My So Called (Psycho Parking) Life

Swanicyouth

Swanicyouth

New member
Parking can sometimes dictate events in my life. I'm going to a concert on the way home from Detail Fest in Maryland. The show is at a bar/club near the Inner Harbor. So, I'll be staying in downtown Baltimore.

Oh ####. That means, I'll be in my BMW - and have to PARK it somewhere in downtown Baltimore. On the street? No. Valet parking? Forget it.

So, since I want to stay near the venue, I'm just crazy enough to let PARKING dictate where I'm going to stay. The 3 hotels nearest the venue:

Brookshire Suites Baltimore:

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So, this looks like what I would call an "artsy" hotel. That's fine with me. Looks pretty nice. I would stay here for sure. Only 6 minutes walking distance from venue.

The problem:

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No parking lot I can see. This means valet parking. Forget it.

Next choice... Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel:

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Luxury hotel. Very nice. I like it. Want to stay here real bad. Prolly could get onion rings via room service at like 3am at a swanky place like this.

The problem:

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No parking. Again valet parking likely. I want to stay here - but I ain't giving them my car. No way.

The last choice - Sleep Inn & Suites Downtown Inner Harbor. Gotta love a place that shows you pictures of a washer and dryer in their Orbitz add.

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Chain lodging at its finest. These are the hotels you see off I-95 for $32.99 a night. Nothing wrong with them - but nothing great about them. It's basically a place to sleep. No interesting artwork in the halls, no unique touches and no memorable restaurants in the hotel. The soap and shampoo won't be in fancy little bottles.

But..... THEY HAVE A DECENT PARKING LOT !!!!!

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So, I'm just psycho enough to pick my hotel based on the parking situation and research it on Google Maps. I'd rather stay elsewhere - but who knows where I'll have to park - or even worse... Who will have to park my car....

This isn't the first time parking has affected my life. I've told friends I wouldn't go to certain restaurants because "the food sucks", because I knew they had mandatory valet parking. I've refused to go in and left stores because the parking sucked - or was non-existent. I've walked a mile to go somewhere when I could have parked like right up front - just to have a "safe" parking space.

If you know Philly, you know cheesesteaks here are the best. I've given up on Gino's & Pat's in favor of Tony Luke's - just because they have a parking lot (albeit full of bums). Every morning at work I walk from the very last space in the parking lot into work without even thinking (it's like 4° now) - because I want to keep my car safe. I'm there early enough - all the upfront spaces are open.

Anyone else have any stories how how parking influences their life?
 
I totally get it. I recall having a HUGE blowout with my girlfriend at the time on one 4th of July as I had taken my '73 Z28 I had restored and taken her to see the fireworks. We were supposed to park in a local shopping center lot and watch the show. Well, after getting there she INSISTED we had to get closer which meant leaving my car unattended in the lot. She won the initial battle but I was so miserable worrying about the car that her night went south pretty fast too. I say get the cheap place with the lot.
 
You wouldn't be an Autopian if you didnt carefully plan your parking. I religiously park far away in any parking lot i go to and my car will never see a valet. Those hotels with big lots or parking decks arent bad. Every one one I've ever stayed in was decent.
 
FWIW, just because those high-rise hotels have underground parking garages doesn't necessarily mean they have valet parking, or if they do, that you can't self park. Of course those underground garages are usually nightmares.
 
I'll see your parking garage only and raise you: I'll always park on the highest garage level possible since fewer people are willing to go one floor higher then they have to. Meaning an abundance of parking options on the roof, and less crookedly parked morons.

Road maintenance in Baltimore sucks. I don't envy you. The Baltimore Marriott Waterfront has a parking garage (ie Roys on the map):

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I stayed there awhile back, seemed like an ok place.
 
Swanic - Amen dude! This is my life too. My wife hates when we take my car places because she knows I'm going to park in the boonies. I do always offer to drop her at the door, of course. But even then she knows it is going to take me a while to park and get inside...especially at the big shopping malls.

But I always tell her...look at your car...and look at mine (yes I gave up detailing her car because she won't take proper care of it...fingernail scratches all around the door handle, drags her purse on the paint as she walks by the car, parks as close as possible and always has a new door ding almost monthly...you get the idea).

How many of you have gone to a new place, picked a spot, considered all the scenarios, then picked a different spot, considered all the scenarios, picked a different spot...and on and on...for however many times it takes to get the lowest possible risk rating. Cursed I tell you.
 
I'm usually into the office by 6:30 am. I used to park in an underground, heated, extreme clean and secure ramp that had enormous parking stalls. I would still park right up to a column on one side and wall in front. Sadly, our company was booted from that ramp once the economy picked up and the company that owns the ramp started hiring again.

Now I park in a different ramp. I can still get underground, but it's not heated, not cleaned, dark, tiny stalls, not secured and kinda seedy: the elevators smell like drugs every couple days. Worst part? It's used by the children's museum patrons. Minivans and SUVs everywhere and mommys who don't care if they bump up against your car. People also struggle to stay within the line because they are selfish xxxholes. So I have found one parking stall, at the very bottom of the ramp, it's a stall and a half, with a wall on one side, column on the other and wall in front. If someone jacks my stall, there is copious cursing and I'm generally in a bad mood until I get some coffee in me. I normally take a company vehicle for day trips to work sites and meetings. The one time I had to park in a random stall, I ended up with a bunch of scratches on my hood; this was only a week or two ago. Seriously ruined my Friday night.
 
I don't think any person here who thinks like this is crazy. In fact all of you are probably the smartest people on the planet.

My wife hates it when she wants to go to the store and I drive. I'll park so far away from everyone else, all you see is tumble weeds.

Just can't trust other people when it comes to parking.
 
Swanic, I stayed/parked in Baltimore a couple times this past year. We stayed at the Hilton (directly adjacent to Camden Yards) the first time and they have a decent park/stay package. Their underground car park has a ton of oddball parking spots (nobody can park next to you) and we'd all covet. I think the parking area is available to the general public and is an 8 minute walk to the Inner Harbor area:

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We also stayed at the Hilton Garden which couldn't be any more "downtown". It's right on President St and valet parking only. I asked my wife if she had completely lost her mind when I found out where she booked. However, it turned out to be fine, car was given back to us each time damage-free.

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I will say that if the parking situation worries me, it may dictate taking a different car.
 
The sign of a true "Autopian" :) !!!! Don't forget to pack the "parking cones" and put them around your parking space !!!!!
 
Where I lived at Jakarta is more harsh. It is so difficult to have the car in mint condition. We have a lot of rain nowadays. With my apartment who has more car than the carparks it is so difficult to maintain the car clean. I always ask my wife to clean the car at least twice a week with QD when the car was not in use (she is good with car cleaning).
After we go for a ride, we always wash the car with ONR.
I have one spot at the parking ramp which is only for one car, and next to the elevator. I have 2 cars here so we always switch the car before using the other one so the lot is still owned by us



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This is the serious recurring theme in my marriage. I take the oldest truck when we go to

1. Concerts
2. Yankee Games
3. The Mall
4. valet parking places

She cannot understand it? How is that?

lastly. My wife is on the treadmill for 45 minutes a day min. When I want to park in the back of the lot, it s problem? WTF?


We have a nice arrangement after 20+ years and I would not trade her for anything. Getting there was a different story.
 
I guess I am frugal in my aging days. I am the type to go more for the economy rates as long as it is a decent place to stay. I would choose the $109 place and still think it is a little steep but would pay it. All I have to say is the one place you mentioned at $269 they had better be doing the reach around since the have me bent over a barrel! LOL.
 
Heh heh, I often let things like parking dictate which vehicle I/we/Accumulatorette use for a given trip. Though she generally just takes her A8...not a problem as she is 100% up-to-speed on keeping it safe; she sometimes uses me as an excuse, as in "sorry, I have to park it myself...and over there where it'll be safe...because my husband wants it to stay just this nice. No, sorry, I'm serious here, do not touch my car."

Ditto for gassing up in full-service-only states like NJ- "sorry, I'll have to do that, nobody else touches the car.."
 
From habit, I can't even park my '98 $900 hoopty near anyone after bringing it back from the dead. Some people think just because the vehicle is older we don't care if it gets that door ding! Or the salt truck slinging salt at full speed in the employee lot.
Then I can't forget to relocate in summer. I remember working a saturday when the landscaping crew weedwacked behind my explorer throwing grass all over it and some new chips. They actually denied ever doing it but I took photos of the freshly chopped fenceline.
Thank god that F150 parks nearby.
 
Angus said:
I'll see your parking garage only and raise you: I'll always park on the highest garage level possible since fewer people are willing to go one floor higher then they have to. Meaning an abundance of parking options on the roof, and less crookedly parked morons.
Click to expand...

I do that also. And besides, you can find a good spot that's usually closer to the elevators and less walking in the garage! :)
 
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