zone, for example, you should always move your car before that time elapses. You may be wondering, "How are they going to know?" Unless standards have changed, Cushman jockeys have long riding crops that sort of resemble sticks with colored chalk at the end. They use these to mark your tires. If, upon their return, they see that their chalk mark remains at the same angle, you will receive an infraction. Also, this is important, especially if, but not limited to, you are over-nighting, or will be working into the wee hours, make sure you pay attention to the street sweeping days. You'd be surprised at how quickly 11:59 PM Tuesday night becomes 12:00 AM Wednesday morning when you're having fun. Usually the sweeping days will be marked with a specific day and time span. As for permits, according to the SFMTA website as of 10/25/2008, only SF residents may qualify for a parking permit, and you can get up to four permits for household. How many SF residents own even one car?

Online parking services. Pay to park in someone's driveway!

Though I have never used one of these services before, they may offer a cheaper alternative to parking lots, and it's almost certainly less fuss than street parking. People will rent out their driveways to others for parking. This works out perfectly for SF residents who either work outside the city, or always drive to work. You may also just cut out the middle man, and find a friend who would be willing to rent out their driveway. You can place a classified ad, for that matter. Everyone always wants to make easy money, and you don't have to get towed! You might want to consider drawing up a written agreement of some sort for this one, unless it's someone you trust.

Residential areas. Sans time limit.

These are my personal favorite. There are many residential areas that do not have time limits. You may have to park a little farther from work, but it's worth the walk! Besides, walking the romantic hills of San Francisco will make your legs nice and strong. If you park in the avenues, or someplace pretty far removed from where you work, you may have to take the bus. It's still totally worth the time and the fare! My favorite places to park are in the avenues up Fulton, and Webster St at Hayes. Note that you must always pay attention to the zoning signs and street sweeping times! Things change over time!

Always remeber when employing creative parking strategies to plan enough travel time!

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